Ok, I Need Some Help ~ Pretty Urgent

So, my Aussie pup is now 7 months old. This dog never once chewed on ANYTHING. Not even when he was teething. Now out of nowhere he is chewing on cords and random things. Im not understanding why all of a sudden his behavior has changed. The other day he pulled stuff into his crate to chew on. NEVER has this dog done anything of the sort. He gets about 6 or so toys and bones while he is in his crate. And I change them every time he goes in. One of my fish tanks is now garbage ($60 down the drain) cause the pump that it comes with is (atleast at the moment) irreplaceable. Im beyond frustrated with him. Nothing has changed and the dog gets a new toy every few days. And sometimes its 2 at a time. He has more toys then I can keep up with. (I work at a petstore) And he is the most stimulated dog that I know of. None of his routines have changed. I just dont get it.

Hi, i have a 7 month old who will pick up random things and chew them, but i have to say he has always done it.

The only thing i can think of is maybe his routine has changed and he is a little bit bored. Sometimes if they are left on there own they get in to things.

Maybe more walks might tire him out or the other thing is a toy called a kong, which you can stuff with food and it takes them ages to get it all out. This may just keep him a bit busier with his stuff rather than yours.

Can't think of anything else but i am sure someone else may be along soon.

My two youngest didn't chew anything either whilst they were young puppies but from about 7 months until they were 15 months anything was fair game, the furniture, walls, skirting boards, anything that couldn't be lifted.

We tried all sorts of things to stop them (short of crating them) and nothing worked so we just had to ride out the storm.

They are fine now

Dogs have an initial teething period, but later a period of the teeth settling into the jaw. This may cause chewing

There are of course, other reasons which may include boredom, stress etc and the other is separation anxiety. This last is usually fairly obvious in that the chewed items are more "attacked" and the dog tends to be upset during the first part of the owner leaving.

It sounds like the teeth are settling into the jaw to me, in the absence of any other info

You give toys - are these specific chew toys eg ingeniously stuffed kongs? Interactive toys such as buster cube and similar may also be useful.

Wys
x

Hi AussieGeek I agree with Wysiwyg, like any other baby human or dog your puppy needs things to chew to help his newly emerged teeth. I good supply of thinks he is allowed to chew will help, large carrots are very good for the teeth. Puppies usually grow out of chewing if it is teething related.

Older dogs tend to chew things as a displacement activity when they are bored, so it is a good idea to make sure they get lots of play/exercise/ mental stimulation, tired dogs are good dogs.

As far as play, mental stimulation, and exercise he gets tons of it. On Saturdays he gets to go to puppy playtime, which is where tons of puppies get to play and interact off lead under supervision from the trainers. On Teusdays he goes to agility class. And he gets walks to the park and gets to play at the park off lead and sometimes with other dogs. He also goes into work with me (not when Im working) but Im in there alot.

Hes not very fond of rubber toys, he does have a couple but has had then since I got him and hasnt ever played with them. He has tons of plush toys and is in LOVE with the squeakers! Also he has a bunch of different bones and a few rope toys to chew on. He likes to get them soggy. I havent gotten the Kong cause he has never shown any interest in rubber toys. When he is in the cage he gets 3 plush toys, 2 bones, a rope toy and I give him a treat (milkbone, marrow bone....) or two.

He chews on things both when Im home and when Im gone. He was to the point that I could leave him out in the house when Im home and still get things done. I dont leave him unattended but; for instance, right now Im typing this and he is out of the cage and is chewing on a bully stick behind me. But here lately I cant hardly turn my head with out him getting into trouble. Im mean I dont want this to sound like hes aweful and goes out looking for things all the time. But cords have always been safe with him.

I didnt realize that the chewing started after the teeth have come in. I think that might be the reason that hes chewing. How long does this usually last???

***sigh***

The 'secondary teething phase' can last a couple of months.
You can try stuffing a kong with 'chappie' and freeaing it before giving it to him, that will feel good on his teeth and gums and the smell will make him want to chew it.
Can't add anthing more to what Mini and Wys have already said.
Hope it all helps! Try not to get frustrated, he can't help it! Best thing to do is give him something he's allowed to chew on that is far more tempting than something he isn't supposed to!!!!

I didn't have a kong at first either, I only bought one to try & slow Hoki's feeding down as she is on a diet, but I must say, it is great at keeping her occupied for about an hour (if its been in the freezer first).

She has never been interested in rubber toys either and still doesn't play with the kong when its empty, but when its got stuff in it, thats a different story and it really gets her jaws/teeth going as she tries to get everything out of it.

If you do decide to get one, there are loads of threads on here about ideas as to what to put in it (but don't forget to reduce his meals or you will end up with a fat pup )

Good luck - hope he grows out of it while you still have a house left

Thanks!! I might go get a kong today and give it a try. Can you leave them in the cage with it???

I don't actually cage my dogs, but I know other people that do & I'm certain that they leave the kongs in.

Good luck - don't forget to check out ideas of what to put in it