Kowai Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Hey guys, Okay I was wondering if I could get advice on this one. We have a 10 month old Siberian Husky called Kapo. Kapo likes to chew things as puppies do. However she's normally very good when we're home and wont chew anything up except our Staffy Zach and her toys. Lately though she's taken to this fun game of "Chew all the expensive stuff I can find when mum and dad aren't home". Not only is she chewing stuff on the floor such as my nice new pair of shoes but she is reaching up onto the kitchen bench/table etc and getting to kitchen utensils, the cordless phone, food etc. So far we've been trying to keep stuff out of reach as much as possible, but of course we forget things sometimes and its hard when she can just reach everything anyway! (Like the phone). I've also realised that all her toys atm are things like ropes which aren't nice and fun to chew, so I've decided to go out today and get her alot of chewy toys to combat the problem. I was wondering though if anyone had any other ideas to stop the little horror? We can't discipline her of course, because we're never home when she does this! I'm going to buy more toys for her and of course continue hiding things away from her.. Is there anything else we can do? I've heard of putting Vix on the edge of the benches, does this work? Cheers guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAX Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 I would have her locked up when you're not home, a crate or a dog run. I would never, ever leave my dogs in the house alone, I don't know if they would eat anything but I wouldn't risk it. Plastic milk bottles and soft drinks bottles make good toys for a change. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kowai Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 (edited) I would have her locked up when you're not home, a crate or a dog run.I would never, ever leave my dogs in the house alone, I don't know if they would eat anything but I wouldn't risk it. Plastic milk bottles and soft drinks bottles make good toys for a change. Good Luck. Ah problem is I love letting my dogs have the run of the house (I know it contributes to the problem though). She's normally very good, but lately.. For example, my boyfriend and I went out to exercise this morning, were gone for about 2 hours, came back and the phones chewed up, a toy I'd just bought the dogs (one of those ball throwers so they're not supposed to eat that!), and my shoe had been chewed on but thankfully is okay. (I've had these shoes a few days, they cost about $100, and they're a birthday present!) The shoes were the only thing on the floor! (So my fault there) I'm fine with them running around the house It just takes extra steps by myself and my boyfriend to "dog proof" the place when we leave the house. --Edit-- Er, by "dog proof" I mean "Kapo proof". Zach looks like a freaking angel sometimes compared to her! :rolleyes: Also - 900 posts woo! Edited October 4, 2007 by Kowai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAX Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 What if you come home one day and she has eaten the lounge or your bed. Or worse something that could hurt her. It happens, there has been lots of ripped up lounges posted on DOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keshwar Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 If you are going to let Kapo have the run of the house then the only solution I see is to be rigorous about not leaving anything anywhere she can get it. So no shoes on the floor, nothing left where she can reach it on the counters and lots of chewable items that are hers to chew. Yes this is a pain but for her getting things off the counter or finding one or a pair of shoes is a self rewarding behaviour. And hey it helps keep the house tidy as well! Have you tried leaving her with a large bone to keep her occupied while you are away? This may help as well. Bear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kowai Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 If you are going to let Kapo have the run of the house then the only solution I see is to be rigorous about not leaving anything anywhere she can get it. So no shoes on the floor, nothing left where she can reach it on the counters and lots of chewable items that are hers to chew. Yes this is a pain but for her getting things off the counter or finding one or a pair of shoes is a self rewarding behaviour. And hey it helps keep the house tidy as well! Have you tried leaving her with a large bone to keep her occupied while you are away? This may help as well. Bear. It does help keep the house tidy! (As students we can be a little slack sometimes!) I think we just need to be even -more- vigilent with hiding things away where she can't get them! I never had this trouble with Zach, he can't reach the bench! I'd give them bones during the day but I'd hate to leave them unsupervised with them. Early on when we first got Kapo I had them outside alone with their bones while I was inside. Zach took a go at Kapo They're alot better now, thats the only time its happened, and I'll let them eat bones outside again, but I wont let them eat bones when I'm not home As for the couches... Let us pray she never decides to chew those! She -has- chewed on our doonah covers however! She chews the buttons off the end of them, and she even just plain chewed a hole through one of the covers! Solution I think?: Close the bedroom doors :rolleyes: (Luckily the couches don't have any nice buttons on them to chew..) Bloody mongrel dogs! Why do I love them?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 I'd give them bones during the day but I'd hate to leave them unsupervised with them. Early on when we first got Kapo I had them outside alone with their bones while I was inside. Zach took a go at Kapo They're alot better now, thats the only time its happened, and I'll let them eat bones outside again, but I wont let them eat bones when I'm not home If not bones, then how about leaving them something else that's OK to chew? Kongs, or rawhides. Or treat balls? Or big cardboard boxes to play in and demolish? You see, I'm wondering whether they're chewing all your stuff up simply because it's fun. If you give them something else fun to do, they might stop wrecking your stuff. Apart from that, if you don't want to crate them, and don't want to give them more stuff to chew, all I can suggest is to maybe shut some doors to keep them in less fragile parts of the house? Confine them to the hallway and bathroom or something! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kowai Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 I'd give them bones during the day but I'd hate to leave them unsupervised with them. Early on when we first got Kapo I had them outside alone with their bones while I was inside. Zach took a go at Kapo They're alot better now, thats the only time its happened, and I'll let them eat bones outside again, but I wont let them eat bones when I'm not home If not bones, then how about leaving them something else that's OK to chew? Kongs, or rawhides. Or treat balls? Or big cardboard boxes to play in and demolish? You see, I'm wondering whether they're chewing all your stuff up simply because it's fun. If you give them something else fun to do, they might stop wrecking your stuff. Apart from that, if you don't want to crate them, and don't want to give them more stuff to chew, all I can suggest is to maybe shut some doors to keep them in less fragile parts of the house? Confine them to the hallway and bathroom or something! Oh I'm definately going to go out and get them lots of things to chew on! Its funny, she chews up our stuff, so I go out to 'reward' her with more toys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Letting a pup have the run of the house is risky... what if she takes a fancy to a power cord ,or swallows one too many buttons or pieces of fabric? She would be a fairly strong girl..and could easily start ripping up stuff which is NOT on the recommended diet Find a 'safe' room, and fill it with the above-mentioned things..boxes, kongs etc. Sorry..I don't see humour in this...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kowai Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 Letting a pup have the run of the house is risky... what if she takes a fancy to a power cord ,or swallows one too many buttons or pieces of fabric? She would be a fairly strong girl..and could easily start ripping up stuff which is NOT on the recommended diet Find a 'safe' room, and fill it with the above-mentioned things..boxes, kongs etc. Sorry..I don't see humour in this...... Even if she were in a 'safe' room she could still choke on something like a toy she'd ripped up. Also, every room in my house has stuff in it - I can't lock her up in one. My house is -tiny- and every room could potentially have something she could chew on in it. Also it wouldn't be fair to lock her up in such small rooms. (I mean -small- rooms - they barely fit the beds/desks in them) I appreciate your concern though and its something I share as well, please don't think I don't. I let my dogs inside and out at all times as thats how I've always had it with my family, with no problems before this. I feel comfortable with them having the safety of the house to go to as well as access to outdoors. Every time we leave the house we try to make sure there is nothing she can chew on - we put the bin away, put objects away/out of her reach etc. However sometimes its the items we forget, like my shoes on the bathroom floor, or leaving the cordless phone on a bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltron Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 (edited) My dog has been given run of the house for the past week and all he does all day is sit in the front window of the living room, watching the world pass by. He hasn't touched anything. He doesn't even jump up on the couch. I leave him kongs but he doesn't play with them - he just sits and waits for us to come home However once we are home - he is full of beans and into everything. Before I leave for work, I put everything of value in a cupboard or out of reach, covered the couches with blankets, unplug all electricals within his reach etc. Our house looks extrememely spartan at the moment! Perhaps give Kapo the laundry for a while with only 'approved' chewing items so she gets used to only chewing those things? Then slowly let her have access to the house, 1 room at a time. Is Kapo scared of anything or dislike anything? My dog hates a coke can filled with coins. I strategically place one of those on my laptop at home in case Charlie gets any ideas about touching it. As soon as he hears the coins - he immediately stops whatever he is doing. Also (this is a bit high tech).. you could leave a webcam running, and when Kapo does something naughty, get your computer to make a loud sound to stop her. A webcam + skype will do the trick. Edited October 5, 2007 by deltron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miccar96 Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Hi Is kapo always chewing stuff when you are not home ? or is it only sometimes. If so can you think of anything that might have gotten him into destruction mode..... Our Henry is pretty good when he is home alone. The only time he has chewed something, when we were not there (my new shoes) was when my husband came home after being gone all day said hello to him quickly then we both left to go and have dinner at a restaurant. It was as if he wanted to say HEY, I missed you all day long and now you just come home and leave again!!! No playing or walking at all ??!! I WILL SHOW YOU !!!!! Well when we are home and play with him and he gets all hyper and we leave him and do something else when he still wants to play .... well thats a different story. we have gone through quite a few shoes ,the couch had to be fixed twice !!! and we now have a brand new telephone after he ate the old one.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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