Ideas for dog chewing things

A question about : Ideas for dog chewing things

Hi all

Hoping for some advice. My parents have a 2 year old rescue lab, had her for a year now, she's been to dog training classes and can do everything perfect now, but she still chews things. You can't leave anything within her reach during day in kitchen or she'll have it they've got used to moving things off the side or pushing them back now but my mum really misses having a door mat. She ate the one we had within days of her being there - it was a bomb site when you walked in!

She'll not touch shoes during the night when left alone, but I have left her to pick something up, literally 10 minutes out the house and she'd destroyed dad's slippers. Mum's tried her again with a door mat to see if she'd leave it alone, apparently left it yesterday but destroyed it today.

She's left alone for a few hours a day, dad finishes early and comes in and later does her afternoon walk, she has plenty of toys to play with, has a dentastick in morning and a new chew to have, but you can come in finding she's left the chew but eaten our stuff instead! Not sure what else to suggest for her to get her to stop, I suggested putting the mat in her bed for a bit so it smells like her and she thinks its hers as she never actually destroys any of her own stuff but its all i can think of!

Best answers:

• I would suggest crate training her. Not only to save your items but what if she decides to try and eat a piece that she's chewed off and chokes?
  Crates are not at all cruel as some people make out, in situations like his they really are beneficial for both you and the dog
• How about a stuffed Kong when she's left? You can freeze them to make it take longer to eat.
• I'd go with the multiple angle of attach approach:
  1: Exercise them hard before they are left alone. Ball play, running etc, anything that will let them get their 'crazy' energy out. But, give them a good 30 minutes or so to calm down before leaving them
  2: Find an appropriate alternative. Agree with the Kong with some food in it. Sugar Free PB is always good. Dogs love it. New toys often if you can to give them something new to focus on
  3: Try and remove anything dangerous or you aren't willing to lose.
  4: Lastly, if they do destroy anything, do not give them any kind of acknowledgement when discovering. No words, no eye contact, just pick it up as and dispose as if nothing has happened. Even if you are angry or stressed.
  Labs are nuts. Naughty dogs in a nice way. I've had (and have) boxers and I swear they are the same dog in a different body. A young lab will like to chew things but will grow out of it eventually.
  My boxer seemed to enjoy the carnage of chewing things (i.e throwing things around the room), whereas my dobey just seemed to enjoy the pure destruction aspect. Like he was determined to be really effective at the actual destruction, but didn't find it quite as fun.
  They are still quite immature at 2
• I third the kong idea, although my mal can take or leave peanut butter so would rather destruct something than try to get it out of a kong. I buy fresh chicken wings to freeze inside his kong, so they're super difficult to get out. I have one of the giant kongs though, so it might not work for a smaller dog.
  Mine definitely gets more destructive when he's got extra energy or missed his usual walk. I honestly think he does it sometimes just to get back at me! Lots of tiring walks should help. Good luck!
• Sounds like she is stressed when left. Chewing is a stress reliever.
  Have you gradually got her used to being left ?
  You need to buld it up gradually by leaving her for the count of ten , then coming back. If she is happy with that then count to twenty etc.
  Despite the recommendations, I have a leaving routine for my dogs whih has done me well for forty years with no dog with any problem being left.
  My dogs go into their beds when left at home. I tell them 'you stay home' and take them to their beds. I give them a Bonio biscuit and shut the kitchen door.
  If we go out without this routine the dogs think they have been forgotten and get stressed.
  Murphy was very attached to my husband for a while and if my husband was going out while I stayed home he had to go through the leaving routine with him and shut him in the kitchen.
  After five minutes I would let him through to the lounge and he was fine.
  If my husband didn't do this he lay behind the front door crying, even if i was there.
  If she needs to chew somehitng get a cardboard box and screw up some newspaper sheets to put in it. Put small smelly treats in amongst them or hidden inside the screwed up paper for her to find.
  Then she can tear up the box to keep her occupied.
  Or try some inside an empty creral box which she can tear up to get at the treats.
  Clearing up bits of cardboard is better than chewd belongings- which should be tidied away out reach anyway.
  When we worked the dogs had a run in a field then were left with a kong with a bonio wedged in it and blocked with a smear of cream cheese. They used to run to their beds when we lifted the kong to fill it.
  A good walk before leaving her will tire her out so she will sleep while you are out. It does mean getting up an hour earlier to walk her but if she has slept all night she needs some exercise to tire her out before being left .
• By the sounds of it my dad came home a bit late the other day when she ate the door mat, this time it may be that she got stressed that he didn't come in on time maybe - who knows she could have been good all the time until ten minutes before he got home after being late!
  She has a routine with my mum, she gets in bed, gets her dentastick then mum gets her shoes on then gives her a chew as she leaves.
  She has a Kong wobbler thing which she goes mental for - loves it but can't leave her alone with it as will damage things in her effort to get treats haha
  A proper Kong would be good though, she has a cheap rip off but it's a bit rubbish, not thought about freezing, what things could you put in it to freeze?
• I fill with yogurt/cottage cheese and whatever comes to hand - sometime a 'past its best' banana or peanut butter, sometimes a bit of ham or tuna, bits of carrot/broccoli, grated cheese.
  I also feed raw so often have mince (chicken, game, tripe, venison) I can stuff in there.
  This works with one dog - the other just digs up the carpet to try and bury kongs or bones we leave her with when we go out
• May be a tab late resurecting this one.But we have 2 GSD rescue dogs both of which were partial to a bit of chewing, along with kong, the chews and the toys, if caught them in the act of chewing we would rub some Vicks vapour rub to what they chewed they soon learnt to leave it alone.
• Second what sherambler said.
  You don't have a chewing problem you have an anxiety problem. Please seek a professional qualified force free behaviourist