Chewing problem

I adopted my Dutchess when she was 8 wks old, she is 50% Weimaraner (her mama), 25% Labrador Retriever & 25% Terrier (her daddy). I was going to get a senior dog, but friends told me since I had elder cats, it would be best if I adopted a pup. Since I had always adopted senior dogs before, I never had this problem. So now I am starting from scratch.

This is an odd question but when do dogs get out of their chewing stage? She has nylabones, which she loves to chew, a couple Kong-brand toys. But, she is into gnawing at the woodframe surrounding the kitchen door & my grandmother's table. She doesn't bother with the furniture in the living room or dining room.

Everytime I try to buy her a proper dog bed, she chews it to shreds; I cannot afford to buy a new bed constantly. I have tried a couple different types of "No Scratch" sprayed on the doorframe & table, with no success.

I would hate to have her put in her crate, when I need to clean elsewhere in the house or laundry. She doesn't stay with me, she wonders through the house. Do you feel that her chewing is due to the breeds in her; is it frustration? I have a large fenced in yard. All suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Try using good old vicks vapour rub on the door frame dogs hate the smell of it and won't usually go near it. Some of the good quality vet-bed that is dog chew proof should do the job

Hi

How old is she? has she ever been crated? how much exercise does she get? does the chewing occur when you are out of the house?

Maddie,

thank you for the tip of using vicks vapour rub on the door frame, & I will also have to place the same on my grandmother's table.

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Labradork,

Dutchess just turned 2 yrs on 17 December. Yes she has been crated before. As for exercise, I let her in the fenced yard for 30 minutes in the morning before I leave for work monday through friday; then in the evening we play for an hour. I do not get home until 1800 hours and I am in bed by 2100 hours.

The weekends, we go out & play 4 times a day, for approximately 1 hour each time; from 0600 through 2300. When it is bitter cold outside, she only wants to be outside for approximately 15 minutes & wants back in the house. I try to coax her to play longer, but she prefers the warmth of the house. I can hardly wait for all this snow to melt & Spring to arrive, so we can go on plenty of walks. It is hilly where I live, so I don't like attempting to go up & down the snowy hills.

The chewing seems to be occurring when I am out of her site: yes, when I run to the store, or go up to the small second floor of my home, which is the safe haven for the elder cats; when they have had enough of her, just checking on them, etc.

I used to crate her the first year & a half of her life, whenever I left the house. But, I have been hearing stories of break-ins in the area. So I have been letting her out of the crate just a tad more often. So what am I doing wrong?

Hi Aslanda ~ I see you are in "sunny" PA so I appreciate that it is difficult to go out & about with your dog. But from what you've said, it is possible that Duchess is a bit bored & frustrated with only being in the fenced yard & indoors over winter. You are the only source of fun for her so when you go out or even out of sight, she could be getting worried or frustrated. The chewing is a coping mechanism to help her deal with these emotions.

I take it that Duchess is your only dog so she doesn't have the opportunity to interact with other doggy friends if she's staying in the house & yard during winter? Do you have friends/neighbours nearby with dogs that would be able to come round & play with Duchess or whom Duchess could visit. Or maybe just short walks nearby with other dogs?

When you say that you take her out into the yard to play, what exactly do you do with her? Throw a ball, play with toys? There is lots you can do to mentally & physically stimulate your dog without necessarily going for long walks every day. Do you know about clicker training? This can be a great way to provide a very positive mental stimulation that both you & Duchess would find very rewarding. What about building a small agility course in your yard & teaching Duchess to go over jumps, through a hoop, walk across a plank etc?

Does Duchess still spend a lot of time in her crate? Is the crate still there & available to her if she chooses to go in? Do you leave it open so she can choose whether to go in or not? If it is still available, does she choose to sleep in it? Sometimes dogs see the crate as a safe haven, somewhere to relax & sleep, sometimes they see it a prison, somewhere they are shut away & prevented from being with people, or smells, or just having the freedom of choice removed.

Whilst it is obviously sensible to use Vick vapour rub or whatever, to try to prevent the chewing, this is only treating the symptoms of the problem & not really addressing the underlying causes.

You need to combine careful supervision when you are around with crating the dog when you can't watch it. When you are around you need to keep a close eye on the dog. Use closed doors or gates to keep it in the same room as you are, and perhaps as I do, a short chain fastened to the computer desk. If you catch it in the act, give it a sharp ''Ah, ah, ah!'' and take it out. When you can't watch it, crate it.

Other dogs may not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work. Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding time for more than one dog.

We have had at least one young Lab in the house most of the time since 1991. No way would out house still be standing without using a crate even if many here don't like them.

This is a young dog being left alone all day with only a short play - no walks, no company for 22 hours out of 24, no real exercise. I`d be more surprised if she wasn`t chewing. Can you not get a dog walker?

Hi Aslanda,

The short answer is basically...she is bored! she is a mix of some very intelligent breeds. Weims especially are prone to separation anxiety and are VERY high energy. She needs more of an outlet for her energy (just playing isn't giving her any mental stimulation) and preferably not to be left alone for so long. I'm guessing you are gone for 9 hours or so (please correct me if I am wrong) each working day? then add to the fact that you are probably sleeping for at least 6-7 hours or so (again, correct me if I am wrong!)? unfortunately that is a very long time for a dog of her mix to spend doing nothing. A real couch potato breed, such as a Greyhound, would likely be fine with that routine, but a dog that is mostly Weim and Lab? not so likely.

Have you looked into doggy day care for her? if walking really isn't an option, that might be worth considering.

I understand that weather can be an issue on your side of the pond when it comes to walking (something us Brits can't really imagine as we don't generally get extremes of weather) but it would be really beneficial to her. Playing is brilliant, but it isn't a substitute for a walk. Getting her a coat to wear would help as due to her Weim genes, I'm guessing she has a fine/thin coat.

Labman shutting this members dog in an enclosed crate for long periods of time or chaining it to furniture is not the answer for a dog which may already be bored and under stimulated.

People here have no objection to crates being used in moderation but not the way you advocate they should be used.

In many of your previous posts you suggest leaving puppies from 7 weeks of age for 16+ hours a day in an enclosed crate on wire mesh without water or bedding.
You are supposedly training 'guide dogs' , those training guide dogs in this county don't treat puppies the way you do.
I would like to point out the methods you suggest regarding crates are contrary to the recommendation made by the APDT and The Guide dogs for the Blind Association.


Aslanda you have had some excellent advice from most of the members here, I would avoid suggestions like those mentioned above which may result in your dog developing further behavioural problems.

Hi Wilbar,

Yes, Dutchess is my nly dog, she has no other dogs to interact with. And the elder cats try to stay out of her reach. I do have friends with dogs, but, none of my friends know how their dogs would react to my dog in the yard & vice versa.

Karen & her family have a Flat Coated Retriever/Collie mix who is 6 yrs old.
Candi & her family have an Alaskan Malamute & a Labrador Retriever, both 1 yr old, raised together.
Vicki has a Jack Russell Terrier & a Chihuahua, they are both about 5 yrs.
Debra has a Pekingese, 3 yrs & a Jack Russell Terrier, 2 yrs.
Bernie & his family have a Rottweiler, Silky Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier & 2 other breeds I can't think of now.

I can hardly wait for the snow to melt so we can go on walks again!!

When I take her out in the yard to play, in the winter time, I throw her Kong balls or tennis balls in the snow, to the far end of the yard. She runs after them, digs them out of the snow. Sometimes, she will look at me as to ask 'where is the ball' & I try to direct her with my hands. The snow in the yard is 25" deep now. But I did make a walk around track along the fence & house. The track is 2.5 feet wide & the length of fencing is 50 feet & 25 feet wide. Dutchess loves zooming around this track.

In the summer months when we are not on walks, she loves chasing & catching frisbees & balls. I am hoping to purchase a pool for her to jump in & cool off this summer. An agility course sounds like fun! I will have to begin searching online as to where to purchase a couple of these. The crate door is always open, sometimes she sleeps in it & other times in one of the rooms.