[Wilsoll09]

Hi! My dog is chewing through her beds and I’m not sure what to do. She is a 10 month old lab, we have a large crate for her. She stays in her crate when we are at work and at night. But lately she has started chewing her beds. She has went through 2 in the past few days and im getting really frustrated.
Any tips on what to do? Should I try bitter spray? And if so, what kind do you recommend?
Also, I’d like to be able to not have to have her in a crate. My other dogs do fine with no crate, should I just leave her out one day when im at work and see how she does?

 

[LeoRose]

My GSD didn't get a bed of any kind in her crate until she was almost six, because she would either potty on them, chew them, or both.

I strongly advise that you not just leave her loose for a whole day to see what happens. Work you way up to it. Leave her loose for a short time, maybe ten minutes of so. If she does okay, with that, you can start leaving her alone for longer, in maybe ten to twenty minute increments. Using a gate to keep her confinced to one or two roomes would be a good idea, as well, to contain any possible destruction.

 

[Lillith]

If she chews the bed, take the bed away. She'll be fine with a bare crate. There are other beds that claim to be "chew proof" but I guess I've never wanted to drop that enormous chunk of cash to find out if their claims are true.

Labs are notorious chewers, and many can't be trusted to be free in the house until well into adulthood, if ever. I would not let her free in my house unsupervised until she can be trusted to not chew up the bed in her crate, first.

 

[DaySleepers]

Agree with the others. With unsupervised bed destroying, the best option is usually just removing the bed. On top of the financial drain of needing to replace the beds, there's always the risk the dog may swallow some fabric or stuffing and wind up in the emergency vet's office with a nasty intestinal blockage. Fleece blankets or similar (anything that won't tear into strings or strips that a dog can eat or get tangled in) can be an alternative to a proper bed if you feel she needs something, since they tend to be less fun to rip up but still provide a bit of warmth and cushioning. Most dogs do fine in a bare crate, though.

I also agree it's best to start small with allowing her freedom in the house. A quick errand or even run to the mailbox and back instead of a whole work day - this way if she does misbehave the damage will be minimized. I also suggest blocking her access to the other dogs still while you experiment with giving her more freedom, eg. with baby gates, especially if she's inclined to pester them for play/attention when they're not interested (as many adolescent pups are). It can be hard to predict how those kinds of doggy social dynamics will play out without your presence, and it can be easier to introduce one new element (more freedom) at a time. Of course you know your dogs and their relationships best, but I figured it's worth mentioning!