littlesev Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 So, how do you keep your dog from chewing shoes and tearing carpet? I'd love to be able to let my pup out more when there are people in the house, but he always goes for slippers and then the carpet. We don't leave shoes lying around. They are house slippers, which he'll try to take off our feet, sometimes biting ankles in doing so. He goes nuts, throwing them around and chewing them until they are in pieces. My big mistake is to try get them back, which turns it into a chasing game for him. It's hard not to do this though as we've gone through slippers like tissue papers. Time-out in the playpen doesn't work - the second I let him out, he'll be back hunting slipper. He will however, ignore the slippers if he sees us going for car ride, so it seems that the slippers are high value items for him, but not above riding on the car. I'd love a long-term solution and training method him to ignore / leave the slippers and carpet alone. We have tried the usual: Kong, chew toys, ice cube, vinegar, tabasco and sprays (the smell kept *me* off my shoes), and not that he doesn't like them - he just really enjoys slippers & carpet Ideas for mental exercises are welcome. Right now, aside from training & playtime, I do the hiding food in one hand, and we just started on the triangle of temptation. He only obeys 'leave it' when it comes to food, not toys or other items, so we're working on that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Turning the slipper stealing into a game is probably what keeps him going back - my pup used to be a foot chaser and luckily she grew out of it, but she has a major fetish for sheepskin slippers. To the point where we can't wear them. That was the only thing that stopped her eating them off our feet! The only thing that stopped one of my pugs chewing his favourite things was vicks vapour rub, not really easy to rub on a carpet or shoe, but a menthol scent might work. Other than that, a really good "leave it" command was my saving grace, but it took a loooooong time for her to leave really high value items, and even now sometimes she won't leave a cockroach or some other really high value item if I tell her to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 What fluffy toys of his own does he have? Kongs are so boring ... unless filled with food ... I would provide him with strong fluffy /soft toys ... make a big deal about playing with him using them ... LOOK HERE for ideas :) and TRAIN HIM TO 'SWAP" :) SWAP is fun, and makes life so much less stressful! it starts when pup is very young ... and is carrying something. have a treat ready ..take toy/insert treat immediately, say "Swap" Goooood boy! repeat, repeat, repeat .... Dog cannot eat treat and hang onto toy - simple ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julesluvscavs Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Good tips there Pers.. Im trying to implement that atm with my new puppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 What fluffy toys of his own does he have? Kongs are so boring ... unless filled with food ... I would provide him with strong fluffy /soft toys ... make a big deal about playing with him using them ... LOOK HERE for ideas :) and TRAIN HIM TO 'SWAP" :) SWAP is fun, and makes life so much less stressful! it starts when pup is very young ... and is carrying something. have a treat ready ..take toy/insert treat immediately, say "Swap" Goooood boy! repeat, repeat, repeat .... Dog cannot eat treat and hang onto toy - simple ;) Careful with the swapping ... I taught my puppy to swap and she used it to her advantage. She would steal something and bring it to me to swap, ready for her treat :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 She would steal something and bring it to me to swap, ready for her treat :laugh: Hamlet , who will be 9 soon .. still does :p he will raid the waste paper bin ..BUT he will also pick up things off the floor when asked , so I don't mind at all .It's such a useful trick to have ! :) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 He's a pup & while he is a pup you will probably have to keep things out of his reach. With my BC boy, I ended up getting him a soft muzzle so I could let him in the house & be fairly confident he wasn't going to chew anything. Same with travelling in the car. He grew out of it at about 19 months of age. Make sure your pup has lots of toys of its own & encourage him to play with these instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlesev Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 Thanks for all the suggestions :) Turning the slipper stealing into a game is probably what keeps him going back - my pup used to be a foot chaser and luckily she grew out of it, but she has a major fetish for sheepskin slippers. To the point where we can't wear them. That was the only thing that stopped her eating them off our feet! The only thing that stopped one of my pugs chewing his favourite things was vicks vapour rub, not really easy to rub on a carpet or shoe, but a menthol scent might work. Other than that, a really good "leave it" command was my saving grace, but it took a loooooong time for her to leave really high value items, and even now sometimes she won't leave a cockroach or some other really high value item if I tell her to. It's good to know that mine isn't the only one with footwear fetish. It doesn't help that my mom loves to wear fluffy slippers :D I'll give vicks a try - that's one smell I can stand. I'll also keep improving his 'leave it'. I guess repeat is key when dealing with stubborn pup. He's at that selective hearing stage where I'll ask him to 'sit' for food and you could see him calculating if the food is worth it before reluctantly obeying What fluffy toys of his own does he have? Kongs are so boring ... unless filled with food ... I would provide him with strong fluffy /soft toys ... make a big deal about playing with him using them ... LOOK HERE for ideas :) and TRAIN HIM TO 'SWAP" :) SWAP is fun, and makes life so much less stressful! it starts when pup is very young ... and is carrying something. have a treat ready ..take toy/insert treat immediately, say "Swap" Goooood boy! repeat, repeat, repeat .... Dog cannot eat treat and hang onto toy - simple ;) Thanks for the link. Those are some interesting toys. The ones I got didn't stand a chance with his puppy teeth. He just chewed them to pieces, pulled the stuffings out and lost interest once the stuffing's gone. Ooh I should try Swap. I used to do a less effective version of that: holding the stolen item in one hand and a treat in another and ask him to choose. Obviously, he eats the treat and immediately lunges for my other hand :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) I deal with this by not having carpet & not leaving shoes around but if I forget my 8 year old will take the shoes in her bed & chew off any beads or jewels but doesn't chew any other part. My 10 year old also takes shoes in his bed. The others leave them alone. With pups you can't leave shoes lying around. Pups chew anything & shoes are high value & so irresistable to them. Edited February 12, 2013 by Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Is this the same pup that got kicked out of puppy school?? I think this is the key issue here My big mistake is to try get them back, which turns it into a chasing game for him He is creating his own fun & you are rewarding it so ofcourse stealing them will be fun. Mind you we don't leave anything laying around that is tempting for a dog after all if its on the floor then the dogs thinks its there as thats where there toys are. We have had some that wouldn't touch but its rare. The problem is you need to let them out to educate them ,time out means nothing to the dog ,it just means sitting in the pen /crate for what ever reason but it makes the owners feel good. How much actual free time does pup get,how much time running the backyard does it get ? How many walks a day ?? Tends to sound very bored Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Keep things out of his reach, if he goes to grab them off your feet squirt him with a squirt bottle in the face and say 'leave'. If the squirt doesnt work just scruff the little monster, hold him until he settles. Carpet same routine, say 'leave and call him away from it, if he doesnt leave it well at least he can't run away with all the carpet :laugh: time outs really don't do a lot for behavior like this, you need to just put a stop to it now firmly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubyroo Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 We have a shoe box. Kids and OH have been reminded lots of times to use the shoe box or?? They are slowly learning. I'm just taking away the temptation from the pup, I don't want him to fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlesev Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Is this the same pup that got kicked out of puppy school?? I think this is the key issue here My big mistake is to try get them back, which turns it into a chasing game for him He is creating his own fun & you are rewarding it so ofcourse stealing them will be fun. Mind you we don't leave anything laying around that is tempting for a dog after all if its on the floor then the dogs thinks its there as thats where there toys are. We have had some that wouldn't touch but its rare. The problem is you need to let them out to educate them ,time out means nothing to the dog ,it just means sitting in the pen /crate for what ever reason but it makes the owners feel good. How much actual free time does pup get,how much time running the backyard does it get ? How many walks a day ?? Tends to sound very bored Yes, the very same. The thing is, these are the slippers we wear inside the house and he likes to take it off our feet by any means necessary. If I don't take the slipper back, he will tear it apart. My mother in particular isn't happy that he has ruined so many slippers. He has a free access to backyard but prefers human company. Once my family head out, I let him out of the playpen for playing and training. I used to take him for a long walk daily (2+ km) but after reading the thread about exercising puppy, I've dialled it back to half the distance and made sure to stop and rest a lot, especially since he runs, not walks. About timeout, true, it only helps to remove him from the carpet / shoes. He's young and easily excitable and once focused on something, I'll have to carry him (like a baguette) to calm him down. He also seems unhappy if I leave him and go upstairs, so I've done that when he's being particularly naughty. Just do some home chores and come back down 15 min later to a much calmer puppy. But these don't deter him from repeating it, so I'd like to focus on training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Is this the same pup that got kicked out of puppy school?? I think this is the key issue here My big mistake is to try get them back, which turns it into a chasing game for him He is creating his own fun & you are rewarding it so ofcourse stealing them will be fun. Mind you we don't leave anything laying around that is tempting for a dog after all if its on the floor then the dogs thinks its there as thats where there toys are. We have had some that wouldn't touch but its rare. The problem is you need to let them out to educate them ,time out means nothing to the dog ,it just means sitting in the pen /crate for what ever reason but it makes the owners feel good. How much actual free time does pup get,how much time running the backyard does it get ? How many walks a day ?? Tends to sound very bored Yes, the very same. The thing is, these are the slippers we wear inside the house and he likes to take it off our feet by any means necessary. If I don't take the slipper back, he will tear it apart. My mother in particular isn't happy that he has ruined so many slippers. He has a free access to backyard but prefers human company. Once my family head out, I let him out of the playpen for playing and training. I used to take him for a long walk daily (2+ km) but after reading the thread about exercising puppy, I've dialled it back to half the distance and made sure to stop and rest a lot, especially since he runs, not walks. About timeout, true, it only helps to remove him from the carpet / shoes. He's young and easily excitable and once focused on something, I'll have to carry him (like a baguette) to calm him down. He also seems unhappy if I leave him and go upstairs, so I've done that when he's being particularly naughty. Just do some home chores and come back down 15 min later to a much calmer puppy. But these don't deter him from repeating it, so I'd like to focus on training. Your mum might need to stop wearing slippers for a while then, until he grows out of his slipper eating phase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlesev Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Keep things out of his reach, if he goes to grab them off your feet squirt him with a squirt bottle in the face and say 'leave'. If the squirt doesnt work just scruff the little monster, hold him until he settles. Carpet same routine, say 'leave and call him away from it, if he doesnt leave it well at least he can't run away with all the carpet :laugh: time outs really don't do a lot for behavior like this, you need to just put a stop to it now firmly. Thanks, Nekhbet. I'll do that and also focus on improving his 'leave it' for now. He does well with food, not so much shoes and no-no items. When we're home alone and there are no shoes, no trash can etc in sight, he behaves well, except for the carpet chewing. He couldn't steal the carpet, but that's not for lack of trying :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlesev Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Your mum might need to stop wearing slippers for a while then, until he grows out of his slipper eating phase. Well, my parents will be away for a month so hopefully that will help curb his footwear fixation :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Your mum might need to stop wearing slippers for a while then, until he grows out of his slipper eating phase. You need to watch changing your life around a dogs behavior ... that can be a slippery slope for some circumstances Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Your mum might need to stop wearing slippers for a while then, until he grows out of his slipper eating phase. You need to watch changing your life around a dogs behavior ... that can be a slippery slope for some circumstances True, but short of wearing little barriers around your feet what else can you do if all other suggested methods fail? One of my pugs has a sheepskin slipper obsession, we solved that by wearing slippers that weren't sheepskin because I think it was the material she was attracted to. she loved the water spray detterant method, would keep coming back for more lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 One of my pugs has a sheepskin slipper obsession, we solved that by wearing slippers that weren't sheepskin because I think it was the material she was attracted to. Then I would have found some nice fluffy/leather toys for her :) ..and reinforced the "This is MINE, and you are NOT allowed to bite it" rule . (then again I don't have much experience, having never had a chewer ..... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 One of my pugs has a sheepskin slipper obsession, we solved that by wearing slippers that weren't sheepskin because I think it was the material she was attracted to. Then I would have found some nice fluffy/leather toys for her :) ..and reinforced the "This is MINE, and you are NOT allowed to bite it" rule . (then again I don't have much experience, having never had a chewer ..... ) I agree :) Weez was a champion chewer when we first got him home, it was even written in big letters on the reasons-he-was-returned-to-the-shelter form. He was never going to just stop chewing things, so we taught him that everything in the toy basket is his to chew, everything else is not. Chewing non-basket items got a "hey!" and the item taken, replaced with a dog toy. Chewing on appropriate dog toys got him a game of tug :) Took about a week and a half of vigilance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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