Wont stop eating metal items....

Question
I have a lab, grey hound, collie puppy almost 1.  He has always eaten things that are very bad for him.  He is crate trained, very calm, but it just seems that he cannot help himself when it comes to pocket change, potting soil, zippers and I walked down the hall today to find him in a tool box eating nuts and bolts.  How can I get him to stop before he really hurts himself?  Just recently purchased pet insurance because he has become quite costly with the vet visits over the 10months we have had him.

Answer
The only answers are the crate and supervision.  When out of the crate, you need to limit his access to the house.  You need to keep a close eye on the dog. Use closed doors or gates to keep it in the same room as you are, and perhaps as I do, a short chain fastened to the computer desk. If you catch it in the act, give it a sharp ''Ah, ah, ah!'' and offer it a safe chew toy. When you can't watch it, crate it.

The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not there to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed. I don't trust any of the consumable chews. The dogs just gnaw them down to a dangerous size too quickly. These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive chewers such as Labs.

Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds. Ones I made lasted much better. Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the foot. Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie knots in it. Get them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer. Watch carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.