Chewing Us Out Of House And Home!

[catandgrant]

Hello all,

I haven't been on here for a while as our 1 year old cocker has been a great dog since his early puppy days. However.....recently he has taken to chewing anything he can get his little teeth around! He's always been a bit of a chewer but its getting to the point where he is destroying some very expensive items. To list a few he has chewed our very nice outdoor furniture and cushions, hubby expensive sunglasses, followed by his wallet, a couple of xmas presents, hoses, towels, his bedding and various cables.

We've tried reprimanding him when we find him doing this but so often we find out after the fact so can't really rouse on him then.

We do our best to put things up high and leave nothing lying around but there are times when we happen to leave something in his reach.

He is alone during the day so i understand that i could be due to boredom but a lot of it happens when we are home and he has exercised and after play time. He also has many toys lying around. Just seems to find our things tastier!!

Any ideas at all how to combat this?? It is costing us a fortune!!

Thank you in advance!

[SchnauzerBoy]

What about getting him some toys that he can chew and that will keep him entertained when you are not around.

Praise him for chewing those toys (so long as they are made of the tough stuff!) and repremand him for going near the stuff he isnt allowed.

He'll soon get the hint.

Apart from that, keep everything out of his reach.

[Erny]

Catandgrant - cause for some of what is happening now might trace back to earlier times and if we know what you did and how you raised him to not chew items that he shouldn't could be of assistance.

For example with my current boy I did all the usual : Praised for chewing his own toys; straight onto things that he showed even just a fraction more than the remote interest in things that he shouldn't have interest in (for instance ..... first 'lick' of the wood on the edge of his kennel saw me out there with some "stop chew" spray designed for the purpose). For those times when I couldn't be around to supervise he was either safely confined to a play-pen/crate set up or if I had to leave him for longer than that deserved, then he was outside where there was a much lower likelihood of him chewing.

I didn't need to move that much from his reach - instead I was around him teaching him pretty much all the time when he had opportunity to do the wrong thing as well as the right thing. When he managed to get his little teeth into the sponge rubber of his mat (through a hole in the cover) I very quickly patched up the hole and layed a blanket over the top to lessen the temptation.

Over time I have found that he has little to no interest in chewing items that he shouldn't. I think the only thing that remains in danger of being destroyed are the tissues in the tissue box, or one that he might sneak out of my pocket (he's become a good 'tissue out of the pocket' thief). I can live with that .

Every dog is different and I know that some dogs are more hell bent on chewing than others. So the above is just an example of what I'm talking about when I ask about his upbringing in this respect. Was he always this way inclined and it's just got your goat now? Or did it start up later? Or just recently? When does he do most of the destructive chewing? When you are home? Or when you are not home?

All this info will help us to help you, if we can without seeing your dog .

Hang in there. It can get better.

In the meantime, if the chewing has become 'bad' in the last couple of months or so, it could be his adult teeth 'settling in' ('second teething period'). During those times you sort of need to be as vigilant as you were when he was a puppy and when he was going through his first teething (baby teeth to adult teeth) and work through it with him, ensuring of course that he has lots of other good chew items to help his teeth and gums. A variety of textures helps too. IE Some softer things; some firmer things; some material; some rubber. I found it made a difference as my boy would go through stages where one chew toy was preferred over the other for a while, then it would change.

[catandgrant]

Thanks for the advice. I guess he has always been a bit of a chewer. We have tried to correct him in the past when we catch him chewing but majority of the time we find something that has been chewed already and the moment has passed to repremand him for it (he wouldnt know what he was in trouble for). For example a couple of days ago we found our ipod cable chewed to pieces on the floor but he was nowhere near it when we found it.

He chews mostly when we are around. I guess he chews a bit during the day but as he is outside during the day he does not have many chewing options. Having said that we did find his trampoline bed things torn up last night!

He really seems to enjoy chewing. We cannot leave a towel or blanket near him as he chews those also. He would sit chewing on a towel for an hour if he could!

I didnt realise they went through a second teething phase. Thats quite interesting. We are being quite tough on him at the moment and trying all the advice. I guess its perserverance and patience and hard work!

[Erny]

Thanks for the advice. I guess he has always been a bit of a chewer. We have tried to correct him in the past when we catch him chewing but majority of the time we find something that has been chewed already and the moment has passed to repremand him for it (he wouldnt know what he was in trouble for).

That would be part of the problem ..... a habit that has formed from earlier days.

For example a couple of days ago we found our ipod cable chewed to pieces on the floor but he was nowhere near it when we found it. He chews mostly when we are around.

Then you are in a perfect position to work on teaching him what he CAN chew on as well as what he CANNOT. It just means supervision. Deny access to rooms so he can't 'disappear' on you. Dogs learn by pattern. It is easier to teach when they haven't had a chance to develop habit (and that takes vigilance but more for the short term than the longer term). So it will mean that you need to apply more vigilance as not only does he need to learn the 'new' rule, you also have 'habit' to undo as well.

I guess he chews a bit during the day but as he is outside during the day he does not have many chewing options.

There's one of the keys there!! As per my earlier post ..... when I was unable to supervise and was gone too long to leave my boy secure in his puppy pen and crate arrangement, I would leave him outside where there were far less things for him to explore unwanted chewing. And anything that was there that I thought he might, I treated with stop chew, so it put him off before he even started.

I guess its perseverance and patience ...

That'll win you in most things .

Edited December 15, 2009 by Erny

[Nannas]

I wouldn't be so sure about not rousing on him after the fact. I guess it depends on how good his memory is.

When we would find something chewed we'd line up all 3 dogs, hold up whatever is chewed and ask "who did this?" quite sternly.

We'd always get 2 dogs smiling and tails wagging and 1 dog trying to sneak away with head down.

One dog chewed for the fun of it, boredom I guess. We just made sure she had heaps of toys, bones and kept an eye on her inside.

Our other dog chewed out of anxiety. She only ever chewed the 'last thing' I touched before I left the house.

I went through so many remotes and phones before I realised. She never chewed the kids stuff or anything they touched or anything else in the house, just the last thing I touched which was usually the remote to turn off TV or the phone to ring a taxi.

Thankfully both of them stopped as they got older.

The outside dog never even went through a stage of chewing (she was inside as a puppy) but she loves ripping stuff up.

[poodlefan]

You can tackle this from two angles:

To list a few he has chewed our very nice outdoor furniture and cushions, hubby expensive sunglasses, followed by his wallet, a couple of xmas presents, hoses, towels, his bedding and various cables.

1. You need to train yourselves to keep more attractive items out of his reach. No point blaming the dog for the loss of the wallet etc.

2. Rather than deter this self rewarding behaviour (virtually impossible unless you catch him in the act) you can attempt to deflect it on to items he can chew. Gummi bones, large meaty bone, beef tendon etc can provide an outlet for this instinct.

Just out of interest, what do you feed him? One of my dogs turned into a destructive fiend when he had oral surgery that required him to be restricted to soft food for 10 days.

[Erny]

When we would find something chewed we'd line up all 3 dogs, hold up whatever is chewed and ask "who did this?" quite sternly.

We'd always get 2 dogs smiling and tails wagging and 1 dog trying to sneak away with head down.

How do you know that the dog who tried to "sneak away with head down" wasn't responding to the sternness of your voice and facial expression? Could be the other two didn't care.

[poodlefan]

When we would find something chewed we'd line up all 3 dogs, hold up whatever is chewed and ask "who did this?" quite sternly.

We'd always get 2 dogs smiling and tails wagging and 1 dog trying to sneak away with head down.

How do you know that the dog who tried to "sneak away with head down" wasn't responding to the sternness of your voice and facial expression? Could be the other two didn't care.

Agree. Most submissive dog would have responded like that whether guilty or not.

Dogs have longer memories than goldfish but no point in correcting them if you don't catch them in the act.

[MrsD]

He really seems to enjoy chewing.

One of mine (Whisper, my BC) has chewed since the day she came home as an 8 week old pup, no matter what it is, she just loves to chew! It's always easy to say "Keep things out of their reach", for her she will just find something to chew on, the thing she has done most damage to is our HOUSE She has chewed all of the verandah railings, door frames etc - anything made of wood that she can get to, she will chew. Chilli sauce etc hasnt helped, she just ignores it. Doesnt matter how much exercise or training she gets, she can have been out all day & she will come home in the evening, plonk herself on the verandah exhausted & fall asleep chewing the verandah rails :D :D . She's also the fastest dog I have ever met at chewing though leads, she can chew through one before you can count to 10 & now only gets tied up with a chain , she also has chewed up bits of the interior of Dagboy's car when she escaped from the crate that was in the back (she was NOT popular I can tell you!) & the number of beds etc she has gone through is many more than most dogs have in their whole lifetime.

Jonty never chewed a single thing as a puppy & Jarrah chewed alot until he was about 2 years old & now only chews occasionally (he usually just runs around with a toy in his mouth), but she is now 2 1/2 years old & it doesnt look like changing anytime yet, so I feel your pain!

[catandgrant]

Wow MrsD, your dog and mine sound identical. Casper is very much the same. Hasnt started chewing the house as such yet thankfully. The outdoor furniture was probably the first. Great talking point when guests come over!! This dog will chew anything! He would be perfectly happy with a nice chcuk of wood or bark is his mouth as much as piece of meat.

To answer your question poodlefan, we feed him BARF. He has been on this for quite a long time after switching from Royale canine. He also gets the occassional chicken neck and every day before i leave for work i load up some kongs etc to keep him occupied for a while.

Looks like we are off to the pet store this weekend for a truckload of durable toys!

[poodlefan]

Wow MrsD, your dog and mine sound identical. Casper is very much the same. Hasnt started chewing the house as such yet thankfully. The outdoor furniture was probably the first. Great talking point when guests come over!! This dog will chew anything! He would be perfectly happy with a nice chcuk of wood or bark is his mouth as much as piece of meat.

To answer your question poodlefan, we feed him BARF. He has been on this for quite a long time after switching from Royale canine. He also gets the occassional chicken neck and every day before i leave for work i load up some kongs etc to keep him occupied for a while.

Looks like we are off to the pet store this weekend for a truckload of durable toys!

When you say "BARF", does that include a lot of raw meaty bones?

[catandgrant]

Wow MrsD, your dog and mine sound identical. Casper is very much the same. Hasnt started chewing the house as such yet thankfully. The outdoor furniture was probably the first. Great talking point when guests come over!! This dog will chew anything! He would be perfectly happy with a nice chcuk of wood or bark is his mouth as much as piece of meat.

To answer your question poodlefan, we feed him BARF. He has been on this for quite a long time after switching from Royale canine. He also gets the occassional chicken neck and every day before i leave for work i load up some kongs etc to keep him occupied for a while.

Looks like we are off to the pet store this weekend for a truckload of durable toys!

When you say "BARF", does that include a lot of raw meaty bones?

Actually my apologies he is on a product which is raw meats combine with bones etc. Cannot remember the name of it. I know it looks terrible!! We get it from a place called Big Dogs foods. It was recommended to us by a trainer. And he loves it! In addition to that he also gets chicken necks and the occassional raw bone to chew on. Question while i am at it, can we give him a cooked bone? For example if we have roast lamb and have the shank leftover, can he have that?

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I collect sticks from time to time and put them in the ok to chew pile, or Frosty gets them from the prunings pile. So plenty of wooden things for her to chew on, that's ok.

Those rawhide bone things went from taking several days to chew, to 20 minutes and that quantity of rawhide all at once gives her the runs so she only gets the occasional slice of it now. She loves chewing tennis balls to bits but she's also very good at finding abandoned ones so I have an infinite supply. Have a similar supply of squishy (punctured) soccer balls and the like.

Sometimes she will fetch a shoe to chew, she'll chew it if I don't pay attention. If I'm not home, she will just hug it and sleep. So I tell her "fetch" and then give her something else to chew. Sox are a worry. Takes her about 2 seconds of chewing to render those unwearable.

Trick is to have enough interesting chew toys around and to encourage chewing of what you want chewed. From time to time I do a toy cleanup and give her a new toy rotation so that she doesn't get bored with the old ones. Ideally this should be weekly.

I have a horse rope lead for her. Several actually. They take longer than the webbing ones to "cut" through and double as a handy tug toy :S. Frosty's mouth on a bit of webbing sounds and works exactly the same as heavy duty scissors.

Edited December 16, 2009 by Mrs Rusty Bucket

[Grey]

Question while i am at it, can we give him a cooked bone? For example if we have roast lamb and have the shank leftover, can he have that?

i wouldn't feed a cooked bone to any animal - they tend to splinter a lot more easily and then you can have issues (among others) of intestinal/bowel/stomach perforations and lots and lots of pain (to both animal and your wallet!).

[catandgrant]

Question while i am at it, can we give him a cooked bone? For example if we have roast lamb and have the shank leftover, can he have that?

i wouldn't feed a cooked bone to any animal - they tend to splinter a lot more easily and then you can have issues (among others) of intestinal/bowel/stomach perforations and lots and lots of pain (to both animal and your wallet!).

Thank you! I didnt think so but many people have told me they do. I will keep going with the raw one then! Thanks

[Erny]

Trick is to have enough interesting chew toys around ...

I don't have that many toys for Mandela. He has :

Flea

Donkey

Shrek

One soft but firm and 'squeezable' plastic ball (medium size) donated by his Aunty (my sister). This was her previous dog's toy, but for some reason never much favoured. Mandela loves it - it is his absolute favourite. It is somewhat out of shape now by comparison to when it was new, but still perfectly good.

One long sock with a tennis type ball in the foot thereof. (known as "sock ball" to Mandela)

One Aussie Dog 'stick' (I don't encourage chewing of normal sticks).

One 'Bunnings' basket ball (known as "big ball" to Mandela)

One puppy Kong.

2 x puppy wubbas (which were given as a gift by friends when I first brought him home).

Oh - and of course he has his a couple of tugs and an Orbee Ball, but they are for training only, so I don't class them as toys.

There tends to be a natural cycle of rotation, as he might temporarily lose/misplace a toy and it gets forgotten about for a while. Or if one toy begins to split its seams, I remove it so I can sew it back up before he has a go at de-fluffing it. Takes me a while to get around to sewing. When a 'lost' toy has been found, or when I finally finish mending one of his soft toys, it is like Christmas for him and to see him puff up his chest and prance around, you'd think that he'd scored something completely new.

So you don't need to have stacks of toys. You just need a variety of textures and different strengths of firmness (ie chewability). And they don't have to be particularly fancy. (Shrek is completely armless now - had to stitch him up .... and his legs are somewhat questionable.) And if you keep them rotating you'll find that your dog will cherish the return of one as though he'd just remembered where he buried that bone . Mandela has had all of the above toys for about 16 months now. The only exception is Donkey, which he received for his 1st birthday.

I also found that teaching him each toy by name added some value to them as well. I can ask him to go get "xxx" and he'll go hunting around the house to find it. I used this 'talent' as a distractor in his earlier weeks as well. Call him away from busy-bodying into something he shouldn't be, and ask him to go get "xxx". By the time he'd get it, the 'forbidden' item of interest was often long forgotten.

ETA: Regarding the cooked bones - when I was a kid and this sort of thing (ie cooked bones = not good) was pretty much unknown. Our labrador spent his life eating any of our cooked bones and never once did we have a problem. But splinters do happen and we were probably just very lucky. Not worth the risk.

Edited December 16, 2009 by Erny

[sas]

I wouldn't be so sure about not rousing on him after the fact. I guess it depends on how good his memory is.

:D It doesn't work like that in dogs, all it does is serve to confuse them and the dog looses trust in you for repremanding it for Nothing!

[sas]

I provided sticks for my pup, care to remove any branches or anything that could poke him in the eye. I have him 2 or 3 other toys in his run that were of different firmnesses as well.

Sticks were his things and even today he still enjoys a good stick chewing.

He only chewed a tv remote as a pup when I forgot to put it out of his reach so we got through puppyhood pretty good!

[persephone]

catandgrant- One great aspect of barf/raw feeding is the fact that it is a simulation of how dogs would normally eat- by chewing their meat off bones/consuming the bones/getting variety in their diet!

IMO feeding patties/mince just doesn't come close :D

Dogs, as you have discovered, enjoy chewing.

They should- that is what their jaws were designed for!!

Feeding your dog a diet in which he has to WORK to get his food may help.

So-

Every meal his meat component is attached to his bone component.. and in big chunks/pieces...and he has to chew and chew and chew.

he gets supplements, like eggs/sardines/veges..to add taste and variety.

he gets to chew on chicken frames, and turkey wings, and roo tails, and beef brisket, and lamb flaps :D

have a read HERE

and HERE

With th e other, you definitely need to supervise, to restrict his access to non-allowable items (yes, if this means he is on lead indoors, so be it!), and provide recreational bones, kongs with treats frozen inside, and tough chew toys ...associated with all sorts of praise for using these.

You also have to retrain yourselves, and put away your belongings while his training continues.