pup eats everything

Question
how can i stop my 9 month old min pin from eating EVERYTHING...dirt, geraniums, gloves, shoes, rocks,paper, plastic...you name it he'll eat it

Answer
Gail, the short answer would be to keep things (gloves, shoes, paper, plastic, etc.) up out of his reach and not let him out of your sight, and if you DO have to do something that would prohibit you from being able to keep an eye on him, confine him to an area where he cannot get to anything (meaning put him in a crate or x-pen).

It's normal for puppies to put everything in their mouths, just as it is for human babies to do this. That is how they learn about their surroundings. I've found that the best way to stop this type of behavior is to catch the dog whenever he is >>thinking<< about putting his mouth on something inappropriate, make a sharp sound to startle him, and redirect him onto an appropriate chew toy.