Puppy Chews Crate Bedding ... Bad?

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Puppy Chews Crate Bedding ... Bad?

Posted : 6/7/2006 9:52:03 PM

Hi. My 8-month-old Archie has gotten into the habit of chewing on the old blanket that I have as bedding in his crate. If he's in the crate, he'll gnaw on a corner of the blanket for a few minutes, then get wound up and start digging into the blanket, rearrange it, repeat, etc. He'll also make frustrated groaning sounds as he digs into it. If he's outside the crate, he'll sometimes pull the entire blanket out of the crate and do his chewing/digging routine. He only seems to do this when he's anxious, which is often.

I'm sure this is due to some combination of anxiety/bordeom/puppyhood (I've only had him a few weeks and he's a rescue dog). My question is whether you think the blanket is literally a security blanket for him inside the crate (comforting for him to chew inside his house), or if he's trying to say he hates the blanket and I should remove it. I'm also concerned this will teach him that it's OK to chew on his bedding (i.e., my couch when he's an adult).

I can't imagine a crate without bedding is very comfortable, but if that's what he wants ...

Stephanie Book

Posted : 6/12/2006 12:35:09 AM

Well, I don't really have an answer to your question, but my 6 month old puppy will chew on or dig up her blanket that is in her crate. Other times she doesn't bother it, just goes to sleep. I think it has something to do with how bored she is; if she is 'awake' and doesn't want to take a nap, then she's more likely to be restless in her crate, but if she is tired or ready for a nap she doesn't bother it.

If your dog was just chewing on the bedding, my cousins used the Bitter Apple spray on the blanket, which stopped the dog from chewing it, but it sounds like he is just bored. My advice would be to give him something to chew on in the crate, or really tire him out with some exercise before putting him in there, so he'll be more content to take a nap and not tear up his bedding. I did remove the blanket in my puppy's crate once, just to make it cooler when it was hot out, and some people don't have bedding in the dog's crate, especially the plastic ones, but I would think, as well, that it is more comfortable with the bedding inside. Maybe just try taking it out while he's in there for a few minutes and see what he thinks of it? I don't think that it would cause problems as far as chewing on the couch, just make sure that you let him know that chewing on the couch is not a good thing to do, regardless of whether he would chew his bedding or not. [

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agilebcs

Posted : 6/14/2006 12:09:28 PM

I would take the bedding out of the crate and just give him things to chew on that he can't destroy. I would be worried about him going past gnawing on the blanket and moving on to eating it. He'll be fine without any bedding and probably after he's had more time to settle in you'll be able to put bedding back in.