Dog stripping bark off tree

AryaStark

My Husky loves to play digging down the garden. She has a large area where she can be off lead and have fun. The digging is fine and I encourage it as it tires her out.

Today she was in under some trees for a while so I went in to see what she was up to.
She was there stripping bark off a tree. She was pulling the bark off, throwing it away and then trying to eat the wood.
I am wondering if this is bad for her? Would the sap from the tree be dangerous? Anyone else have a dog who likes to do this?

kathleen37

Sorry, I hope someone will be along with some advice as I have no idea about the trees, but I just wanted to say what a beautiful girl you have!!!

AryaStark

kathleen37 wrote: »

Sorry, I hope someone will be along with some advice as I have no idea about the trees, but I just wanted to say what a beautiful girl you have!!!

Thanks!

peasant

AryaStark wrote: »

Would the sap from the tree be dangerous? Anyone else have a dog who likes to do this?

depends on the type of tree ..willow for example is somewhat medicinal, so in high doses it might not be so good.

We have a 15 year old gentlemen who recently decided it would be fun to chew off all the knobs on a chest of drawers

AryaStark

peasant wrote: »

depends on the type of tree ..willow for example is somewhat medicinal, so in high doses it might not be so good.

We have a 15 year old gentlemen who recently decided it would be fun to chew off all the knobs on a chest of drawers

I am not sure what kind of tree it is!!! My Dad would have planted it here years ago... the garden is quite big and wild!!!

Ms Doubtfire1

there's quite a lot on google for this, have a look. :-). One thing I would say though, if it's a tree with a high amount of resin, I'd keep her away...

doctorchopper

Our husky did the same thing, now we have no trees in the back (i removed them all)

AryaStark

She is almost 3 and this is her first tree to strip!!! I think and hope that she just happened to be bored because it was raining a bit (she does not like to get wet!!!) and decided to entertain herself by stripping the tree while sheltering!!!

She is in fine form anyway but I would not be up for removing the trees... I will keep an eye out and try to catch her in the act and then work on stopping her from doing it!!!

Ms Doubtfire1

you could also wrap a very fine sort of mesh-wire (the stuff used for rabbit huts or chicken-coops) around the areas of the tree she can reach.

aonb

Sounds like a boredom buster? Is this a new behaviour? Might be a good idea to nip this game in the bud in case it becomes obsessive? If nothing else, stripping the bark from the tree will kill the tree eventually...

Could the dog be lacking in some nutrient?
I would be concerned too about any damage to her teeth/gums/tongue/mouth from splinters

Post a photo of the leaves, so we can identify the tree - some trees are definitely poison to dogs - apple (!) azalea, laurel, boxwood, cherry, privet, holly, eucalyptus, horse chestnut - for example and all very common in Irish gardens

AryaStark

aonb wrote: »

Sounds like a boredom buster? Is this a new behaviour? Might be a good idea to nip this game in the bud in case it becomes obsessive? If nothing else, stripping the bark from the tree will kill the tree eventually...

Could the dog be lacking in some nutrient?
I would be concerned too about any damage to her teeth/gums/tongue/mouth from splinters

Post a photo of the leaves, so we can identify the tree - some trees are definitely poison to dogs - apple (!) azalea, laurel, boxwood, cherry, privet, holly, eucalyptus, horse chestnut - for example and all very common in Irish gardens

Wow thats quite a list and I know that we have some of them in the garden...we have horse chestnut, laurel and boxwood. Ill take a pic of the tree when I am down the garden later.
This was the first time she did it and I do think it was boredom as it was raining a it and she was sheltering under the trees.
She is a quick learner so I am hoping that if she does it again and I stop her in the process she will learn not to do it.
I will definitely not be letting her to it as a lot of the trees are mature and I love them too!!!!! I would hate her to start stripping them all.

Stigura

Got a Dingo here that occasionally likes a nibble on the walls of this room. I have random patches, gnawed back to the stone work. Might only do it a few times a year. Doesn't bother me, happily. Obviously some mineral he likes.

Bites wood too. But, that's easily explainable. It's the log stump that I cut their dinner up on. Permeated by blood and flesh juices, see?

Husker stripping trees? Sounds more like simple amusement. Devil finds work for idle Dogs ..... Unfortunately, as Aonb says; It will indeed kill the trees. Biggest tree will die, once it's Bark has been stripped round like a collar.

Dog needs entertaining. Very energetic Dogs, Need to burn it off. Head'll explode otherwise.