Puppy Forum and Dog Forums banner

Dog chewing bed

465 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  DaySleepers
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?
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Status
Not open for further replies.
1 - 1 of 4 Posts
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!
See less See more
1 - 1 of 4 Posts
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top