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HELP! New puppy chews into everything...including MY WRITING TIME!!!
I've blogged about it so for the full story go here...
http://colburysnewcrimefiction.blogspot.com/2010/03/bought-kids-dog-hes-chewing-into.html
Depending on your nature, some of you (like LeeH) will LOL n others (like Bored Robots) will offer advice... sarcasm, wit n sensible solutions are all welcome!!!
Ps. There's a photo of 'RILEY' on the above link as am not sure how to upload it onto here.
Comments
http://img.skitch.com/20100305-grgfqxkkqqhsdrg7mqswq3imw3.jpg
How old is he? Mine's 10 weeks...
Okay Col have you tried limiting the areas Riley can access? Tell the kids to keep their doors shut and not leave things lying around- will hopefully reduce the chewing problem.
Invest in a stair gate- don't know if you can still get the moveable ones rather than fixed But it will keep him out of certain areas for a while.
When he does chew something he needs to know he has done wrong.
At the moment it sounds like Riley is in charge, you are top dog so ensure he knows it.
And a dog obedience class will be useful very soon...
And a chew toy, something that he likes.
Mine isn't interested in treats, only just before a meal so I've been training her with raw mince from her meal just before I feed her.
She loves loo rolls and kitchen rolls to tear apart as well. I went round the house and took everything off the floor and covered all the cables before she arrived. She still got hold of my model tiger from my desk (it must have fallen off) so that is now without an ear. But that's all she's managed in the ay of destruction and she's terribly chewy.
Plus a pen, best money spent, she goes in that when I really can't watch her... mealtimes etc, cooking that sort of thing. Leave chew toys in and shut the door with dog outside, he'll clamour to go in, put other treats in with door open till he loves going in, then shut door for 30 secs and build up, and then he'll like it as a den and go there to get away from stuff AND you can use it as relief for you.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article7045752.ece
Build a kennel out the back and put 'em outside.
Many thanks for all your detailed advice n suggestions.
Liz - cheers for the photo!
Today has been better... so far!!!
;)
LOL
Also, don't you reckon he looks like Santa's Little Helper from the Simpsons?
http://www.blueonblackdogs.com/images/dogs/santas_little_helper.jpg
Just a thought - if the woman you got him from had recently had a baby, maybe Riley was feeling pushed out and got a lot of attention when he chewed stuff up (even it is was bad).
I have a jack russell, and she went through the chewing stage, but soon got over it once her teeth had sorted themselves out. She still likes a good chew now, but sticks to her toys.
We dealt with it by removing stuff to chew (ie kids put their stuff away), and found a spray that she didnt like the smell of (from the petshop) for the furniture.
pp x
We are biting the bullet and getting another puppy (we did think better of it after hearing my daughter was expecting) but are going to see a jack russell x paterdale tomorrow. Back to the chewing stage again...
So how is the dog chewing now Col?
;)
The Kong toy is a Godsend!
She met the owners of his sister one time who asked her if he thieved as well as his sister Daisy did. Apparently the husband sat down with his steak in front of the TV one night, Daisy walked past and gently lifted the steak off the plate and ate it...
Our first dog, Bonnie, liked strawberries. We grew a few plants in the garden, and you'd see that a strawberry was ripening up, but just as it was perfect for picking it would disappear- the stem nipped off.
One day we caught him, when he turned round he was hiding the strawberry in his mouth, expecting to creep away out of sight to eat it.
Couldn't leave a cup of milky coffee within his reach or he'd drink that too.
Getting there, but it's been harder than I anticipated.
I do appreciate all the advice - thanks.
Our main problem is we aren't supposed to do much exercise till she's a year old. In fact only 5 minutes for each month of her life - friends with a labrador were told the same. It's because if they are over-exercised the hip joint (ball and socket) becomes loose... the ball wears away at the soft puppy bone and is always left just a tad loose. As the ligaments and muscles become less able to hold it in place in later life the dog suffers from hip displacement. This can be an inherited condition anyway (but neither of Lola's parents or back relations have had it) but it is a weakness of her breed....and of labs and some other dogs. so by limiting their exercise, especially on hard surfaces, you are saving them from pain in later (and not much later in some cases) life and you from a lot of worry.
The BIG problem comes when you have a dog with a lot of energy.. if we let Lola off the lead she will race like a little engine from one end of a field to the other, certainly doing twenty mins of exercise just in one run! Friends with a collie said if they had limited him their house would have been destroyed. So it's a hard choice!
Cheers for all that info though, Liz.
Mine is exercised on grass so that should help re' the hip issues - he loves football! And not just playing it, but also eating it!!!
;)