Dogs (Pups) chewing

[coachgrd]

Hi Guys. We have two 9-month old Goldens. They are in the midst of "let's destroy the house by eating it." If it's not nailed to the floor, they'll make every effort to eat it and more often than not they are successful. They stay in the garage while we are at work and I have essentially removed everything in the garage other than thier chew toys to entertain themselves. I am utterely amazed at how they can take supposidly indestructable chew toys from the pet store and rip it into tiny fragments. I need something they can chew on that they can't break apart and swallow yet is entertaining enough to keep them occupied. Any ideas?

Otherwise, they are great, great dogs!
-Gary

 

[forgeblast]

crate training helped me keep my damage with our two chow mixes to a min. they still destroyed many many items. Keeping bones handy helped along withwearing them out, walks etc. But the crates helped with piece of mind. i still feed them in their crates to keep everyone the right weight. other wise one gets big while the other gets small.

 

[tallyho8]

This behavior will continue till they are about 2 years old so you still have a way to go. Some dogs will play with small tires (wheelbarrow, lawn tractor)and this is one of the only indestructable chew toys I know about.

 

[PBinWA]

I've been a big advocate of frozen beef bones. I like the round of the thigh bones the best. The cut up knuckles of the knees crumble apart too easily and you end up with bone chip barf or in smaller dogs I guess the bone chips could hurt them.

I remember having to put plywood up against the shelves in my garage when I would leave the house so they couldn't chew everything up.

In time this stage will be over and it won't seem so bad. In fact it will seem like a short phase.

 

[shvl73]

I like the crate idea. You can try the black Kong toy. Fairly resistant but, an agressive chewer will still destroy it. We buy the giant one for our Dane and after about a week, its done for. Cheaper than shoes though, she likes those too. You can buy them online at places like KV Pet alot cheaper than the chain petstores.

 

[sodamo]

I'd go with the meaty beef bones (they are good for them) and crate training.

David

 

[Sigarms]

The most industructable "toy" product that I've found for dogs is the Kong product line.

KONG Pet Toys - Legendary Strength, Quality, and Performance

Kong's may not be 100% industructable, but they have last longer than anything else I've seen out there on the commercial pet market.

I can tell you, put a Kong ball in a "Chuck it", and if you're on flat ground, that ball won't stop for a good 200 yards

 

[czechsonofagun]

Yes, Kong toys are great. We have them for years, dogs like them too.

 

[jinjimbob]

If you spend the time, you can teach your dog to only chew his toys.
You must have already taught your dog 'no', as in no, stop what you are doing.

Put several items down in the middle of the floor, a shoe, pillow, their chew toy, etc..

Let them go towards these items, keep correcting him until he only goes to his chew toy(s). Praise him when ever he does good.

Our dog loves the squeeky toys, kong also, but can destory a chew bone in 10 minutes. . . . but can puke it back up in less than one second, quite a skill.

 

[mark.r]

I look at my avatar and then think about your situation and then smile.

 

[marimus]

Keeping bones handy helped along withwearing them out, walks etc.

Swimming works well for this. I take my two labrador retrievers swimming in one of our dams (ponds to you guys, tank if your from texas )

Half an hour swimming and playing in the water, then I take them back up to the house, a quick rinse with the hose and a towel down. They sleep for the next couple of hours, and also goto thier beds early that night

ZERO stuff gets destroyed on nights after swimming I can tell you.

 

[skipro3]

I've considered building some sort of shock collar so that, when the pup makes contact with something he's not supposed to, the ZAP! I'm not sure how to make this so the circuit is only completed when he bites something though....

 

[TexasSD]

Could never get either of my Boxers interested in the Kongs.

They love raquetballs, however. While not indestructible, they haven't busted one in less than six weeks, yet. They love to chew on them and bounce them into the air and chase them.

The best part: they are cheap, about 3 bucks for a two pack!

Good Luck!

 

[jfh28]

We measure toy life in seconds......like this is a 10 second toy. When we give our Wolfhound a new toy, he prances around the house with it tossing it as he goes. He's incredibly happy and proud. Then this crazed look comes over him and we know what's coming next......he sticks his big mitt on it to hold it down and then rips it apart. He's destroyed tirebiters like this....that was labeled a 30 second toy.

If you know you have a destroyer then it is important to supervise their play. Those little bits and pieces of whatever can do some real damage to their insides. When you can't watch them anymore you have to pick the toy up and put it away. For us that means on top of the refrigerator as that is the only place he can't reach....yet!

If they are destroying house articles then in all likelyhood they are bored. A bored dog will find his own amusement. The best way to combat boredom is exercise, walks, runs, romping any activity with family members will do. Dogs are also creatures of habit so it helps to plan the activities around the same time each day.....like when you get home from work, or lunch time.......also several shorter activities throughout the day are better than one long one. This gives them something to look forward to.

Also positive praise for good behaviour always, always works better in training them than punishing them for bad behaviour. Keep some dog treats in your pocket.

Puppy phase can be a real fun time....if you keep your valuables locked up!

Jack

 

[JDeerekid]

I have a weimaraner that is now 2 1/2. She still tears her toys apart and only her toys. You have to teach them young that they can only chew on there toys.
Set them in the middle of the room and have small treats on you. Have some of there toys and some other things such as shoes, pillows, remote control(my dog likes to take the remote and change the channel on me, dont ask me how she learned this). Anyway set each one in front of them one at a time and if its theres let them chew on it and then treat them. Then try one of the things that you don't want them to chew on. When they go for it say no and take it away and then give them a treat. After a few times they will leave it alone and look for a treat. Give them a treat and then there toys. This will take a few sessions but after awhile they will learn. This has seemed to work well for me.

Try lacrosse balls. They dont last forever, but longer than most balls. Also there is a product that is made out of firehose. This lasted the longest out of all the stuffed toys, but she picked at the stiches and ended up getting the stuffing out.

Most vets dont reccommend kong toys or nylabones because something about germs and stuff. Be sure to wash them well every so often and they should not be a problem.

Beef bones(the big ones). They will naw on them but peices should not come of small enough to hurt them.

Good luck

 

[SnoFalls]

withwearing them out, walks etc.

yup, as others have said, bored dogs. It doesn't matter the breed, any dog can become destructive to overcome the boredom (other signs are "jumping", or unending whining/barking, etc.)

As pups, the "chew everything" is their escape from the boredom. When they are grown-ups, it can, and often does), get worse.

Welcome to the world of dog ownership ... If you are gone for 8 hours per day, expect to spend an hour each morning (you and dog exercise?), and at *least* 3 hours each night with bond time (another 1 hr of exercise and the rest can be "loving").

The "exercise" I'm talking about is a 1 hour walk for the human, and some "ball" play for the dog mixed in...

 

[SnoFalls]

to put it another way ...

pups (dogs <= 2 years) can be thought of as 2yr old kids
youngsters (dogs 2-5 years) can be thought of as 3-8 yr old kids
grownups (dogs 5-8 years) can be thought of as pre-teen kids
matured (dogs 8+ years) can be thought of as teenage kids

Ask yourself ...
Would you lock a " 2yr old kid" in a room (or chain them up) for 8 hours? ("toys" only are interesting for 15 minutes at that "age")
Would you lock a "3-8 yr old kid" in a room (or chain them up) for 8 hours? (you might find "toys that can occupy some of the boredom)
Would you lock a "pre-teen kid" in a room (or chain them up) for 8 hours? (your dog should be used to the routine and "nap")
Would you lock a "teenage kid" in a room (or chain them up) for 8 hours? (if it has some routine it's used to, you'll be fine).

Treat your dog like you would a child ... (and yea, those that have pre-teens and/or teenage kids are liking the idea of chaining them for 8hrs a day, not what I'm talking about)

Another way to look at it is ...
If you are too busy to spend 3 hours per day with your wife, don't get a dog
If you are too busy to spend 3 hours per day with your kids, don't get a dog
If you are willing to spend *at least* 3 hours per day with your kids and/or wife and/or dog (it can be combined) ... all will be very happy (including you as a good husband/father/dog owner).

 

[thatguy]

We ordered some dinosaurs that were for 'heavy chewers' and they ahve lasted a long time with our goldendoodle. he destroys just about everything else in no time, but these have given him a run for his money.. LOL

Here is a link Amazon.com: Dental Dinosaur Durable: Kitchen & Dining

Brian

 

[zzvyb6]

I buy rawhides in bulk and saw them into 1/3s or 1/4s with a Skill saw. I buy stuffed toy animals at garage/yard sales or Salvation Army. There is chew stop (pepper or ammonia) to put on things that you want to be left intact. Best advice I could offer is teaching the word "NO" and reinforced with a metal coffee can full of coins shaken in their face.