Help With a Master Chewer?

Many dogs, including my Gabby, love to chew on fabrics.  I manage this by supervising her and when I can't, she's crated. Gabby not only will chew up fabric toys, she'll swallow the pieces as fast as she can. :(  She doesn't chew up her dog beds, so far.   I don't have a problem with taking her beds away if she decides to chew on them.  For a tough chew, try getting Cody some antlers.  It might not be as satisfying as a soft fabric toy but they are safe for most dogs.  

 One of the things I wound up doing was using old tee shirts, sweatshirts and even jeans and tying knots in them and use those as chew toys and tug toys. if he is prone to eating the bits he gets off this has to be under direct supervision but it is cheap and satisfies their need to chew soft stuff.  When my guy was young I constantly replaced the 'wrong' thing to chew with the right thing to chew and eventually he got it - although he will still have moments of chewing something he shouldn't (but mostly just to tease us LOL)

Pan is a chewer too.  When I'm not around, he is crated.  He's got dozens of marrow bones (minus the marrow), kongs, Gappay balls from Germany (I do Schutzhund with my German Shepherds - NO pet store bought toy works for them for chewing or obedience rewards!!).  He also loves fabrics.  One thing I do is give him boxes and really thick cardboard things that he is allowed to chew and shred.  If he eats a little bit, oh well, better than fabric!  He just likes to rip things apart and sometimes it's easier for me to let him do it to something I don't care about than try to prevent it.

Just to be sure, how much exercise he gets FROM YOU every day? (big back yard by himself does not count). He is 1 year old so he might be on his prime on high energy and is trying to relieve the frustration on fabric.

Even if exercise was not the issue he might actually need even more than what you are giving him. The mathematics are simple, if your dog is tired he wont be interested on destroying anything whatsoever and he will want to just rest.

There are things that my dog LOVES to do but if he is tired he does not care about them anymore.

There is also a difference between hectic destructive behavior and oral fixation.  Pan is usually the latter.  He does not run around the house grabbing things trying to chew and rip.  He doesn't touch furniture and actually does have bedding in his crate(s).  His chewing happens mostly WHEN he is already tired.  He likes to lie down and finish decompressing with something in his mouth.  I've seen him fall asleep with stuff in his mouth.  When it was colder I used to have an old blanket thrown over his crate to make it more like a "den" but I noticed that as he was lying down he would pull a corner in between the crate wires and chew/suck on it.  Some dogs are just like this, maybe for a time or maybe forever (like people sucking thumbs, some never do and some will until middle school).  It doesn't matter how much you exercise the dog unless you are actually exercising the dog to the point that he drops to sleep when finished and that could be excessive.  With a large breed puppy I cannot exercise him to the extent that he would not want to chew/suck because that could be potentially damaging since they grow slowly and the growth plates have not closed (he does not walk, bike, run/jog more than 2 miles at a time and for some dogs 2 miles is just getting started, not really exercise).  It is easier to just prevent access to things he shouldn't chew on and give him some approved items that he can.  It doesn't matter to me if he wants to gnaw on a marrow bone or rip some cardboard before he takes a nap.  When he is active he always wants something in his mouth.  He will carry around the same stick or dog toy for days.

Thanks, Karen! That's a great idea!  Unfortunately, he does seem to consume the fabric, as I rarely find pieces of it. We do play with toys for fetch and tug of war, but I have to put them away when we're done or he'll eat them.  He seems to want to eat fabric when we're not playing, and I can't let him do that. When I try to redirect him to an acceptable chew toy, like a Nylabone or Kong, he shows no interest.  If I take away every soft thing in the room, he chews on the carpet around the corner from where I can see him. I crate him some of the time, but I hate to do it when I'm home. We've baby gated off a small area, but there are still corners where he can hide and get into mischief. I'll definitely try making some safe-to-destroy toys from old t-shirts and towels, though.  Thanks! :)

 Liesje, I love the idea of the cardboard, too!  I'll have to try that. :)

 espencer, you may have hit on the issue. He gets 3-5 walks a day, usually around at least one city block...often longer.  We play fetch and chase in the house as well, and he runs around the house like a crazy dog at least once a day.  We go to the dog park once or twice a week so he can run freely, too, but he may need more exercise than this.  However, I've seen him do this destructive behavior even when he's tired. He lies down on something soft and slowly works at the fabric while lying there.  It's different from his frantic  destruction of, say, a toy.  He seems to really want to eviscerate things, even when lying calmly (hence the destruction of three dog beds while we were sleeping...).

I can try to up his exercise and see if he does better.  Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to run anymore due to knee problems, and my husband and I are both worried about riding a bike with him on a leash, so we're not sure how to maximize his walk times.  He's very small and slender, so I'm not sure I can use a weight backpack on him.  He weighs 16 pounds. Here's a photo of him (on the left) to give you an idea of his shape/size.  I'd love any ideas you might have for helping him get more exercise!

 Thanks, Liesje, for the extra note about Pan and oral fixation.  I think some of the time, that's what's happening with Cody.  Other times, he really is running around and destroying things. So far, though, he hasn't done anything to the couch (knock on wood!), nor has he hurt any other furniture. Just throw pillows, blankets, sheets on the bed, etc.  So he has limits.

Everything everyone has said is golden for you -- but I'm going to jump in with just one more thot -- has the vet examined his teeth **carefully**??? 

Yes, some dogs like to chew fabric - it is a really **DEEP** really intensely massaging chew.  However -- that can point to a dog that has a bad tooth or a tooth that didn't completely come in. 

Have you tried substituting ice chips (NOT hard ice cubes - you can break a tooth that way)???  Make him a big old block of ice in a quart dish with just a wee bit of fruity yogurt or beef juice in it.  Let it sit in the fridge for a bit to begin to soften it before you give it.  But sometimes ice can numb whatever it is in the mouth that is driving the chew. 

I thank Heaven every single day that someone shoved a Nylabone in Tink's mouf when she was a baby puppy.  It's still her "go to" thing to chill out and makes life much much easier for me.

I would say the hectic destruction should be redirected with more exercise and interactions with you (like fetch, tugging....ways he can and should use his mouth) and the normal chewing is fine as long as he is confined and given something appropriate to chew.  I have dogs that are purposefully-bred to use their mouths and I *want* them to learn how and when to use mouths and teeth.  For me it is not just about exercising them to the point that they have no desire to use their mouths. Also chewing the right things in moderation keeps the teeth healthy.

One thing that Pan LOVES are beef marrow bones.  I get them in the freezer at a pet store.  You can probably get them cheap from a butcher but I have no idea where to look since I don't go to a butcher for my own meats!  Marrow is really rich (it's like butter!) so at first I would defrost/thaw the bone and then scoop out most of the marrow but now my dogs can eat it all.  I like these bones b/c they don't break down or splinter.  My power-chewers can gnaw on them for days and I don't have to supervise or worry about them swallowing large chunks.  After a week or so, they become less interested in the bone as it dries out so I toss it.  Or you can re-stuff it with peanut butter.  Once it gets dry I throw it away so it doesn't splinter.  We have a dozen of these lying around and I always toss a few into their crates.

And let's not forget that for some dogs, there is no amount of physical energy (unless you have 6-8 hours a day to run your dog yourself....show of hands?) that will take away the "mental stimulation" that some dogs require. Some dogs can run, and run, and run, and run - all that does is make a more fit dog, who wants to run, and run, and run, and run, and run some more. And those same dogs get back in the house, and sometimes they still need things to chew and destroy in a safe environment.  Some dogs, through history, have been bred to run for hours at a time - they simply don't get tired from the exercise we provide, and I would wager that 50% of people can't provide the level of exercise these dogs would need to be physically tired.

Physical exercise is very, very important, but dogs also have an inherent need to chew. Many dogs do not "grow out of it" from puppies, as chewing a good chew is much like sitting down to your favorite book, movie, or bath-time. It's deeply relaxing and is a need many dogs have (and, I would wager - all dogs have, in different degrees), and for many high-energy dogs, who are also big chewers, simply running or walking long distances will not change that need.

In my experience so far in working with clients and my own dogs, I have found that appropriate mental stimulation has decreased many, many more behavioural problems than simply adding an extra walk or run a day has.

Beachgal

I can try to up his exercise and see if he does better.  Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to run anymore due to knee problems, and my husband and I are both worried about riding a bike with him on a leash, so we're not sure how to maximize his walk times.  He's very small and slender, so I'm not sure I can use a weight backpack on him.  He weighs 16 pounds.

Short answer is yes, you can use a back pack on him. There are back packs in petsmart for small dogs and he should carry up to 3.2 lbs total (20% of his body weight). Instead of 3-5 walks a day usually around at least one city block (which might last up to 20 minutes) just do only one of 45 minutes. The 3-5 walks allow him to rest in between and not burn what he should. Basically he is just "warming up" with each walk and at the moment he really will start to exercise the walk is over.

Now there are dogs that also benefit from a flirt pole, I help a friend with an under exercised terrier once. I just stood in one place and moved the flirt pole for 45 minutes, at the end the dog who was bouncing off the walls before now was having plastic balls bouncing off his head and he was not interested anymore. You can make your own flirt pole with a PVC pipe, a rope and his favorite toy:

http://youtu.be/h9TqyYy_kLo

And I want to add that if you need more than one hour to exercise a dog to get him tired then you are doing it wrong. You are not giving him the structured exercise that tires his mind at the same time. The back pack and flirt pole adds that structure to his mind that the dog needs. Do the same without back pack and I would be walking my dog for hours as well. I add the back pack and only need 45 minutes

I also use a pack on Pan, but depending on the breed/type be careful with how much weight is added before the dog is physically mature.  Right now Pan can't really carry enough weight for the pack to give him a significantly better work out because of his age and development.  He carries a can of soup and a jar of peanut butter on either side plus poop bags.  I had his hips and elbows checked at 6 months - no dysplasia anywhere - but there is still a lot of developing to do and I need to be considerate of this when having him do things that aren't "natural" (like running around playing in the yard is one thing, he self-regulates that, but wearing a weighted pack or jogging alongside a bike on hard pavement need to be regulated).

 First of all, thank you SO much to all of you for the wonderful advice and thoughtful responses!

 Callie, I'll ask the vet about Cody's teeth. They check them out every time he visits, but it's quick, so they may have missed something.  Good point!  I'll check out the ice chips, too.

 Liesje, those bones are great, aren't they? I fill ours with a mixture of non-fat organic yogurt with a little peanut butter or powdered chicken breast for flavor, and a few pieces of kibble, then freeze them.  The dogs love that, but they tend to leave them alone once they're empty.  I agree that some chewing is really important for pups!  I share your caution about using the pack too early.  Cody was born in late March, and turned one this year.  Do you think he's ready to try using a pack, or should I wait until he's 2 (or older)?  The vet checked him out three months ago and his joints are terrific, thank God. :)

 Kim, that's a fantastic point!  I play games like Hide and Seek and the muffin-tin game with the dogs and provide them with toys (like Nina Ottoson's puzzles and the Kyjen Hide-a toys) for mental stimulation.  Our walks are often more of a "sniff" than a walk...I may be wrong, but I think they get mental stimulation from sniffing, too, right?  We also use buster cubes, and I assume there's some mental stimulation with getting the frozen yogurt out of the Kongs and bones I give them.  But they may need more.

 espencer, thank you SO much for the wonderful information and suggestions.  I'd be glad to try the backpack, and we can make one of the walks that long each day.  He still has to eliminate, and though we do some short trips to the yard, both dogs prefer walks for the chance to leave some "pee-mail" for others when doing their business. ;)  The flirt pole looks like a super-fun toy!  Cody is both fast and accurate when catching things.  I think he'd get the ball in seconds, and then he'd want to tug...but I should try it and see. Who knows...it may be very hard for him to do!  When you did it with your friend's dog, did he catch the toy at all?  What did you do when he caught it?

Beachgal

When you did it with your friend's dog, did he catch the toy at all?  What did you do when he caught it?

I did it with my friend's dog and my dog also has one. Basically the VERY first time they dont want to let go. You just give them a treat to release the toy and start to play again. After a while (just like my dog) they realize that they need to let it go so the fun can keep going. Most likely your dog will get the toy in seconds but that just depends on how fast YOU are with your hands (is really not that difficult). You have to let them get it as well a few times so they get encourage to keep trying.

Beachgal

Our walks are often more of a "sniff" than a walk...I may be wrong, but I think they get mental stimulation from sniffing, too, right?

I would say that is more like what i was saying about giving sugar to a kid. They get mental stimulation but not mental exercised. I walk my dog and if he gives me 10 minutes of a good focused walk moving forward then he gets 5 minutes of sniffing whatever he wants. If i let my dog smell everything he wants constantly he will return home with the "sugar rush" and the objective to exercise him will not be accomplished