DeeDee or anyone,
Do you know of any reputable websites that cover this issue? I DID Google, but... anyone that I would be wiling to quote only covered the subject of a dog eating dirt.
I know the worse case scenario is PICA. However, I would like to give the person some ideas of what is most likely and what to change. She isn't going to take the dog to the vet at this point.
These are some of the possibilities I have come up with so far (although providing her with a reputable source would be MUCH better):
Nutritional deficiency... She feeds kibble. I know kibble isn't species appropriate. But is it more likely with bottom of the barrel type of dog foods... such as Dog Chow?
Not enough food?
Boredom... the dog is young (under a year).
Exercise... the dog is in the house or in his crate quite a bit. Doesn't sound like a lot of exercising is going on.
Chew toys... he has them. Maybe a few more and change them out every few days?