a list.....

[Jen]

patio door step
Micro scooter handle bars
see-saw
swing ball string
various bats - cricket, tennis & badmington
cricket stumps
shoes (new & old)
several barbies arms
A hockey stick
2 patio chair set cushions  
a picnic blanket
an umberella
the side of a battered doggie bed
and......now the latest discovery..... the side of a cupboard door in the kitchen   -


all victims of Montys chewing abilities
I can cope with most of this lot as, thankfully, many are in the garden and I can blame the children for not putting their stuff away ...HOWEVER....he seems to have developed a taste for my kitchen units now and I am not having that.
I noticed in the pet shop an anti-chewing spray - anyone tried? does it work? does it stink?(well I am potentially going to spray it in the kitchen!)
Any other suggestions to stop chewing.

You know, I can't believe I am posting about chewing when Monty is nearly 1 - I thought this was a small puppy kind of thing -
When I leave him suitable dog things to chew - he runs off and buries them in the garden (the numpty )

Any advice gratefully received                    

[Jane S]

I've had a few "chewers" who are still nibbling well past the age of 12 months so sadly it's not a baby puppy thing Some of the chew deterrent sprays are pretty useless but Bitter Apple is quite good (you can get this from some pet stores, the online vet pharmacies & perhaps your vet). Other things that I have found quite effective is to smear some chest rub (like Vick but own brand types tend to be cheaper ) on the area likely to be chewed or to rub a chilli pepper on the area (make sure you wash your hands well afterwards )

They do grow out of it eventually, honest                    

[*Jay*]

I used the Bitter apple spray when vegas was a pup and it was a godsend When Dallas started chewing my hall floor, I tried the spray again but unfortunately he likes the taste Will keep the chillis in mind for future reference                    

[Pammy]

Buddy took a taste to the Kitchen units too :- not too much damage - but it's there if you look. I tried Bitter Apple - but we couldn't stand the smell - it's quite sharp - as you'd expect :-  but it did the trick.

Menthol type things generally have the desired effect - you could try Albas oil if you want something less greasy.                    

[Colin]

With all those bats and things your garden sounds like a sports centre, Jen .

Don't waste money on "Bitter Bite". I sprayed this on everything Jimmy had chewed and also things he hadn't yet discovered . Unfortunately he liked the taste and my spraying everywhere indiscriminately just attracted him to fresh new things to munch on. Luckily he grew out of that phase pretty quickly, I've got my fingers crosssed that my new little monster will too.

Strange how I find Monty's chewing is cute and endearing but Misty's is the work of the devil.                      

[Anita]

Oh Jen - just when you thought he was growing up

We tried the bitter spary when Phoebe had a go at the skirting board. She stopped but I have my doubts about whether it was the spray or not.

I hope she doesn't pick up Monty's chewing phase as I'd hoped we would be past the temptation stage by now! Hope he starts to behave himself soon                    

[Jen]

Don't waste money on "Bitter Bite". I sprayed this on everything Jimmy had chewed and also things he hadn't yet discovered . Unfortunately he liked the taste and my spraying everywhere indiscriminately just attracted him to fresh new things to munch on. Luckily he grew out of that phase pretty quickly, I've got my fingers crosssed that my new little monster will too.

Strange how I find Monty's chewing is cute and endearing but Misty's is the work of the devil.  

I thought as much about the bitter spray thing.....am certainly not going to spray willy-nilly around my kitchen now you've said it may attract him to eat all my units - It's a tough one, because, this is clearly something Monty does when I'm not there and he's bored - so it's hard to constructively tell him off (though at times I can't help it ) - Fingers, toes and the zillions of bats in my garden crossed, that the little tyke will grow out of this Phase as quick as Jim-bob did.

Funny you should say that you find Montys habit "cute & endearing" Colin .....I bet Misty will look like a wee angel as she tucks into your walls, doors, shoes, chairs...........                    

[Anonymous]

well as Monty is around the same age as Jessie I can sympathise...the list as far as my meory goes is... so far..  

kitchen cupboards scratched
kitchen door chewed
timberlands chewed up
trainers chewed up
toy chewed up (and as I saw it when it got the other end I wasn't sure what it was but it had a hand)
balls punctured
soap nicked from bathroom


think thats it for now... shes isn't that bad, and most of this was in the early days of getting her...although.... she does know how to open the firdge and empty its contents, she came runnin out her basket last week with a yogurt pot thinking she was well clever     ruined about £20- worth of food I had just bought that morning..                        

[Barry Sharpe]

george is a chewer too he is 1 year old and has succesfully chewed through the following.

Kitchin Carpet
Pens, Pencils, and Rubbers
no less than two eye pieces and thier respective caps costing over £200 each!!
socks never the same pair twice
2 frizbies
3 tennis balls
1 leather football which now he owns
plastic bottles ( He Loves these)

The list goes on and we have to be very quick to catch him at it...                    

[KellyP]

I have to say that Millie is a chewer aswell... it kinda gets you to the end of your tether sometimes.

For example, for reasons best known to herself she has decided to become a bindog ... she goes to the bin (bathrrom / bedroom bins not kitchen), picks out a delectable looking piece ... tears it to shreds and then picks out another ... this can include tissues, junk mail, cotton wool, empty shampoo bottles, empty ibuprofen packets ... the list of what "could" be in there is endless - so now she's not allowed upstairs on her own .. and the doors are firmly closed.

When left on her ownshe will destroy almost anything in reach ... today the door to the living wasn't quite closed and I have come home to the destruction of

a dvd case!! (luckily the dvd is ok, but blokey won't be impressed when he gets home  :-  )
my hand cream
nail files (x 3)
post that was on the coffee table
mug coasters
sellotape
plastic casing off a paint brush (please don't ask why it was in the living room   )

apart from anything else, not only will she destroy these things but given half the chance she actually EATS the stuff - the amount of times I have had to prize something out of her mouth is countless

I really sympathise Jen - I thought they were supposed to get better not worse                          

[Anonymous]

plastic casing off a paint brush (please don't ask why it was in the living room   )

just cos I have a rebellious streak..... why was it in the living room??                        

[Karen]

I tried shop spray to stop biting and it had no effect - then I tried smearing a bit of vicks on the cupboard door - Tia hated the smell so much she's never chewed again! Also - wear them out as much as you can more sleep - less chew time! Good Luck!                    

[Karen]

Kelly - just read about your bin dog - I have one too! Blue will get bits out of bathroom bins and just shred them - she does it for attention. We've made the connection that she sneaks off when she thinks we're ignoring her or is jealous of my other dog getting attention! Not found a solution though!!!                    

[PennyB]

Someone I know is wiping everything chewable with teatree oil in the fight against her chewing cocker.