dogs eating mulch

Question
We have three dogs, 2 Newfoundlands and a bichon mix.  Last spring we moved into a new house with a backyard FULL of cedar mulch.  They didn't bother it at all until 3 or 4 months ago.  Now I can't get them to stop eating it.  They go out to the bathroom and then go and find mulch to chew on. I know it's not good for them and we have gotten to the point where we go out with them every time they go outside.  How do I stop it?  Is there anything I can put on the mulch?  Or is the only option to remove it completely?  My vet said it isn't anything lacking from their food, they probably just like the texture for chewing. He had no ideas what to do other than removing it. We give them raw marrow bones regularly for chewing.  We also feed them Blue Buffalo.  I need help!!  Any advice would be very much appreciated!  Thanks.

Answer
Eating mulch can be dangerous. A piece could puncture their esphagus or digestive tract, cause a blockage, or bowel problems such as diarrhea.

There are several options, the first being to get rid of the mulch completely. That's probably not very practical. I'm a little bit unclear about what you mean when you say the backyard is FULL of the stuff; do you mean there is no grass out there at all, or is there just a lot of landscaping that the mulch is around?

Another thing you might do is to either install invisible fencing in the backyard that would keep the dogs away from the landscaping, or use remote controlled correction collars to give them a little 'zap' whenever they start to pick up a piece of mulch. I would recommend consulting with a trainer who knows how to properly use these types of collars before trying them out, because most people use them incorrectly. You don't have to shock the crap out of your dog to get the point across; you just want to make mulch eating unpleasant for them.

You might also put up some kind of physical barrier around the mulched areas, such as rabbit fencing that is only a few feet high and usually green colored, so that it blends in with the plants.

I don't know of anything that you could put on such a large area to keep them from eating it.