Poodle nibbling

Question
I have a two year old fixed male miniature poodle.  Recently he has started nibbling on fabric.  Not chewing it but nibbling.  He is almost obsessive.  This summer he tangled with a opossum and got infested with fleas.  It was quite a challenge to get rid of them.  I am concerned that he is lacking something in his system, either from the blood loss or the chemicals used to combat the fleas.  It is almost a nursing action.  He has never done anything like this before and we have had him since he was a puppy.

Just for background information he is a rescue from a puppy mill and was neglected, but has adjusted wonderfully to our family and our other dog.

Answer
Hello Geri,
I have heard of dogs sucking on toys or items before, but it is usually derived from nursing and the puppy just continues on toys, kind of like a child that sucks its thumb.  To help stop this behavior, you can tell him NO! and give him a toy or bone to play with.  
If he continues, they make a product called Bitter Apple that you can spray on the spots that he is sucking on and that should help him stop.  It has a very nasty taste that dogs don't like and they will usually stop the sucking or chewing when they taste it.  You can find more information about it at:  http://dogs.about.com/cs/toppicks/gr/bitter_apple_gr.htm  You should be able to buy it at your local PetSmart or PetCo, or some Wal-Marts carry it. It runs around $5-$7 dollars at most retail stores.

He probably started licking the fabric first, then went to nibbling.  Dogs get into this behavior and it comforts them, so they continue.  If you can distract them by giving them a toy or something else to do, they usually will quit this behavior after awhile.  

If he continues after the distraction training and after using the Bitter Apple, you might want to contact his Vet.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions/concerns/comments for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim