Chewing Advice Please!!

[Rudiboo]

Hi Everyone!

Rudi (12 weeks) has just found the bottom stair on the staircase and has managed to pull some threads from the carpet    This doesn't really matter as it is an old carpet.....however not a habit I want to encourage but it seems to give him endless pleasure!!  Can you suggest something I can spray on it that will discourage him biting it?  Someone said spray some perfume or aftershave onto the stair around where he chews but I don't know if that will do him any harm?  He doesn't actually ingest the stair just mouths it!!

Any ideas gratefully received!

Thanks

[rwasinski]

I recommend providing alternatives for him to chew, here are some ideas we have used in addition to dog toys:
Paddywack (from Pets at Home)
Ice cubes
Yoghurt frozen in a Kong
Frozen flannel

Try to see what texture he prefers - Blodwen loved labels at this stage, so we have her toys with labelly string and ribbon on for her to chew on. The PetStages toys are great.

Both ours love rugs and pulling threads out so we distract them with things they are allowed to chew 

[coralee]

We bought some training spray from PAH for when Harvey started chewing (which he did...instantly!) however, one little squirt of this stuff on the chewee and the chewer stopped instantly. I've only needed to use it a couple of times - and he's stopped completely - I always give him an alternative chew toy to play with when he's bee-lined for the wicker basket/bathroom rug/wheels of my computer chair, etc - and it seems he's realising what he can and can't chew quite quickly.

I've used the spray (very minimally) over the last 5 weeks (in fact haven't had to use it now for 2 weeks) with no adverse reactions on Harvey's part. It's another of those "keep at it" things I think 

[Rudiboo]

Thanks for this,  I will pay a visit to PAH and invest in some spray!!!  Rudi has many chewy options - all of those mentioned and more but it is the static things that they are not supposed to have access to that they seem to love the most!!

Diversion techniques work whilst you are aware of the need for them - but nip to the loo or answer the phone or just carry on with normal life and there he is ....hanging off the bottom stair!!!!!

Thanks for the tips though, as ever much appreciated!

[coralee]

lol!! Harvey pulled apart a kitchen roll in the time it took me to go and get a hairbrush from the bathroom this morning - he's like uber speedy in the annihalate-anything-and-everything-he-can-get-his-lovely-paws-on stakes!!

Be careful with the spray, as it's very toxic to fish and shouldn't be sprayed near food, or feeding bowls etc - the spray shouldn't be inhaled - and must be used very sparingly - but I find that very sparingly is just enough to do the trick. Don't spray it when the puppy is close to it - remove him from the area for that bit. I can only say that it hasn't produced any adverse reactions to Harvey in any way 

[Karma]

Hope the spray works... we knew when we found Honey chewing the spray bottle that the strange little madam actually liked the taste, so it was no good for us!!!     

[Rudiboo]

Oh how Funny!!   You gotta love them though....mind you at the time........

That will probably be just my luck too - Rudi will develop a taste for it!!

We had our 2nd jab today - only 1 week before we can go out !!!   I am sooooo excited!

[LouiseH]

What about a water spray?

I use one of these and now usually just showing them the bottle and saying "NO" is enough without even having to spray it 

My stairs carpet got chewed on the bottom step not long after we moved in and now it's been "started" everyone thinks they can have a go! 

[mlynnf50]

Selby doesn't like plastic bottles so when he goes to chew the walls.... I put a plastic bottle in front if where he is chewing and he runs away, its great for been able to sit at the computer as well.

[Top Barks]

What about a water spray?

I use one of these and now usually just showing them the bottle and saying "NO" is enough without even having to spray it 

Be real careful going down this route is ill advised IMO Just because it worked for one does not mean it will not have adverse effects on another!
I like to use a puppy proofed area, such as puppy pen when not supervised and provide the pup with as many appropriate things to chew.
Don't forget this is a natural behaviour for a pup and also an age where they need to learn to trust their owners to do right by them.

[Jeanette]

Hope the spray works... we knew when we found Honey chewing the spray bottle that the strange little madam actually liked the taste, so it was no good for us!!!     

Really 

We used this http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1131   

it worked a treat, edges of cupboards and the kitchen legs - anything she attempted to bite was sprayed, she only went back the once and realised how yuk it was.   I even used it on her lead when she went through the stage of trying to chew it when walking.   

[LouiseH]

What about a water spray?

I use one of these and now usually just showing them the bottle and saying "NO" is enough without even having to spray it 

Be real careful going down this route is ill advised IMO Just because it worked for one does not mean it will not have adverse effects on another!
I like to use a puppy proofed area, such as puppy pen when not supervised and provide the pup with as many appropriate things to chew.
Don't forget this is a natural behaviour for a pup and also an age where they need to learn to trust their owners to do right by them.

I must admit I don't like the idea of a family pet being cooped up in a pen when they go to their new homes. I feel bad enough about it myself before the puppies leave and they always get supervised play elsewhere in the house and I was always of the opinion that they have to learn what is acceptable and not?

I was told to use the spray by a dog trainer so am intrigued as to what these adverse effects could be?

[Karma]

A different situation, I know, but my parents were advised (by a trainer) to use a water spray to discourage their then pup's barking at other dogs and it led to a serious dog aggression problem that took years to get to a manageable level.... she still barely tolerates other dogs and has never, even as a pup, played with another dog.

I don't see what is wrong with a pup being in a pen when unsupervised - you still have the opportunity to redirect chewing of inappropriate stuff onto appropriate stuff when you are there, and this way you are teaching a pup what it IS allowed to chew.... rather than, perhaps, just making it scared to chew something in front of you (but it may well still be safe to chew things when you're not around, as the water spray doesn't happen then...). 

Again, a different situation, but I saw on an "It's me or the Dog" special this weekend a noise aversion technique in use to stop a dog raiding a bin.... they set this up so they could sound the alarm remotely, so that when she tried to raid the bin, even without someone there, they could sound the alarm.  It worked at first.... but they hadn't dealt with any other issue (maybe lack of mental stimulation, a more interesting/challenging way of obtaining food, I don't know) so after a few weeks she figured out how to open the fridge and raided that instead...

[LouiseH]

A different situation, I know, but my parents were advised (by a trainer) to use a water spray to discourage their then pup's barking at other dogs and it led to a serious dog aggression problem that took years to get to a manageable level.... she still barely tolerates other dogs and has never, even as a pup, played with another dog.

I don't see what is wrong with a pup being in a pen when unsupervised - you still have the opportunity to redirect chewing of inappropriate stuff onto appropriate stuff when you are there, and this way you are teaching a pup what it IS allowed to chew.... rather than, perhaps, just making it scared to chew something in front of you (but it may well still be safe to chew things when you're not around, as the water spray doesn't happen then...). 

Thanks for the explanation - it makes more sense now why a water spray might not work. I just don't like the idea of chemicals and thought water might be a safer option than the other sprays mentioned.

There's nothing wrong with a puppy pen if used properly and for short periods of time  but I just think its a good idea to also start to integrate the puppy into the family which is bound to include periods where the puppy might decide to chew.

[Top Barks]

What about a water spray?

I use one of these and now usually just showing them the bottle and saying "NO" is enough without even having to spray it  

Be real careful going down this route is ill advised IMO Just because it worked for one does not mean it will not have adverse effects on another!
I like to use a puppy proofed area, such as puppy pen when not supervised and provide the pup with as many appropriate things to chew.
Don't forget this is a natural behaviour for a pup and also an age where they need to learn to trust their owners to do right by them.

I must admit I don't like the idea of a family pet being cooped up in a pen when they go to their new homes. I feel bad enough about it myself before the puppies leave and they always get supervised play elsewhere in the house and I was always of the opinion that they have to learn what is acceptable and not?

I was told to use the spray by a dog trainer so am intrigued as to what these adverse effects could be?

I think karma has justified my points for me, have a look at this link

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=47409.0