By Justin Jordan | Updated 17 October 2026
You look away for a moment and your dog has another stone in their mouth. It is worrying, and chasing them around the garden rarely makes things easier. If your dog is chewing or eating rocks, the first step is to keep them safe, then work out what is behind it.
Why do dogs chew or eat rocks?
Picking up a stone, chewing it and repeatedly swallowing stones are different behaviours. A curious puppy might investigate everything with their mouth. Another dog might carry stones during play. Repeated eating of non-food objects is called pica, and it needs veterinary assessment. It does not automatically mean your dog is missing a mineral.
Possible contributors include gastrointestinal problems, an unsuitable diet, anxiety, frustration or a learnt pattern around collecting objects. More than one factor may be involved. We need to understand the individual dog rather than assume they are bored or being naughty.
What makes rock chewing dangerous?
Stones can fracture teeth, injure the mouth or become lodged in the digestive tract. Swallowing them can cause a blockage or internal injury. Their size and shape, and the size of your dog, affect the risk. A small pebble is not automatically safe.
Watch for reduced appetite, vomiting, drooling, lethargy, abdominal discomfort or difficulty passing faeces. Tell your vet when it happened, roughly how large the stone was and whether others may be missing. A dog can initially appear well after swallowing a foreign object.
A practical plan for home
1. Prevent another opportunity
Fence off gravel beds, remove loose stones from the areas your dog uses and supervise outside time. A lead can help you guide your dog away before they pick something up. Do not replace rocks with pea gravel or assume mulch is safe for a dog who swallows objects. Choose the surface with your dog’s actual habits in mind.
2. Arrange a veterinary check
Persistent chewing or eating of stones deserves a conversation with your vet, including a review of diet, health and any medication. Take notes about when it happens. Does your dog do it alone, after meals, during play or when someone approaches? Those details can help both your vet and trainer.
3. Practise useful skills with harmless items
Our step-by-step Leave It guide teaches your dog to turn away before picking something up. A separately taught “drop” cue helps with releasing an item already in the mouth. Start with safe training objects, never stones. Reward generously and keep sessions short.
If your dog already has a rock, avoid chasing, shouting or forcing their mouth open. This can lead to gulping or defensive behaviour. A calm trade may help a dog who has practised it, but seek immediate veterinary advice if swallowing is possible. Keep children away from a dog guarding an object.
4. Give chewing and exploring a suitable outlet
Offer supervised toys and food activities suited to your dog’s age, size, teeth and swallowing habits. No chew is risk-free. We do not recommend deer antlers or goat horns as safe chewing alternatives. Very hard items can fracture teeth. Ask your vet about suitable options, especially after any mouth injury. For puppies, our puppy mouthing guide explains how to redirect everyday chewing.
Build in sniffing, rest, social contact and manageable training. These support wellbeing, but they do not replace treatment of a medical problem. Some dogs need a carefully fitted basket muzzle introduced gradually with rewards. Get professional advice, as not every basket prevents access to small stones and a muzzle never replaces supervision.
Choosing a chew from our range
For dogs suited to edible chews, browse our Beef Steer Pizzles (Whizzers) and Monster Bully Sticks. Monster Bully Sticks are very hard and are not suitable for every dog. Choose for your dog’s size, teeth, diet and chewing style, supervise throughout and remove pieces once small enough to swallow. Ask your vet about suitability if your dog has dental problems or a habit of gulping objects. These products are not a treatment for pica or a substitute for preventing access to stones.
Common questions
Will my puppy grow out of eating stones?
Do not rely on it. Prevent access now, arrange veterinary advice and teach appropriate alternatives. Puppy curiosity does not make swallowing stones harmless.
Should I spray the rocks?
Our priority is preventing access and addressing the cause. Do not use homemade essential-oil mixtures, chilli or other irritants. A taste deterrent is not a reliable safety barrier.
Help for Brisbane dogs and their families
Once your vet has addressed health concerns, our in-home behaviour consultations can help you put a practical management and training plan in place. For general foundation skills, explore our group obedience classes.
Give your dog a pat from us.
Veterinary information and further reading
- Greencross Vets: common dental issues and tooth fractures
- VCA Animal Hospitals: pica in dogs
- PetMD veterinary guide: swallowed objects
This article provides general training information. Suspected swallowing of a stone needs prompt veterinary advice.
