Stop the Dog from Chewing......Everything

[KellysCrack]

Okay….

A beautiful Lab pretty good manners for the most part and listens well; however he has a slight chewing issue. I know he is still a puppy at just over a year but I just pulled another article of clothing out of his mouth, and he just ate half a button.

He has chew toys that are not clothing related in anyway nor do they resemble any of the objects that I have removed from his mouth. He apparently utilized the strap of my tankini as dental floss the other day until he broke the strap part.

Looking for anything that works that will stop him from chewing things…

Nothing like having to explain to grandma about the stuffed animals missing face that she just bought…needless to say all items are picked up daily and doors are closed so that he does not have access when we are not home. That does not stop him the minute that we are here for him to find something even after repeatedly replacing with the toy he should chew on.

We also have a cocker that is home with him all day, while she is a lazy bitch she does rule the roost, so he is not fully alone when we are not there.

 

[SweetErika]

Are you walking him? If so, how long and often?

Since he's not chewing when you're gone, do you think he's doing it for attention? Is it possible he's not getting enough attention and mental stimulation when you're home? And/or he's feeding on the negative attention he gets when you find him destroying something?

 

[KellysCrack]

We normally exercise them in the yard...fetch or the two of them run circles around each other for half an hour while we try to not get run over.

For a young dog he is relatively calm. It is made worse by the fact that he lays at my feet wherever I sit thus making me feel like a heel for being so angry. But like all good children they have to be taught...I am just running out of ideas.

I am ready to resort to those awful chew clubs (bones) which are horrible, both for the dog and my foot when I kick them.

 

[SweetErika]

Dogs--especially puppies and Labs--REALLY need to walk. Walking exercises their bodies and brains and sets them up for success behavior-wise. Running around the yard and playing at home simply isn't enough stimulation for most dogs. A tired pup is usually a happy, well-behaved pup. The minimum amount of walking depends on the dog, but start with 30-45 mins twice a day--everyday--and see what happens with the chewing.

It sounds to me like some of the chewing may be for attention. What are you doing for positive attention? Are you consistently doing short training sessions, rewarding good behavior and ignoring bad?

Have you gone to obedience class at the Humane Society or elsewhere? Our HS's trainer is a wealth of info and ideas for problem behaviors. Here's some good info on problem chewing.

 

[PertPerth]

Generally when a dog chews everything or digs a lot of holes in the yard it's bored. I'd suggest you get some toys which will keep him occupied. The Kong toys are "puzzles" which have a food reward inside of them. I got one for my cat (when he was a kitten) and he loved it.
http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html

 

[KellysCrack]

I will give the extra walking a go and see if it helps. He doesn’t chew everyday but you catch him occasionally and it is the oddest things he finds to chew on. Buttons who would have thought that one would be a good chew toy. He does fancy clothing as a chew…not sure what that comes from.

I have a Kong type toy he does not find it amusing at all maybe if I boiled it broth to get rid of the rubber taste…ha-ha.

He had not dug a single hole in the yard, which surprises me as we have moles in the neighborhood. I have found him snorting around in the new garden patch but aside from that no hole digging.

 

[cubbies]

Dog can't chew anything if it's dead...

 

[sweet_escape]

I will give the extra walking a go and see if it helps. He doesn’t chew everyday but you catch him occasionally and it is the oddest things he finds to chew on. Buttons who would have thought that one would be a good chew toy. He does fancy clothing as a chew…not sure what that comes from.

I have a Kong type toy he does not find it amusing at all maybe if I boiled it broth to get rid of the rubber taste…ha-ha.

He had not dug a single hole in the yard, which surprises me as we have moles in the neighborhood. I have found him snorting around in the new garden patch but aside from that no hole digging.

Our puppy was going through the same problem. I told the kids to keep everything they value off the floor. We make sure the puppy's in our line of sight at all times when he's inside. The first time I let him wander off on his own, I caught him chewing the corner of the coffee table!

It seems like you're doing the right thing, replacing things he's shouldn't chew with items he's allowed to have. If you make sure to praise him when you hand over the item he's supposed to chew, he'll see it as a positive thing.

And wear him out. Tiredness works wonders.

 

[SweetErika]

I will give the extra walking a go and see if it helps. He doesn’t chew everyday but you catch him occasionally and it is the oddest things he finds to chew on. Buttons who would have thought that one would be a good chew toy. He does fancy clothing as a chew…not sure what that comes from.

I'm willing to bet the proper amount of walking will help dramatically. The combination of physical exercise, mental stimulation and attention should really help to curb his desire to seek and destroy!

Labs are notorious for their "iron stomachs." My husband's childhood lab once ate a dozen jelly donuts off the counter. He was a little sick and never went near food on the counter again, but was otherwise perfectly fine. I think he ate entire shoes (leather, rubber soles and all!) as a puppy, too.

My childhood toy poodle stole and chewed up every piece of clothing he could get his teeth on. He was especially fond of lingerie, and chewed the crotches out of countless pairs of panties. Looking back now, it's very clear he did it for attention - seeing him steal and destroy our lingerie certainly got us to chase and try to coax it away from him, then reward him further by giving him something more "fun" to do! Knowing what I know now, we would have handled it entirely differently.

There's a reason why most of the dogs at the shelters are Labs and other working breeds: many people think they're just cute, lovable, easy family pets, especially as puppies; the reality is that they require a substantial commitment to plenty of daily exercise (whether we feel like it or not!), training and attention. Without it, they get our attention and try to release pent-up energy on all sorts of stuff like destructive chewing and incessant barking!

That's not directed toward you or anyone in particular, KC, I just find it really sad that so many people get rid of or mistreat their dogs because they don't take the time to find out what the dog they're considering getting needs and whether they can truly commit to meeting those needs for the next 15 or so years.
[/rant]

 

[PeriwinklePink]

I had a Rottweiler who would actually stand up and remove framed pictures from the wall to chew them up. The trainer suggested a crate, which I thought was cruel and inhumane.
HOWEVER, I reluctantly bought a crate and put him in it when I went to work. The next day I forgot, but when I came home, he was lying in it. For the next few weeks, I put him in the crate when I went out and even when I forgot, he never chewed up anything again. When he outgrew the chewing period and I no longer had to lock him in, he still frequently went into the crate when he felt nervous or just to sleep.
Other than teething, dogs chew out of boredom and anxiety. The crate, especially if you cover it with a throw cover or something, makes them feel safe and secure, like a den. They like to have their back and sides "protected".
Don't worry about restricting his movement - when you're away, he's sleeping most of the time anyway.

 

[KellysCrack]

I'm willing to bet the proper amount of walking will help dramatically. The combination of physical exercise, mental stimulation and attention should really help to curb his desire to seek and destroy!

Labs are notorious for their "iron stomachs." My husband's childhood lab once ate a dozen jelly donuts off the counter. He was a little sick and never went near food on the counter again, but was otherwise perfectly fine. I think he ate entire shoes (leather, rubber soles and all!) as a puppy, too.

My childhood toy poodle stole and chewed up every piece of clothing he could get his teeth on. He was especially fond of lingerie, and chewed the crotches out of countless pairs of panties. Looking back now, it's very clear he did it for attention - seeing him steal and destroy our lingerie certainly got us to chase and try to coax it away from him, then reward him further by giving him something more "fun" to do! Knowing what I know now, we would have handled it entirely differently.

There's a reason why most of the dogs at the shelters are Labs and other working breeds: many people think they're just cute, lovable, easy family pets, especially as puppies; the reality is that they require a substantial commitment to plenty of daily exercise (whether we feel like it or not!), training and attention. Without it, they get our attention and try to release pent-up energy on all sorts of stuff like destructive chewing and incessant barking!

That's not directed toward you or anyone in particular, KC, I just find it really sad that so many people get rid of or mistreat their dogs because they don't take the time to find out what the dog they're considering getting needs and whether they can truly commit to meeting those needs for the next 15 or so years.
[/rant]

Oh we have had labs in the past...actually a lab pit mix...he was the best dog ever. He was my baby, but he did not seem to have the same chewing issues.

For a year old dog he is really calm, like I said he loves to spend his time wrapped around your feet. He is a keeper the kids love him so I have to find something that works for him... I just have to keep trying things until we get it
straight...once that is done I will attempt his gas problem..ha-ha

 

[fireymatt]

Great advice here in the posts.... exercise, exercise and chew toys.... a tired dog is a happy one! That is sooooooo true. I'm working on a chocolate lab coming up on her 1st b-day.

 

[mark_j]

Oh we have had labs in the past...actually a lab pit mix...he was the best dog ever. He was my baby, but he did not seem to have the same chewing issues.

For a year old dog he is really calm, like I said he loves to spend his time wrapped around your feet. He is a keeper the kids love him so I have to find something that works for him... I just have to keep trying things until we get it
straight...once that is done I will attempt his gas problem..ha-ha

After trying all the suggestion here you might think of a substitution. I have a Lab and a Golden that have a problem like this. Exercise and boredom is not a problem since they have the run of a 20 acre farm but would still chew things (I lost several grooming brushes this way) so I gave them something that I don't care if they chew up. Cardboard boxes. My dogs love them and they leave everything else alone. The vet says it won't hurt him if he ingests cardboard as long as it isn't heavily painted, no gas problems unlike rawhide bones, and the Golden has the cleanest whitest teeth I've ever seen on a dog.

Other than picking up the remains that look like they been through a shredder every couple of days (the Lab is really precise, he cuts the cardboard into 3/4 inch squares) neither of them has touched anything else in years.

Been a great solution for me, your mileage may vary.

 

[Keroin]

Hi KC,

I worked as a vet assistant for five years and one thing I can say about labs is they love to chew and eat...everything. They are the garbage cans of the canine world.

This can be dangerous because sometimes they will ingest things that they cannot pass and the material, along with any food they eat, starts to rot in their stomach. Getting the foreign body out requires surgery. I can't recall everything I have seen surgically removed from lab's stomachs but the list includes: socks, hair scrunchies, boxer shorts, and entire Hefty bag, ladies underwear, a corn cob, etc.

So, make sure, as much as possible that everything he could possibly ingest is kept out of his reach. Chew toys, lots and lots of chew toys, with lots and lots of praise when he chews on them. The Kongs you can stuff with treats are awesome. Try peanut butter in the middle, dogs go nuts for it! (pi).

Exercise, tons of exercise. Puppy chewing is natural but it can also be a sign of boredom. Dogs are pack animals, they need interaction.

Lots of good comments in this thread.

 

[pink]

Mine just had to outgrow her chewing. She's just over 2 now and has improved 100%.

 

[77Cobra]

I have raised many Labs and Goldens,and now have a Yellow Lab,Shih Poo and a Dacshound and Had chewing problems with a few dogs I have had and was told never to get a dog a chew toy of any kind because you are teaching the dog it is OK to chew on things.We scold them if they have chewed anything and never clean up the mess they have made in their sight.We have portable kennels that we put two of the dogs in when we leave the house for longer than a couple minutes and the dogs we have had have always stopped chewing things in a very short time.Seems to work for us.

 

[Cattypuss]

I'm gonna second the walking thing. Running round the yard gives a dog physical exercise. Going for a walk gives it physical AND mental exercise. A mentally tired dog is a happy and well-behaved dog.

I walk my dog briskly, off-lead, for 40 mins, 3 times a day. That's two hours of walking per day. Plus play in the house and play in the yard. And my dog is a little dog - only 13 pounds and 13 inches high. A lab needs more.