Chewing

[maureen]

We have had Cooper since January this year - he is now 1 year old and has started to chew carpets edges, furniture etc. both when I am in the home and not giving him my full attention, and when I go out.  I never leave him for more than 5 hours at a time and generally this would be during the day and am mostly home with him from 5.00 in the evening.  Having had free run of the hallway, kitchen and balcony for months, I am now restricting him to the kitchen and balcony area when I go out which he is quite happy with, but as soon as I go to do something or try to watch television for a few minutes, he is digging out my plants in their pots on the balcony and chewing various items in the home....even in front of me when I am in the same room.  He has plenty of chews and toys, which I vary, but still prefers to go for things he surely must know are not allowed.  His new chewing is his bed.  He has destroyed the inner cushion and is now taking out the stuffing from the surround....I have taken the bed away many times for a few days and every time I return it to him, he immedately scratches and chews out the inside stuffing, even as I go to put it down for him....so again, it has been taken away.  ANY SUGGESTIONS?

[Miss Poohs]

He's demanding your attention isn't he.

I'm not the best person to advise you, sorry.

Just look at the problem I've got "Two Yapping Dogs" !!!

Good luck finding a solution Jx

[Gilly]

Do you give him anything to keep him occupied when you go out? for example a Kong stuffed with something tasty or a Buster Cube filled with kibble ?
It sounds like complete boredom to me   You could try bitter apple spray to stop him from chewing, although this isn't guaranteed to work  
Are you giving him the time he needs? Just being in the same room as him isn't very stimulating for a dog, try playing some games with him etc.
Others may have some advice to    

[dillydolly]

have you tried filming your dog on webcam to find out when the behaviour starts, maybe when you first leave or maybe a few hours after you have gone, i know they hate vicks vapour rub as the smell is enough to put them off but i have never used it as my dog is crated when we go out. Our basset we had was the same and my trainer told me to make him a destruction box and fill this box with treats and toys and then wrap the box up as best you can with layers of newspaper, or limit his freedom in the house until he is trustworthy.

 

[LindaW]

It sounds like boredom to me too but I also wonder if he gets enough exercise?  

You could try playing some games with him like hiding a ball or something and ask him to find it.  Once they get the idea of this sort of game they love it and this sort of exercise wears them out quite quickly.
If he is generally a hyperactive dog I would review his diet and put him onto a hypoallergenic one with no additives or colourings and see if it makes a difference.
   

[Jan/Billy]

I have the same problem with my dog although chewing in the house has now stopped. Although it didnt stop until he had had a nibble of everything!!, i even have holes in my walls!!!!

He has now started to steal things shoes, tea towels, toilet rolls, remote control, MOBILE PHONE. I know why he does it, he does it as he wants me to chase him!!!! Why? i dont know???
Last week he stole one of my cushions off the settee, nothing new there, he ran through the house and straight through the dog flap into the MUDDY garden with my WHITE cushion!!! He tends to do it when i am doing something that does not involve him ie ironing, cooking etc. As i know he is doing it for attention i try to ignore him, but then he brings the item he has stolen and sits in front of me so i cant see anything but him!purposly trying to get my attention. Our trainer too said it is boredom but he did it yesterday after an hour and twenty minutes walk round the lake, swimming etc, then a game of ball when we got home and then a game of find it. I have come to the conclusion that he needs an awful awful lot of stimulation.Perhaps if i am totally honest more than i can provide him with. I do try my best. He receives a total of 2 1/2 hours a day of one to one ie walking, playing etc, more at weekends. He has two walks a day sometimes three. I tend to take him on a long walk on sundays somewhere different each time.
He has every toy/chew i can buy.
I think some dogs, especially cockers are very hyper. I have tried everything with billy but he is still as energetic and mischevious!!! i am constantly being told by his trainer to have him castrated. Not somehing i want to put him through.

I wouldn't worry but just try and think of how you can make life more interesting/challenging for him. Make him work for things instead of handing them to him. For example every morning i used to give Billy his breakfast in his bowl and then give him a dentastix straight after. Now he gets half of his breakfast in his bowl and the other half in a treat ball. It is a ball which you put food into and as he pushes it along the floor bits drop out. So he has to work for it. Then if it gets stuck somewhere, behind the settee etc he has to work out himself how to rescue it. Billy absolutley loves it. Then when it is dentastix time he has to go out of the room whilst i hide it! Then on command he has to come in and find it.  He loves it the only problem that i have is he drools all over my carpet whilst trying to sniff the treat!!!
Billy needs mental exercise as well as physical otherwise he is a real real handful. I do believe that he is more hyper than a large majority of dogs but i have accepted that that is the way he is.  I would try some of the things i have mentioned and others have before you reach the same conclusion!! Good luck!!
 

[Michele]

Diet may be another thing that is making him so hyper, what are you feeding him on?  

[wendy]

Yes I would agree diet has some much to answer for Finley was on Hill Science up until he got the runny poos!!!!! he was very hyperactive on this especially after eating, as we had only had he a couple of weeks I thought it was normal puppy behaviour, however he is only on chicken and rice at the moment (until poo's are normal) his behaviour is totally different at lot more relaxed and not going mental after eating.  

I have just orderd some Burns since a lot of people on the Forum use it and recommend it.  Finley is enjoying the sample they sent us  

[JoHarborne]

Just a thought - and I'm no expect as Woody is only five months - but I'm wondering if it's anything to do with teething?  

Woody is still losing his first set but we've been reading up on what to expect and at around 1 year (once all teeth have been replaced with lovely sharp new ones) we discovered that dogs like to "test them out" and go through a destructive chewing phase.  Oh that I was born with this wisdom but no - back to The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey (God bless her!)  

My husband chopped a tree down in our garden this weekend and you'd be amazed how much mess a five month Cocker can make with a small branch .... but hey, better than a chair leg eh?!    

[taniac]

He has now started to steal things shoes, tea towels, toilet rolls, remote control, MOBILE PHONE. I know why he does it, he does it as he wants me to chase him!!!! Why? i dont know???

You need to turn this into a game that you control (Jean Donaldson covers this problem in The Culture Clash).  If the dog steals something she advises that you walk away and ignore the dog or sit down on the floor with your back to them.. They soon bring it to you.  You have to be the one who initiates the game.. Give them a toy and then say 'I'm going to get you' and give chase!!!  

You first have to teach the dog that play is only on your terms not theirs.  Give the book a read it's very interesting.

As for chewing, yes we have that in our house.. It seems to be concentrated around the baby gate, Jovi is obviously trying to get out.  Kongs and treat balls are part of the answer, but it does still happen.  He is still a baby though (well I think so).
 

[Bellbellsmum]

Hi, I totally sympathise with your predicament. I had an Airedale terrier about 10 years ago who was the same.  he never rested.   Even after a 3 mile jog with my husband he got home, saw a crack in the door and legged it getting hit by a car in the process.  He bounced off the bonnet and just kept running.  Took us 2 hours to get him back.  He chewed everything in sight, and if he was asleep you would have to creep out of the room or he would bounce up and follow you jumping and nipping all the time.  It was too much for us and after 3 years of it we had to re home him with a family with another airdale and someone home all day.  He was with them for a year and then they told me they had to let him go to the Airedale Rescue home.  I think he was beyond help.

If I had had the support of this site and access to the books and stuff available now, I think we could have trained him out of it, but hey ho, I learnt alot from the experience.  I'm sure your dog is no where near as bad, but I do understand where you are coming from.  I think the diet thing could be a good thing to try and also the Kong thing.  Also there is a toy that you can record your voice on and it talks to them when they play with it.  Its about 16.99.  I found it online.

Anyway, good luck.  

[Bellbellsmum]

PS sorry, forgot, we were advise to have him castrated, which in desperation we did.  He was a normal dog for 24 hours after the op while still under the effects of the anasthetic, and then reverted back to type.  So it didnt work for us, however my friend has had her Cav King Charles done and he is like a new dog.  Calmed right down.

[padfoot]

PS sorry, forgot, we were advise to have him castrated, which in desperation we did.  He was a normal dog for 24 hours after the op while still under the effects of the anasthetic, and then reverted back to type.  So it didnt work for us, however my friend has had her Cav King Charles done and he is like a new dog.  Calmed right down.

It's worth remembering that for most dogs, it takes some months for the hormones to completely leave their system after castration...so the behavioural changes, if there are any, are unlikely to occur immediately.

[Andrea L]

Wow Padfoot,  Look at the time on your post,are you a late going to bedder or an early riser?  

[graciesmum]

I have the same problem with my dog although chewing in the house has now stopped. Although it didnt stop until he had had a nibble of everything!!, i even have holes in my walls!!!!

He has now started to steal things shoes, tea towels, toilet rolls, remote control, MOBILE PHONE. I know why he does it, he does it as he wants me to chase him!!!! Why? i dont know???

Hiya, newbie here   My 9 month old does this, she will grab anything within reach and then tear off with her tail wagging frantically, the hardest part by far is not to laugh and then chase her therefore rewarding the behaviour, we end up it taking two of us to corner her to remove the peg/nickers/shoe/half garden etc.  Yesterday she chewed half a skirting board off whilst my parents (i live at home still at 29 ) were out, they leave her for max an hour my dad works from home and shes got a basket in his workshop so obviously our house is littered with valve springs too.  We wondered if she could be teething still   maybe get her some dentastix or something