What stops puppies chewing furniture?

[Blinky]

Bluebell is now 8 months and is so good but has taken to chewing at our new kitchen table and chairs when we leave her in the kitchen.  I've bought some chew deterrant spray with Bitrex in which tastes foul (we all end up with it on our hands cos it's all over the kitchen table legs and chairs  ) but that didn't put her off.  Someone else suggested Vicks, so we smeared that over the furniture legs last night, but she still chewed it - and she's breathing beautifully!

I could just leave her in the utility room, but it's a bit cold out there at this time of year.

Any more ideas please before our table collapses?

Blinky

[*Theresa*]

Sewing their mouth shut! 

Sorry only kidding. Every time Glen went to chew something we put a kong or similar toy in his mouth. Thankfully now he only destroys anything made of paper and steals underwear but all our furniture is teeth mark free.

 

[JaspersMum]

Sorry no advice, we had wicker furniture in the kitchen, the boys loved all the little bits that stick out and were having a lovely time chewing it so they've been hived away to garage and attic until we pass the worse chew time, they don't bother with the pine as much but noticed the door knobs on dresser are getting smaller!

We tried anti-chew spray which just made them sneeze, lots of toys around but somehow the forbidden when on their own was too tempting.  The cage helped when I had to leave them and when I am out and at night they are in the conservatory which as nothing that I am going to freak over if they decide to chew.

[DennyK]

Paddy only did this a little bit - not a chewer much at all really - more of a nibbler. 

I tried the bitter apple spray and he didn't love it, but it wasn't 100% fool-proof either.  I ended up teaching him the "leave" command - started with a treat in my palm and as he moved his nose towards it, I closed my hand and said "leave".  Then started saying "leave" without closing my hand and he got the idea - wait and keep your snout, out - and you get clicked and get the treat.  Then I extended "leave" to other things, always "click and treating" when he did it.  worked with stolen socks, furniture and soon (we were soooo lucky with Pads) he was beyond that stage and hasn't chewed since.

Other things I've read/been told:

Friend with two Springers (siblings from same litter) had them swiping food and chewing things - so put Colman's English mustard onto table and chair legs, plus made two sandwiches of Colman's English mustard and left one each on the side of the table.  Walked out - each dog swiped a sandwich, gobbled it down - and consumed a large quantity of water.  And never stole another piece of food.  Meanwhile - smell of mustard on the furniture sent them running for cover.  Can't vouch for how kind it is to your dog though....I can vouch for the fact that Chilli Sauce smeared onto the post of my bird food table put paid to thieving squirrels and man, was that funny to watch.  They run up to the post, start up it then sniff and leg it.  RESULT!

I think Gwen Bailey in "The Perfect Puppy" advocates getting a water pistol - squirt them but she says two key elements, IIRC:

1.  you have to squirt immediately BEFORE they start to chew - if they've even got their gobs around the chew item, don't squirt just interrupt; and

2.  you must do it so that they don't know that the squirting originates from you - otherwise they just learn not to do it when you're around.  If they don't see where it comes from (you hide or you hide the water pistol), they think it's something to do with the piece of furniture, so don't do it whether you're there or not.  Never tried it so can't vouch for it.

Denise

[*jean*]

Tin foil on the chairs stopped my lot jumping up on them.. I just distract them from chewing what they shouldnt with kongs etv with  a lump of cheddar poked into it. keeps them busy for ages.

[Blinky]

Thanks all - some good ideas there to try.  I do distract her when I'm with her, but it's when she's on her own and over night that she does the most damage.

Might try some mustard tonight, poor thing!

[Cob-Web]

Thanks all - some good ideas there to try.  I do distract her when I'm with her, but it's when she's on her own and over night that she does the most damage.

Might try some mustard tonight, poor thing!

Have you considered a crate? They can prevent puppies/young dogs from damaging the house and hurting themselves - and can also prevent chewing becoming a "learnt behaviour" problem 

[Shelley]

When our Newfs were at the chewing stage we used the Johnsons Anti Chew spray, which you can buy at a pet shop. It smelt so bad it made me want to throw up... But it worked.

So when we left Tia out of the crate in the kitchen for the first time, we sprayed the cupboard doors with it... She walked up and licked the stuff . I have to admit it hasn't worked with her, she has chewed the one cupboard door, and the door frame, so we will just change them when she is older

I have been told the Vicks Vapour Rub works, but I haven't tried it myself.

[Oscar2006]

The only thing Oscar likes chewing is the rug?? Especially the corners. So we used stop and grow. It is to stop people chewing thier finger nails and you can buy it from most chemists.

Also when he began chewing the door we put mustard on it and then a little in his dish. He hasn't touched either.

Good Luck

[Blinky]

Thanks all - some good ideas there to try.  I do distract her when I'm with her, but it's when she's on her own and over night that she does the most damage.

Might try some mustard tonight, poor thing!

Have you considered a crate? They can prevent puppies/young dogs from damaging the house and hurting themselves - and can also prevent chewing becoming a "learnt behaviour" problem 

I'm sure a crate would help here, but Bluebell's always lived in the utility room which adjoins the kitchen, separated by a stairgate, don't really want to start with a crate now.  I think I'll just have to start leaving her in the utility room during the day when I'm out as she has plenty of room and it's comfy for her, I'mjust being soft giving her the run of the kitchen as well!

Thanks for your reply.

[Blinky]

The only thing Oscar likes chewing is the rug?? Especially the corners. So we used stop and grow. It is to stop people chewing thier finger nails and you can buy it from most chemists.

Also when he began chewing the door we put mustard on it and then a little in his dish. He hasn't touched either.

Good Luck

I think the anti-chew stuff we used has the same ingredient as stop and grow (Bitrex?) but is hasn't deterred her!  Might try the mustard, although it may stain the chairs as they're white 

[JaspersMum]

Thanks all - some good ideas there to try.  I do distract her when I'm with her, but it's when she's on her own and over night that she does the most damage.

Might try some mustard tonight, poor thing!

Have you considered a crate? They can prevent puppies/young dogs from damaging the house and hurting themselves - and can also prevent chewing becoming a "learnt behaviour" problem 

I'm sure a crate would help here, but Bluebell's always lived in the utility room which adjoins the kitchen, separated by a stairgate, don't really want to start with a crate now.  I think I'll just have to start leaving her in the utility room during the day when I'm out as she has plenty of room and it's comfy for her, I'mjust being soft giving her the run of the kitchen as well!

Thanks for your reply.

Ours are quite happy in the conservatory parted from the rest of the house with the stair gate, they have their beds there and radio on during the day.  I would rather they were there than running the house where they could chew a cable or something even worse than the chairs.  As its also at the back of the house I find they are not upset by seeing anyone coming to the door or traffic, and I'm happy because I am not going to come home to a pile of sawdust! 

This way you can control the training of whats not acceptable to chew when you are there to see it before it happens. 

I'm sure that if Bluebell is happy in the utility she'd be OK there when you are out, leave her toys, kongs are good as suggested and the radio and I bet she sleeps most of the time you are not in.

[CarolineL]

Have she actually got something for her to chew on?? Puppies go through a secondary stage of teething at around that age and will chew to embed the teeth in the jawbone (would never have known this if it wasnt for COL!).

Also, I *think* chewing releases endorphins in a dog and they find it relaxing to do so. To stop your dog chewing on your property why dont you give her her own items to chew on?

I learnt from this mistake the day before yesterday - OH went spare because Hurley had chewed through his computer cable and he had to drive into the office as opposed to working from home. TBH it's totally my fault, I knew he is at a chewing stage, partly through boredom and partly through secondary teething (presumably) and I didnt leave him anything to chew on!

HTH

edited because of spelling mistakes!

[lyn]

aww thats an easy one, just get rid of your furniture

[Cob-Web]

Thanks all - some good ideas there to try.  I do distract her when I'm with her, but it's when she's on her own and over night that she does the most damage.

Might try some mustard tonight, poor thing!

Have you considered a crate? They can prevent puppies/young dogs from damaging the house and hurting themselves - and can also prevent chewing becoming a "learnt behaviour" problem 

I'm sure a crate would help here, but Bluebell's always lived in the utility room which adjoins the kitchen, separated by a stairgate, don't really want to start with a crate now.  I think I'll just have to start leaving her in the utility room during the day when I'm out as she has plenty of room and it's comfy for her, I'mjust being soft giving her the run of the kitchen as well!

Thanks for your reply.

We gave Molo freedom gradually rather than * all at once* which seemed to avoide a chewing problem  First, we let him have the run of the kitchen when we popped upstairs; then for a few minutes, unti lwe worked up to an hour or more over a series of weeks 
He was confined at night for a bit longer..... but by 12 months old, he was fine