Chewing Problems!!!!

ORIGINAL: tmdinan

Ok, so I'll keep him in his crate a little longer.  I'd like to confine him to the kitchen, but he jumps the puppy gates.  Any ideas on that? 

 
He looks pretty small... have you simply tried a taller gate?  I think they make them as high as 48 in.  My dog's problem is that she's actually figured out how to OPEN one of her gates (it's the kind that clips into eyehooks... she lifts the gate up and over the hooks!).

Alisia, I am so glad that you came to this forum when you did, and took the advice that was given to you in the way it was given, with love for dogs, and we like people too. lol
Mudpuppy, brilliant as usual, and all of the other posters too, this is why I love this forum..
 
Now Alisia if you want to come here you must post pictures of that puppy.
Tmdin Welcome, and that is some cute puppy

Many people, who unfortunately misunderstand the concept of good crate training, believe that crating a dog for any length of time is cruel and they refuse to even consider it. In fact, a crate really is a wonderful tool when used correctly. The majority of new pet owners misconstrue the purpose of a dog crate. It is NOT used to punish a puppy; the puppy should deem the crate to be his safe haven. Once you recognize this fact, you will be able to utilize the puppy's den to your advantage and build up a training plan.  In fact, a crate really is a wonderful tool when used correctly. Crate training can be fun for the puppy if you make it a POSITIVE experience.

To sum up: using a crate correctly, establishes restrictions for your dog when you are away from the house and unable to keep an eye on his behavior. A crate is also a safe area for your dog to be if you're having company and you have a less than social dog. Another surprising advantage: dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms or fireworks, often find refuge in their familiar crate/den.
 
The fact that you feel guilty about leaving your dog crated is a human emotion that your dog doesn't feel at all.  For example, my dog is crated at night to sleep and during the day when we work.  Although he unfortunitly (in my eyes) has to be crated for some extended periods of time he loves his crate.  When he is free of the crate he still goes in it on his own, and sleeps.  When I am home and he out with freedom he goes in his crate on his own.  This not a dog who thinks Mommy and Daddy are mean for having a crate, he love it!  It is his room, his space and his den!!
 
Do away with your problems and crate your dog.  Stop spraying his mouth, eleimate the chewing, crate your dog.  Sometime we create our own problems and then think its the dog's doing.  He is still a baby, he will at some point, be trust worthy uncrated but until then, crate your dog when your not able to supervise.

I'm against crating for longer than four hours at a time on a routine basis, particularly if you're a normal human and need to confine your dog while you work and while you sleep. If you have no room in your house that can be puppy-proofed, I say to you: x-pen during the day, crate overnight.
X-pens are affordable, portable, and provide a more humane living space for prolonged confinement of pups. If your pup can climb out of one, get one of the extra-tall ones and/or get a roof. You can even get extra panels for x-pens and make them quite large, thus allowing your pup full access to your kitchen while you protect your furntiture and cabinets and protect your pup from developing bad habits.
Also keep in mind that if you properly exercise and train your puppy when you are home, most puppies will sleep the entire day and the entire night away. Dogs, like many animals, are highly active at dawn and dusk and naturally rest inbetween these times.

Yes, I think maybe the x-pen may be the way to go.  My dog is very comfortable in her crate, after leaving her there for 8 hours at night, I don't like the idea of leaving her there another 8 hours in the day.  I've toyed with the idea of getting an x-pen, but I've been trying to get her used to just being in the house on her own instead, but maybe it's just too soon for her.  That being said, when IS it appropriate to give your dog more freedom, and how do you go about easing your dog from months confined to a crate/pen to freedom in the house while alone?

ORIGINAL: debv53

Now Alisia if you want to come here you must post pictures of that puppy.

Ok, let's see if I can get this file upload to work!

Well i do also agree that spray in the furniture is wrong, i also do NOT think that you have to let him chew just because "it's a fact", also giving treats by just catching him doing nothing bad is actually wrong, NILIF "nothing in like is free" will teach him to work for his rewards, just like saying to a kid, "oh you didnt breake a lamp today, have an ice cream"

The solution is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay simple than you think, your puppy has A LOT of energy acumulated, if you dont want him to be chewing while you are gone then you have to exercise him before you leave, chewing is also a way to drain that eneergy that he has, if you were 24/7 indside the house you will also be chewing shoes []

Excercise is the answer, he will be tired when you leave and he wont have as much energy to be chewing things, walk him a lot and you wont have to hide anything in your house, if you dont want to excercise him then save some money to buy new furniture []

Your pup is cute!!!!!

That being said, when IS it appropriate to give your dog more freedom, and how do you go about easing your dog from months confined to a crate/pen to freedom in the house while alone?

 
I don't think I"d let a 1 yr old pup alone in the entire house without supervision.  I'd leave her crated or X-penned and try again giving her a very small increased area.  Baby steps.  As she does well and has no destruction, you can increase the area a bit more.  If she backslides, I"d take her back to the previous level of freedom earned and try again in a week or so.  I wouldn't overwhelm with lots of new space and trouble to get into.  It's not cruel to contain if you can't supervise.  Rather that than have your house destroyed, you angry at your pup and your pup totally confused as to what she's supposed to be doing.  Has she had a leash tour of your living space?  Take her around with you and show her each room.  Let her sniff and reward her for being calm.  Always reward calm behavior since that's what you want.  When you're home, give her more space only when you are there to supervise.  Reward good behavior and re-direct "bad" behavior as it's happening.  Not hours after the fact.  Eventually, they get what is acceptable to chew on and what is not.  They have to be shown and rewarded for good behavior. 
 
In Kato's picture below, he's chewing on one of dh's sandals!  Oh well.  We didn't catch him in that act and all I could think to do was take his picture!  To punish him at that point would have been pointless.  I don't think he's chewed on anything of ours since, this was a lapse in his judgement I suppose. []     
 
Lots of exercise will help with her energy and frustration.  Tire her out and she'll sleep while you're gone.    

Very cute puppy!

I've decided to go with the ex-pen idea.  I can fit her crate in it and still give her plenty of space to move around if she's feeling restless during the day.  I'll probably stick with that for the next few months... I guess I tried to give her too much freedom too early.  I've already lost curtains, a cell phone, countless rolls of paper towels, the ends of 3 electrical cords (not plugged in, thank god!), a large portion of a baby gate, part of a cabinet, and part of a door frame.  The method of punishment I was using was keeping her from chewing on the same thing twice, but didn't keep her from finding new things to chew on!  In the meantime, I'll keep reinforcing good chewing behavior by giving her plenty of chew toys and chew treats (which are perfect because they're self rewarding!), and maybe start giving her more SUPERVISED freedom.  She does well in the kitchen if someone's home, and she behaves nicely in the living room if people are in there with her, maybe I'll start introducing her to other parts of the house soon. 
 
Speaking of chew treats, I'm always looking for something new to give her that's long lasting, safe, and healthy.  What do you guys give your dogs?

That sounds like a good setup--your stuff will love it!

I like bully sticks myself for safe chewing, and nylabones.

"Speaking of chew treats, I'm always looking for something new to give her that's long lasting, safe, and healthy.  What do you guys give your dogs?"
 
Just the beef soup bones from the butcher.  I ask if they have any good bones for my dog, they ask me what size I need and then they bag some up for free.  If they don't have any on hand, I"ll buy some soup bones in the grocery store and keep them in the freezer. 
 
Kato isn't into "fake" bones or Kongs, but loves the soup bones!  They can be a little messy, but your pooch is smaller and your bones will be smaller as well.  I give them frozen, so by the time he licks it and thaws it out and then chews it a long time, he's exhausted!  

I am all for chewable indestructible toys like kongs but I am very hestitant to give a dog an eatible chew or flavored chewed.  With multiple dogs I have had too many fights over the juicey rawhide.  Yesterday I prepared "frozen kongsicles" for the first time thinking it would occupy Marvin and Sassy (fosters) time while they wait for me to come home.  Well after they finished their kong treat, they both had a ChewFest with Sassy destroying her bed, the same one she has been in for the past 2 and half months and kept intact.  Well it is back to my no stimulus theory with the goal of getting them to sleep during the day just like the Danes do.

Kato isn't into "fake" bones or Kongs, but loves the soup bones! They can be a little messy, but your pooch is smaller and your bones will be smaller as well.

ORIGINAL: Mastiff

I wouldn't be too sure about the smaller bones... you haven't seen this girl chew!!!  My boyfriend and I moved to a new town recently, and we haven't found a butcher in the local area.  I recently bought a bunch of bones from Merrick, they're cheaper than the pet store and shipping is free for orders of $25, but of course free would be better [].   I also like that their bones are from USDA approved sources, instead of the mystery bones that the pet stores sell. 
 
A couple of questions that I have about bones... first, cooked vs. raw?  I've heard that cooked bones are more likely to crack and splinter, but then other people have said that a bone has to be at least smoked to kill the bacteria.  Is there any type of bone that is safe to leave with a dog unsupervised, or can any bone pose a potential choking hazard, or potentially splinter off into sharp pieces?
 
Also, how long/often do you let your dog chew on a bone?  I worry about damaging her teeth.  She has all her adult teeth, but still she's just a puppy.  I check her teeth regularly, and so far they seem fine, but I guess I'm just paranoid.