When my golden retriever was a puppy, she chewed on everything! We contemplated changing her name from Bailey to Chewbacca! I cannot tell you how many times I’d have to hold her down and finger sweep her mouth to find out what she was chewing on. This seemed to happen every single time I took her for a walk or let her play outside. I was thankful when it was something normal like a piece of mulch, but always afraid it would be something nasty that I’d need gloves to pick up!
I became really good at prying her mouth open and making her drop the treasures she’d find. Pretty soon, she learned to spit out whatever it was when I’d say “drop it”.
The other day, my husband and I took our toddler to a park. We let him run wild so he could burn off some energy. Needless to say, he started collecting empty acorn shells. He was proud of his discoveries so I sat with him as he played. He tried to sneak a shell as we walked away and the next thing I know, it was in his mouth. Thankfully, I have fast reflexes and was able to pull his mouth open and grab it. He put up a good fight, but I still won the battle.
Puppyhood definitely prepared me for this one! I am starting to see why some parents put their children on leashes!