Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Does anyone have an idea for a dog bed pad for a dog that really likes to chew? I've been using an old quilt that I have to sew back up almost every day. I've also used old packing blankets that he just chews to shreds.
By leese from OR
Would something like this work? www.columbusdogconnection.com/
Kong makes a dog bed that our shepherd didn't destroy and he does everything else. Another thing is to get some carpet scraps, they are a bit heavier. If your dog is outdoors, you can try using straw. Not hay as it will get moldy.
I love the beds that Jilson posted! I've been wanting to make my dog one of those. Thanks. My dog always chewed all his bedding until I sprayed it with the ComfortZone spray.
Does he have plenty of chew toys so he won't feel the need to chew his bed? I found that the "nylabone" dog bones worked well for our dog. They are more expensive than the rawhide bones, but last much longer and are safer as they cannot be ingested like the rawhide bones. I only mention this because our dog got very sick from eating a rawhide bone. Hope this helps.
We had to keep a dachshund dog in a metal crate due to an injury. The vet said that dogs like the crates as it feels like a den to them. You could use newspaper to line it.
P.S. The cat used to like to sleep in it when there was no dog in it.
A litle more about the dog. He's a 1-1/2 year old boxer and already sleeps in a crate with his brother, a 5 year old wire-haired terrier, and his kong. They sleep on the U-Haul blanket, and we throw his sleeping blanket on top of the two of them when they go to bed.
My 10-month-old female Dachshund loves to chew on shoes (other things, too, but mostly shoes). We have changed our habits by ensuring that our shoes are out of reach, but it's difficult to communicate this importance to guests who visit for extended periods.
I think something that would go a long way toward training her would be to limit her "approved" chew toys list. Personally, I would like to have one (maybe two) unique toys that she knows are OK to chew on. My husband, however, seems to think she needs "stimulation," so just about every week, he brings in one or two new squeaky, bouncy, chewy things for her to play with - to the point that now we have about 15 or 20 toys (that haven't already been destroyed) to choose from.
I think this is confusing to her, giving her too many options. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? (Note: We do have a 14-month-old male companion Doxie, too. He's been "shoe-chew-free" for about 10 months now.)
Evie
I agree with you. I used to work for a veterinarian and we always told people that their puppies should have only a few toys and if you give them too many it gets confusing and they think they can chew on everything. And definitely don't give them any old shoes to chew on!
We have a one year old JackRussell very GOOD girl..then we have 6 month old Yorkie (PITB/Pain in the Butt) who we LOVE and Yorkie ate my hubbys
My two longhaired dachshunds, Molly and Doodad, will chew for hours on those chew hooves (icky and stinky, but oh well!) and rope 'bones' with two large knots. They can destroy other toys in two minutes flat. Maybe you could try these and keep them occupied and away from the shoes. Worth a try.
That's not to many toys at all. What you should do tho, is only put a few out at a time and rotate them each week so there is always 'new' and 'intresting' toys they can play with and don't get bored and go looking for other things to chew on.
Invest in a kong for each dog as well then, stuff them each day with kibble and peanut butter or something else they like and it'll keep them busy.
Or invest in a feed/treat ball. It's a small ball you place kibble in and each time the dog pushes it with it's nose or paw it drops a few pieces of kibble. It'll keep your dog busy, make him eat slower and get him moving.
Best of Luck,
Cinthia
Well most dogs luv to play with rugs and all shorts of soft material. So... I usually just take toys they never use and tie them together or connect them some how (matters what toys) the dogs luv them and they mainly dont get tired of playing with them most dogs just like the toys cause of all the varieties of the toys connected. its easy and saves A LOT of money!
I understand that the dog chews on shoes, but it's still a pup. You have to work with them often, and if you catch them with a shoe, give them a stern 'No!'. They will soon understand, and if they are 'Shoe-free' for a day or two, give them a treat, such as a raw-hide.
My dog has everything a dog can have, even more; she lives better than many Americans in this hard economic situation. My dog needs attention and love I guess every second because if not she destroys things. Every time she is left home alone when I go to pick up my son from school (just for 30 minutes), she destroys my son's bed, sheets, and pillows.
I'm scared she can hurt my two kids. I have a 13 month old baby that my dog does not like too much. Please help, I'm thinking seriously of taking her to a shelter. BTW my dog has a bed inside our home, she eats, drinks, and stays inside, because if not she gets upset, we also walk her.
By Cio R.
You need to be trained to be the master not your dog. Run to your phone call your Vet or anyone in the know for the name of a superior dog trainer. Don't wait for your kids sake. Do not turn it in...it is just a dog testing you.
This should have been done the 1st time the dog acted up. It is a Dog. Treat it humanely but do treat it as the lowest member in your family pack. Your children must respect it accordingly.
Your family with will thankful. Critter Owner
You need to talk to your vet and a dog trainer. If money is an issue, the trainers at PetSmart will give a free consult. Tearing blankets when you're not home on it's own sounds like it could be separation anxiety. Tearing blankets is a comforting technique. That's just what my dog would do when we first brought him home, destroy everything when he was alone; he was an angel when someone was home.
I was able to work with my vet and a trainer to come up with a plan to adjust him to his new home and trusting that we would come home (his previous owner was hauled off by ambulance never to return and Mason was traumatized). Once we got him adjusted to his new family, he was fine.
However if you're also having issues with your dog getting upset when you are home and not liking your children, you have bigger behavior issues. You need to talk to a trainer and vet before your dog hurts your children. I would normally recommend doing anything possible before taking a dog to the shelter, but you have small children and their safety HAS to come first.
The shelter in my area does offer some behavior training and consultation services. You might want to see if yours offers the same services. A consultation with a trainer will tell you if it's safe to keep your dog in your home, we can't tell you that over the internet.
Why is my dog chewing up everything when left home?
By Djsam from Azusa, CA
It's a dog anxiety some pets go through when left alone. Put the dog into a confined area; a large cage or in a room and give it lots of things that can be chewed on. Turning on the radio or tv while away might help a little as there will be voices around. We play a "classical music" station on the radio for our dogs as it has a calmimg/relaxing effect. My daughter noticed this change in them after we left the house and she saw how they reacted to the soothing music. My husband plays it for the dogs when I leave the house and he noticed they become relaxed enough to to go sleep for awhile. This just might be a short term effect that won't last for an 8 hr. work shift, but when you leave for grocery shopping, church, etc., it has proved helpful.
It definitely sounds like separation anxiety. Here are a couple of links with great ideas to try:
www.wagntrain.com/
www.metpet.com/
Putting a dog with separation anxiety in a confined place such as a kennel is not recommended.
I agree it is separation anxiety. I am no expert on this situation, but having had many dogs, I know that they need regular exercise several times a day, they love a schedule so they know what to expect and when to expect it. If they have a good schedule, usually you can spend some few hours away from home and not have so much anxiety. But check with your vet. Good luck.
Our 1 year old Lab has a bad habit that he started about 3 months ago. Whenever we leave him to himself he would bite the window sill. Sometimes it happens when we are home too. Usually there is at least 1 person home, but that person doesn't pay attention to our dog, so our dog would go to the window and start to chew on it.
For the past three months it has been bite, fix, bite, fix, bite, fix... We started to wonder if we aren't fit to have a dog. We are deciding to find a better home for him, but I'm trying to hold on to the last bit of hope. I really want him to say with us, but I'm probably being selfish. He might have a better life with a better family. Please help. Thanks.
I have a 1 year old Jack Russell. He chews glasses and through electronic wires. We've bought him chew toys. The problem is we have 2 other dogs that play with the toys.
I don't know what to do, my family is ready to send him to the pound. I don't want this to happen I love this dog, but I'm frustrated.Our great Dane is 7 months. She stays outside during the day in a wooden kennel. She goes in the garden and chews our sprinkler pipes. How can we make her stop? We tried to close it up with a fence about a meter high. She still goes through.
By Wanda from Worcester
My 3 year old Yorkie chews his bed and blankets. He does not do this when left in the house alone, but will start when I return home, especially if I am on the phone.
By Mary J
I have a two year old male Pit Bull that chews on my furniture. I had bought a large cage to keep him in all day while I was at work. Then I had felt sorry for him and kept him out during the day while at work, leaving a radio on in one room and a TV in another room. He was fine for a while, but then reverted back to his destructive pattern. Then I would put him back in the cage again, then felt sorry for him, kept him out, then same pattern started all over again.
I purposely have kept one piece of furniture in the house that he keeps destroying, but when I came back home today it was destroyed and I have to throw it out. Honestly I am over it! I can not take this anymore and I am torn about giving him up. Are there any meds I can give him during the day while I am out to keep him chilled and calm? Maybe I need to take some meds to deal with this!By C.V.W.
Our Pit is chewing everything. Where do we get Kong products; at what pet store?
By Reginald D from Detroit, MI
I have a German Shepherd that is 6 months old and I have flowers that he ate, solar lights that he chewed up, and rocks and wood everything he sees! So then today he ate my patio screen sliding door, the net.
I don't know what to do. So I give him a little smack on the nose everytime he does anything bad. Is that dangerous?I have a Dachshund Chihuahua Pug mix puppy with chewing and issues of running off when let out or getting out of the house without a leash. How can I get her to stop these bad behaviors?
I have a 6 year old female Staffy that has only just started to chew. She has decided to start chewing through the plaster wall in my house.
I have no idea why and nothing has changed around the house. She has never chewed before.ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I have a red nosed pit bull and she is about 9 months old. She was chewing on everything when we first got her so we used a crate. We slowly left her out for an hour at a time, and then all day.
I have a black Lab and Pit Bull mix. I can't figure out how to stop her from eating up my house when I am gone.
I got a dog for Christmas from my ex boyfriend and I love it a lot. It's so cute, but my parents want to get rid of it because he chews up everything. What can I do to make him stop chewing on stuff?
