Dog chewing???

[duforester]

My female lab has been in trouble a lot these past few days since we moved to our new house. She has chewed up several things in the back yard. My question is, HOW do you guys keep a dog from chewing on things?

[00duck]

go to the a dog store the product is called bitter apples spray what ever the pup chews on they will stop and you and your wife will be happy
[img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Welldoggie]

She's likely just bored...and chewing feels good to young dogs.

So, fussing at her for chewing something after the fact won't change anything. She'll just think everytime you come home, you're pissed.

Best advice is to make things available for her to chew to keep occupied while you're gone (rawhide, safety bones, whatever) and put up barriers around things not allowed like ac units, patio stuff, etc.

Otherwise you'll have to get good at catching her in the act or she'll never connect the act with the discipline.

My dog stayed in a dog run while she was a puppy and chewed all of the corners, door frames of the dog house and rope bones and anything else. After that 6-8 month period, we transitioned her into the house. Has not bothered anything since.

BTW, don't waste your money on stupid rubber chew "toys"....they really don't bring out the chewing like the side of a house [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

good luck.

[Kevin Markham]

Bitter apple spray or hot sauce works. Make sure pup has plenty of proper things to chew on. It is tough I'm going through it right now with my 6 month old lab.

[damnyankee]

I remember coming home one day from church as a little kid and seeing our St Bernard (200+ lbs)had chewed through the fiberglass garage door, drug out all the lawn chairs(remember when they were wood?) chewed them up, drug mom and dads bicycles out chewed the grips, tires and seats off them, and drug out the shop stools and chewed them up.
I looked at Mom and brother as Dad walked to the farm truck and grabbed a logging chain from the truck and the padlock off the one of the fuel tanks. I think I might have started crying thinking Dad was going to kill the dog with the chain, instead he calmly gathered everything up ran the chain through it all and chained it around the dogs neck.
For three days the dog drug this stuff around, at feeding time Dad would put the food as far away from the dog as possible(5 acre yard) just to make sure he got a little "extra" dragging time.
I don't know what the helll the neighbors thought but the dog never chewed anything again!!

[peewee]

DUForester if you have a wife or girlfriend just put something your wife loves around and let him chew it and it will be the last time. My lab chewed up my wifes hopechest and the couch (couch was a giveme anyway), but man the hopechest hit home. She gave him a beating that even scared me. (Its a shame when you sit to the side and cant even help).Anyway he became an outside dog and really we haven't had any chewing problems since.

[goosebruce]

Ya'll are addressing a sympton, not the problem... The dog should be kenneled when not being worked, or watched by a person. Dogs can get into all kind of trouble, when unattended. Start from day one with crate training a dog, its the start of a having a dog you can take anywhere. Dog should ALWAYS be in a crate, or kennel run when not with you. Dogs do not need 'time to themselves'. Nothing postive comes from dogs being allowed to run loose in a house, or a yard. In fact, it can be counterproductive to training. A dog that is removed from a kennel to work has a lot better attitude than one that was running wild in yard, or laying on couch and then asked to do something. Kennel that dog, and unwanted chewing goes away. travis

[duforester]

Thanks guys. I wish this was just a puppy stage, but she will be 3 years old next month. I bought her a 10x10 pen today at lunch. Now, she can't get to anything except for what is in her pen.

[Drake]

DUForester,
We need to get together sometimes and train. I am drilling on Drake's marking and lining skills right now, and it always helps to have a couple people. It couldn't hurt Remi's chewing. Give me a hollar if you want to - we could go out to the university or to Mossy Oak.

[damnyankee]

While I'm sure kenneling has its benefits our dog is part of the household. I hate to see dogs in kennels especially in the summer. Not to say that is what everyone does I realize that is not the case.
But I look out the window at our neighbors yellow lab pup as it spends its entire life in a 6x10 run. I'm sorry but that is no way to treat a dog.
Some of the best hunting dogs I've ever seen run the farm all year and only go to the crate to travel.
It is the owners responsibility to train the dog, now if kenneling is how you want to do it that's fine and I honor your decision.
But I can't bring myself to doing that to an animal that needs to run.

[goosebruce]

Huh? Needs to run? If we where talking about cheetas or something you might be right. But what domesticated animal needs to run free? None. No dog was ever hit by a car sitting in his kennel. No dog ever ate rat poison and died sitting in his kennel. No dog was ever impregnated and had a litter of mutt puppies sitting in their kennel.

My dog is part of my family as well. And he spends lots of time with the family. He comes in every night, and most days. But if we aren't with him, hes kenneled. Period. He doesnt have a chance to get into trouble. He doesnt have a chance to chew **** up. Or get hit by a car. Or eat rat poison. Because he is in a safe place when he isn't with us.

Theres a word for free ranging domestic dogs. Its called strays. Loving your animal is fine, and you might think you're doing him a service by letting him run free, but in reality, your not being responbile for him.

Dogs are perfectly fine with being confined, and being with you. And going back and forth. You see a dog sitting in a kennel, that never fooled with, hell it aint the kennels fault. You think the dog would be better off running 3 doors down and tumping over the garbage? Yeah, that'd show him we love him and hes a part of the family.

How bout your kids? Do they run wild? They're part of the family too. Toss em the keys and some cash, they'll come home whenver they get ready I suppose. Damn Im sad to see a teenager have to do chores, or have a job.

You see, you have drawn a conclusion that doesn't match up. The kennel isnt bad, the owners lack of intrest in a living thinking animal is bad. A dog thats ignored is a dog ignored, no matter where he happens to be. A dog should NEVER chew anything up that isnt his, because he should never be given the chance. Just like a 5 year old kid shouldnt ever be hit by a car... cause he shouldnt play next to the street without you. That dog should be given every chance that kid has to be part of the family, I agree. But that dog needs it time away from you confined where it can't get into trouble. If Im at work, and your at work, neither of us are with our dogs...Mines in a kennel and I know for a fact he's safe, and nothing is damaged, and when I leave here in 15 minutes he'll be in shape to go train. He wont be sick from eating roadkill, hot from chasing cats, or I'll spend an hour fixxing a fence he chewed up, or garbage he tumped over. Whats wrong with that?

The whats wrong part is how many people will read this that wont have any more contact with their dogs, their hunting buddies, than a pat on the head and a suppha dish tonight.. just like last night. Thats whats really sad. A 'part of the family' that if you treated your old lady like that she'd leave for most of the people here (and most people everywhere), and their kids would grow up and be on Jerry Springer... Ignore them for 7 or 8 months a year, then get mad when they dont 'perform' during the big game. Thats what your seeing DY, in that sad yeller dog. Yur seeing a typical dog owner as bad, not a kennel. You just cant get past the gate of the kennel. That dog would be miserable no matter where kept.

If everyone could spend every single minute of the day with their dog like a few folks I know can, yes a dog would be better off with them. However, if you can't see your dog, he needs to be confined. Even if I could spend every minute with my dog, I would have STILL crate and kennel trained him to the point of him accepting a crate and kennel as his place, not as a place of punishment. Its not doggie jail, its where dogs that are loved spend time away from their owners. travis

[Bobby Williams]

Hey Goose did you mention that no dog in a kennel ever bite the neighbors kid in their yard. [img]images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]

[damnyankee]

I have no tolerance for dogs running free all over the neighborhood either.
My dog is in a secured fenced in half acre area. I was making an assumption that the animal would be in some type of secured fenced yard bigger than 6x10.

It's my responsibility to make sure the fenced yard area is 1. secure 2. free of things he/she could chew on and either piss me off or most importantly hurt herself.
I didn't draw any conclusions matter of fact you agree with my point it's the owners responsibilty.

Perhaps I should have clarrified I understand not everyone can have a fenced yard. So leaving the dog in a kennel that provides water, shade and a secure enviroment is fine for a time. But not 24 hours a day. I too would kennel a dog if I didn't have a fenced yard when I'm not home.

It's the when I'm around part I have trouble with, and for the record I have zero tolerance for dogs running free in the neighborhood.

I crate trained my dog and she loves the crate when traveling or whenever we put her up for company etc..

I think you misunderstood what I was talking about, and I didn't clarrify what I meant.

Now as far as Jerry Springer goes I don't know who that is probably some damnyankee exploiting southern folk.

[landscaper]

I think the no-chewing products and home remedies work pretty well for young dogs, but if the chewing carries over into adult- hood they are going to chew if they want to regardless of any measures you take.

I've seen a dog chew on a chain link fence until his tongue and lips were shredded and bleeding but what he wanted to do was chew and he wasn't about to let the pain stop him.

When I was a kid I had a huge male lab and he was an incurable chewer (and eater). He ate the legs off storage shelves in the garage so that everything fell and spilled into the floor, he ate the solid rubber wheels off a grill, he an entire saddle, and best of all, he ate a hammer! With a diet like that it is no wonder he grew to about 130 lbs.