Hi ,
I wanted to know how you can stop puppys from biting thing , carpet, chairs wallpaper. lady is 1 year old and a mixed breed ,i dont know the mix, But i need to stop her as she is breaking the house up little by little. i have no bottom stair carpet no wallpaper. Please help.

Not all that usual to have a yearling with this problem. Step one ask the vet to give her a checkover, if she is ok we need to find out why. Is she a collie X if so it may be she needs more to do, this could apply to other breeds as well. You are on the spot so it will have to be you who looks to see what you think is causing this chewing if it is not a health problem.
Jackie

Hi Jackie.
I have had her checked out, she is fine, the vet thinks she is mixed with rotty and lab. she has lots of love ,lots & lots of toys, I have a 11 year old that is always playing with her. I dont know what to do.

Hi - has she just started doing this, or was she always a chewer - has anything changed in her world? changed food ,anything like that? Things we don't often think twice about can have a dramatic effect on our dogs? julie:)

Hi ,
No i cant think of anything, Her food is the same, The only thing i can think of is my mother was down a few weeks ago and she always makes a big fuss over lady. she stays with me for around two weeks. we all work , but we do all different hours, lady is only left on her own for 2 hours a day. so she might have got used to my mother pampering her , then she wasnt there. also she is due to come on heat end of november. She has always chewed things. But never this bad i have no bottom carpet on my stairs or wallpaper.

why not confine her somewhere where she can do no damage whilst she is unsupervised..a utility room/boiler room etc?

Even a Crate might help :)

I think confining her in some way is a good management suggestion, also have you taught her to chew Kongs etc, stuffed with hard-to-get treats?

I suspect this is a phase but at the same time it is hard on your purse strings! :D

LIndsay

Think a crate would be good if you are not in but if she does it when you are there you will have to point out your not happy about it. She should by now know when she has displeased you. Or does it get worse it you do.
Ja:)kie

After thought has she had a season yet?

If you really don't want her to continue the destructive behavior, you might want to think about investing in a product called "bitter apple." It's a taste deterrent and training aid for dogs. It's not toxic in any way but dogs HATE the taste of it and will stay clear of anything that smells like it. Works wonders with me dog. I spray it on electrical cords, shoes, hands, clothes, socks, rugs, doors, anywhere that is a lethal threat to him or that i just dont want him destroying. It works wonders.

You can either spray everything that you don't want him to bite or you can wait until the dog displays interest in the object, chastise by saying "no bite!" and then spray the object. That's what i do, that way after the scent is gone, he knows that biting the object or area is forbidden and unacceptable.

Good luck!

Rob

Bitter Apple is very good - i had to send away for mine though.

Other similar sprays are available, but I find they are disgusting to ME LOL, as when you spray the "fumes" tend to get into your nose and throat and you end up tasting them for hours. This doesn't seem to happen with the BA.

Lindsay

Sounds very normal to me - around this age a dogs teeth will start to 'settle' into the gums - causing a second bout of chewing just when you thought all the teething was done - distract her from doing it with a nicee chewy toy (Kongs are great :-)) and treat the chewy surfaces with something like the Bitter Apple or even a cheap purfume...

HTH

If you can't find any Bitter Apple near you I have a homeade version that works just as well:

Materials: Spray bottle or water gun

Ingredients: Tobascco sauce and water

Directions: Mix one part tobasco sauce and one part water in the spray bottle or water gun.

There you go, your done! This mixture should do the trick. It doesn't give off any harmful or putrid fumes or scent. However, once your pup has tasted it for the first time, it will make SURE it avoids ANYTHING that possesses the undesirable scent.

Hi Lindsay
Where did you send off for bitter apple? I have an 11 week pup.And a 3 week new pine table which she has taken a fancy to chewing.
Thanks linda

Well when we were kids- my Dad had a GSD that was like this and tried everything- mustard, chilli etc but the dog loved it and ate and chewed even more:D Obviously though good luck with yours:) Personally I have a wall chewer with my GSD:o Not the edges either- front incissors used- she's nibbled all the artex off the bottom of the utility room- I didn't like it anyway- thought about getting it skimmed over before I got her- maybe I ought to give her a pair of ladders:rolleyes: :D :D :D

Stacey x x x

Also another story related to carpet chewing- my friends Boxer- they had to pull the carpet threads out of it's backside:o As when it went to the loo- the dog only half passed them:o

Stacey x x x

Hehe - had similar problem with my older dog (rescue) when we first got him. He got into my sewing box and ate lots of bits. Had to pull cotton out of his backside. He also deposited the children's name tags all round the field :) :) One way of making sure that we poop scooped :)

Daisy

Well there is that:) See he probably didn't want you fined for leaving it:D Either that or he wanted to make sure you knew which ones were his:) Good job none of the kids friends ever saw it though:D :D :D :D :D

Stacey x x x

Hi Linda , bitter apple - I have seen some on the http://www.vet-medic.com site it costs £5.44 for 236ml code is BITT1 hope this helps julie:)

HI Linda, sorry not to have replied to your request for Bitter Apple, I didn't see your post early enough.

I see Muddydogs has found it anyway :)

Lindsay

Hi Sam,
Yes i have stated putting her in the outer house , with all her toys , bed ,food and drink. I leave her with the kitchen to run around in. she hasnt done any more damage, And when we all are in she is allowed to run everywhere , But the upstairs she is not allowed at all. i would like to know what kong is and where to buy this from?

Hi Lady ....this is a link to show you what a kong is HERE

You can get them at most petshops and larger pet outlets

HTH

Melody

Hi,
Thankyou i did go out and buy a kong, today is the first day with it so lets hope. also i went to the butchers and got a big tasty bone, That should keep her going for a while.

my bullmastiff has never chewed i make sure he has plenty of raw bones to chew on and has his own room so i feel that what others are saying about a crate would be a good idea

Hi,
I do give her raw bones, But she eats them so fast and never leaves anything. I buy her alot of toys ,But she bites them to pieces.Even balls she damages.even her collar, Nothing passes her by without biting and damaging it.

We get bones for Hudson from the local butcher and they are HUGE (the bones , not the butchers) ..he is a Malamute and can eat most things , but these bones keep him occupied for hours ...in fact I can still see a couple in the garden ;)

Ask your butcher for LARGE bones and he should give you some suitable for chewing rather than just eating

HTH

Melody

Melody
while your here!!
how long does a bone last Hudson ?
does he get fed up with them ? and want a fresh one ?
Just nosey ( still worry about the bone thing )
Ta
Liz

The bones last until we get too grossed out with the state of them and chuck 'em :D He never gets fed up of them , nope.....he seems to prefer them when they are stinky and manky or when they are really fresh....

Fresh ones allow him to pick gristle and *stuff* off them ....old ones mean he can just chew :)

Melody

Once the bones have lost their intense interest, I call them dead bones! :D

My dead bones go to my friend who has 10 dogs, as she can safely give them to her crew without fights breaking out, which they would with fresh ones. the exchange of germs seems not to bother them LOL :D