I have a 7 month old puppy who likes to chew holes in the carpet and eat the carpet. She will not stop. We have done everything that we know of and nothing works. Please help.
Hi, I have a beagle and she did this as a puppy along with chewing up our coffee tables, the bottom of a sitting chair, the venetian blinds, and wooden chair arms to name just a few of the things she destroyed. The bitter apple spray didn't work, she just chewed on the places where I sprayed more. She only chewed carpet holes in a few spots so we ended up having to cover the spots with stuff she couldn't move or block things off. She eventually grew out of that and is now a well behaved dog so hopefully your dog will grow out of it as well. :)
It looks like you have plenty of suggestions. Here are two ideas. One is to spray apple bitter on the carpet (it tastes so bad they don't want to chew it). The other is to use a watter spray bottle with a direct spray and everytime she chews something she is not supposed to, you spray her and it will startle her. She learns that when she chews the carpet she will get startled. Eventually, she quits. Hope these help.
Ooops! Forgot something. You don't say what breed your dog is but if it's one created to hunt or chase small animals; the dog could just be following its instincts. You can provide a small sandbox in the yard and hide toys in there for the dog to seek. Make sure it's clean sand and a covered box so it stays clean and wandering cats to use the box for other purposes!
Caging a problem will only frustrate the dog more and worsen the problem. You need to provide enough exercise, training time, playtime and affection to tire the dog out. Tired dogs are happy and they sleep. Bored, frustrated dogs are destructive pests.
Walk as fast as you can comfortably go if you aren't in shape enough to jog. Do the runs in the morning and evening after their meals so they'll also go potty (which you should scoop) along the way and be empty for the night when they will sleep like beautiful babes.
Combine training on your long jaunts and you will ensure the dog will obey your commands under any circumstances. It's a win-win.
Dogs also need ample toys to chew. Again, you have to be interactive here. You can use a Kong type toy to distract the dog a little but they're arent a substitute for playing with you.
Dog parks are great for relaxing AFTER you have exercised your dog thoroughly. Good luck.
Above all, get that puppy tired out. Wear him out with so much exercise, he will not have any vices and will be a happy healthy doggie. Half of the things they do are just because they are cooped up!
We have three dogs, one mastiff and two mid-sized (65 pounds each.) All three had the habit of chewing the carpet until we invested $2 or $3 for a small, densely-woven rope toy. We try to keep three on hand, but they still argue over one and always try to sneak out to the yard with them, lol! We also use the "voice" when we catch anyone chomping the carpet - or anything else they shouldn't.
One last thing: our Princess, 18 months old now, knows she has to go into the "dog room" whenever both hubby and I go anywhere. She still begs not to go most times, but Mama's firm and she's learning she can't win with me. It keeps her from shredding our stuff out of pique. To make a long story short, pick any solution or combination that works for you. Best to you!
Our guy Ralphie actually chewed a hole in a wall. Ok.. the wall was thin and under the snack bar, but still. He also began chewing EVERYTHING in sight. We started letting him have paper plates, small boxes, and lots of toys... particularly one called a Kong. These things are great! They come in all kinds of sizes and have a hole through them that you fill with peanut butter, or one of the many flavoured fillings they sell. We also would tell him "No" firmly but not mean.. and say "get a toy" then give him a toy instead. Mere days later, he'd stopped chewing on anything that wasn't meant for him to chew.
I trained my chihuahua from her bad chewing using a little cage. As soon as she was doing something wrong I scolded her and put her in her cage for a while. I also used this method potty training her. I only let her out to eat and go potty, then right back in she would go. Using this method doesnt take them long to learn. ~Janette~
My vet told me that the reason pets chew on carpets, lick the glue off envelopes, and eat plastic bags, etc. is that they are all made from petroleum products & pets like the taste. Apparently it is like candy to them. He said that to get them to stop chewing the carpet, you have to make it taste bad, without making it harmful or smelly. He told me to try putting cedar chips under the carpet (between the under pad and the carpet), it worked for me.
I had a puppy who would chew everything in sight, then a friend suggested it might be because the dog was bored or teething and recommended I gave it old cardboard boxes to chew for its boredom and an old metal frying pan to soothe its gums. Both worked and my dog never chewed anything it shouldn't again.
Crate training is a must for this. Look up crate training on the internet. It is the only way to keep puppy's out of trouble without constantly yelling at them. When they come out, watch them like a hawk, little at a time, and make sure any experience with chewing is met with a canful of coins shaking making a loud noise and a firm no. Let me know how it goes! Racer
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Request: Puppy is Chewing on the Carpet
Archived on 03/09/2009
We have 2 new puppies. Dyson, he's a basset hound and Boo, she's a Basset/Yorkie. Both are about 6 months old now and they keep eating the stair carpet and underlay. Everywhere else is laminated. Has anybody got any tips, the other 3 never did this. Shoes and trainers, yes. Help before my husband runs away!
Ray and Sylvie from England
Answers:
RE: Puppies Chewing on the Carpet
Try spraying the area with vinegar, or put pepper on the carpet, perhaps they will get the idea. If not ask vet for advice. (01/30/2009)
By Pat
RE: Puppies Chewing on the Carpet
It is never to early or late to start crate training. They do not need the run of the house at this point. They are not trying to cause problems they just don't know the ropes yet. Put crate training in the search bar and look up various methods. They can get to where they really like their little houses. Also, fill a can with pennies and tape it shut. It is a good distraction to shake it and get their attention off the chewing. Give them lots of chew toys, and praise them when they are chewing on these. I would crate train and let them out only under supervision. They sound sweet and adorable.
Teach them how to come when called by offering treats when they come. Help them learn to sit down before they get a treat. Hold it up above their nose so they have to look up and then bring it backwards so they (usually) will sit down. Once they learn to look to you as their trainer and learn to love learning, you will be on your way to better communication with them. Crate training just helps you eliminate mistakes by letting them out only under supervision. I would say, let them out every so often during the day if they are not potty trained. This might take just a few hours or days or whatever they need. (02/01/2009)
Bitter apple is a product that you spray on areas where the dog likes to chew that are"no no's". It tastes very bitter and they tend to not chew there anymore. Racer (02/05/2009)
