Dangerous Fixation Eating - HELP

Hi all, this is my first post I believe. I have viewed the forums for the last three years since we got our puppy.

Maurice is a 3 year old tri-color. We got him from a reputable AKC breeder and in nearly all regards he is healthy and well-tempered toward people and other animals.

HOWEVER.....he has one major issue, and that is that he is the most OCD fixation eater of small objects I have ever encountered in a dog. I have had many dogs and been around many in my life and I have never encountered a dog that likes to eat any and everything that can fit in his mouth as much as Maurice. His fixation is very specific. He is only interested in objects that are small enough to entirely fit in his mouth with no protruding parts. If it meets that qualification, down it goes. Things that he has thrown up include: acorns, rocks, screws, bolts, buttons, a needle(scary), legos, etc.......

Currently, the household is just me and my wife. The dog lives in "safe zone" parts of the house that are kept free of any small things. He has had this behavior from day one, and with the advice of a trainer we have stopped him from defending his prize and developed an amicable trade system for a treat. The problem is, we have a baby on the way. I do not see how it will be possible to keep the house in a safe state for him with a kid and toys around.

Has anyone out there ever found a training regimen to absolutely stop this behavior? All the trainers seem more interested in stopping defensiveness of the object(which we have stopped) and getting the dog to give up the item, but not actually stopping the behavior altogether. The baby arrives in November, so I have some time to start working with him. If I can't solve this I'm afraid he is a future intestinal blockage victim waiting to happen, in fact I am amazed it hasn't already happened.

Wow -- difficult to manage, and you have certainly done all the things I'd suggest to begin with. The one thing you could also add is a good solid 'drop it' or 'leave it' command, but the problem is that this still depends on you seeing the item being picked up and isn't getting at the cause of the problem.

There's a possible medical issue here. This kind of behaviour is called pica -- eating nonedible stuff -- and your cavalier probably needs to start with a good workup by a vet if this hasn't been done. In particular I'd be thinking about the possibility of pancreatic issues as this is actually a known breed issue -- many cavaliers gradually develop chronic pancreatitis. There could also be behavioural reasons, which could be addressed.

There may be a dietary deficiency; a vet can possibly advise on that. If you opt to work with a trainer I'd recommend finding a CPDT certified trainer as this is a good, science based qualification.

More info here: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/pets/dog-behavior/pica-eating-things-that-aren’t-food

I think you are right in recognising the arrival of a baby is likely to add to your challenges, but it could be managed. Training your cavalier to be comfortable in a basket style muzzle (Baskerville) would also perhaps be helpful for walks and times when your dog has someone there (muzzles shouldn't be left on when no one is watching the dog. But Baskerville muzzles are often recommended by good trainers -- they allow a dog to breath and drink normally).