Guest quinoa Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 We have 20 apple trees "inside the fence" where Rocket goes off-lead safely. Rocket has only been with us since end of January, so this is his first summer with apple trees. This evening, I noticed him nosing the trees .... he is eating the unripe apples! (our strawberries have also been munched on) They are unsprayed, so there is no danger to the dog, but we would like an apple crop one of these years (we have lost crops due to hail in July, mid summer drout, and now possibly this.... any ideas to keep him from munching? (a second fence would be $$$$$$) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwnedBySummer Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I'm afraid I have no suggestions but you do need to get him to stop because apple seeds are poisonous and supposedly actually contain cyanide. Good luck and I really hope someone has a suggestion. Oh, I do have a suggestion. I don't know how gorgeous your back yard is... but if the trees are "way over there"... could you use less expensive snow fencing to fence them off? Quote Lisa B. My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ThunderPaws Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Sorry I have to laugh, but my little Midnight picked about 20 pears off my tree last year. I already caught her eyeing the apples this year.. she'll be in realy deep trouble if she even looks at the peaches on my new tree!! Last year she picked almost all of the red and green tomatoes off my friend's tomato bush! I thought she'll have to go to the e-vet, but she was perfectly fine. I don't know.. chickenwire fencing around each tree? That would make it a pain to mow grass around, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 What about using a muzzle +/- poop cup? That's what I do to keep Wiki from eating my fig tree (leaves, fruit, and all). He also munches on my camellia flowers if I don't keep him muzzled - they're not toxic, so sometimes I'll just let him eat them. Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I can't even imagine the volume of apple seeds a healthy dog would have to eat to actually harm him... Every dog we've ever had has eaten and loved apples, seeds and all. And let's not forget apples are frequently given to horses, who trust me, do NOT spit out the seeds. Anyway, I bet this boy is nibbling on the apples and moving one. With an unlimited supply, he probably skips the core! I think the muzzle/poop cup suggestion is a good one! Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest quinoa Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Muzzle is a good idea... Why did i not think of that? It will also keep him from munching baby rabbits. (so far 2 groundhogs, 1 baby rabbit) Apples are coming out barely digested, so no worries about the cyanide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest june Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 No advice, but I once had a golden who would eat apples, pears, hull English walnuts and I had to put up a fence around my asparagus in order to get any for the supper table. I could NOT keep that dog at a healthy weight. Wish I had known about muzzles then june Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FullMetalFrank Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I can't cut up an apple without my Frankie waiting patiently for the core; if I don't give it to him I get sad, sad puppy eyes I know that eating apple seeds in a huge quantity could cause problems but not the small quantity Frank gets. I might worry about a dog having free access to all the apples he could eat, though. I can imagine the green ones might cause some stomach upset. A muzzle would make it a lot more difficult for him to graze on your apples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SusanP Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 There was a German short haired pointer who lived at an orchard we frequent for many, many years. He had a rich, full life wandering the vast orchard and yes, eating apples, mostly the ones on the ground. He lived to a ripe old age. Your hound can reach only the lowest branches, so maybe it won't hurt your yield much. But you could put up an inexpensive plastic-net fence barricade just during the apple season and take it down in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rjleaman Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 What about squirting a little "bitter apple" spray on some of the fruit, so he'll taste a few and start to think maybe they're not so delicious after all? I have a similar set-up here, but the deer jump the dog fence, and the raccoons climb it, so all the lower branches are stripped of apples anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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