Dog Community

chewing & eating

Posted : 6/12/2006 9:22:59 PM

I have a 7 month old mixed breed - possibly border collie - not sure what else. He is a good boy over all - did well in puppergarten - is protective of me and my kids, has really cut back on the "puppy play" which is a huge deal because he was too rough with my kids - they are little - 5 and 2. BUT he is a chewer/eater of anything and everything. I can't give him most dog chews because he actually ingests them and then vomits later on - he even throws up if he gets a raw hide or smoked hoof etc. He is fast on his feet and is constantly eating little toys that my kids drop (I can usually retreive them from in his mouth - yuk) He eats the blankets and old towels I put in his crate, he ate his rope toy and well as many of the supposedly indestructable dog toys I have tried. There are times I have to leave him unsupervised - my husband and I work opposite shifts and as I said I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. It is often during these times (say I put him out in the yard while I am getting them ready for bed) that he gets into a lot of bad stuff (ie - ate a large potted plant, chewed a swing off of the swing set - this was in a relatively short period of time mind you.) I never had a dog that acted like this. My last dog died of old age so he was VERY low maintenance, even with my kids and I honestly did not remember how much work a puppy is. I admit that. I am very fond of my new puppy, I don't want to give up on him. BUT I can not take his destruction. I work part time so I feel guilty putting him back in his crate after he spent much of the day in there but I get the feeling that I have no choice - is it is bigger deal to me than to him (being in the crate?) Are there any other options - is it better to put him back in during these times so that he doesn't get in trouble or am I doing him a dis-service either way? Any thoughts? Thanks

sierra2002

Posted : 6/12/2006 9:39:06 PM

Would you mind listing the 'indistructable' toys you have tried? It may give us some ideas of what we're up against [

] Have you tried a kong?

kdimartino

Posted : 6/12/2006 9:57:22 PM

I don't know the brand name so to speak but they were hard plastic chew toys, I can't believe it myself but he destroyed them! He does have a Kong which i just bought for him a few days ago - he likes it with "stuff" in it but other than that he could care less. It seems like he either LOVES it literally to pieces (any given toy) or doesn't pay it any attention at all. I thought the smoked hooves were great till he started puking at 4:30 am every night ! As I am writing righrt now he continuously takes his towels out of his cage and is shredding them till I take them away and shut the door. Do I need to take his towels/blankets out of the cage? I know I am giving him human attributes but isn't it better if he is comfy in his crate? esp if I am going to be puttig him in there more? I thnk he is done teething...but maybe not?

loveukaykay

Posted : 6/12/2006 10:07:25 PM

Is it only when you gone when he "destroys"? He may have separation anxiety... my Kayla would shred anything left in her crate with her while we were gone, and if we left her in the house she would destroy the house, but she had major SA issues. She did eventually just grow out of it with time.

She also went through a stage at about 1 year where she decided to see what was the biggest thing she could swallow whole. She also grew out of that.

Bailey is my new girl and just turned 5 months... she is in a shredding stage... nothing serious but anything I leave on the floor such as a piece of paper or a shoe can become shedded if Im not careful.

I think puppies test their limits and of course dont know what they can and cant do. Just be patient and they will learn and grow out of a lot of things.

Good luck.

loveukaykay

Posted : 6/12/2006 10:10:59 PM

I would also like to add that if this is more than the normal occasional puppy thing, he may not be getting enough exercise. Puppies have lots of energy and will find a way to expel it.

About the chewing, have you tried raw bones...? The kind with a litte meat left on them and marrow in the middle, usually come frozen...? Dont give cooked bones.... but raw bones may be a good idea for you.

sierra2002

Posted : 6/12/2006 10:14:15 PM

Sierra actually has problems with this also - she'll be 4 years old in November. I've tried so many different materials, but she likes to chew and push the item to one corner of the kennel (it seems to bother her...?) I also thought they would make her more comfortable, but she just couldn't relax with them in there, so she doesn't have anything in there now.
An option may be to put carpeting in the bottom, and find some way to fasten it down. It may make him more comfortable.
As a note, Sierra doesn't like her kong unless there's something yummy in it either. It looks brand new and it's 2 years old.

Also, how much exercise is he getting? If he does have Border Collie in him, he'll need both physical and mental stimulation to keep him under control. Training is an excellent way to keep him busy - Sierra even opens and closes doors for me! You can train all sorts of commands.

I'm not sure I was much help, but there are much more knowledgeable people on this forum. I'm sure more people will be around soon [

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huskymom

Posted : 6/13/2006 9:06:48 AM

I agree with looking into whether her exercise requirements are being met. All puppies chew at this age. But they need not be destructive chewers. My Motto is "Entertain your dog, or she will entertain herself." I find with my pups that as long as I tire them out twice a day, and I mean tire them out so they flop down whenever i stop playing, they leave my stuff alone. They would rather chew on their own things as they taste better to them. They chew but just enough to get rid of the itch of new teeth. And they couldnt care less about thier Kongs unless there is something yummy in there too. So your pup is normal in that aspect. My pups also flop down for a nap after a good training session. It tires them out mentally which is especially useful on rainy/stormy days when I don't want to go outside much.