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2K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Shell 
#1 ·
Alright, I am a first-time independent dog owner. In my family I've owned several different dogs over my life [Rot/lab mix, rhodesian ridgeback/boxer] & have never had issues with housebreaking a dog or dealing with chewing. Now that I have a dog all on my own, I'm experiencing everything. Chewing has to be the absolute worst habit and I have no idea how to break her. Isis is, overall, a fantastic dog. She is smart and learns very quickly what she can or cannot do. She doesn't push boundaries much and is very obedient. I rarely have to raise my voice to get my point across. Instead of going on a big spiel I'll just break it down like this:
I work anywhere from 4-8hrs and she's left alone for that time frame. I realize she is acting out because I've left her and/or she's bored. She has a plethora of ball toys which she loves, but if I'm absent it's anything-goes. This morning made the third morning I've woken up and she has chewed on the arm of the chair she sleeps in - this is what baffles me most. People tell me rawhide bones are a sure-fire way to go, but I'm leery of her choking [which I why I'd rather be present when she enjoys them than leave her to it]. I can't exactly rub hot sauce on everything in the house, even though on a small scale this does work. I bought her a good sized crate & left a plastic bowl for some water to come home & find she either drank or spilled all the water & chewed up the bowl. I love her to pieces but how on EARTH can I stop this horrid habit?!

One last thing: her age is something I'm not 100% on. When I rescued her, the shelter told me she was 1yo. Her chewing & other behavior leads me to believe she's not quite there.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Have you investigated puzzle toys for the dog? I've not looked at them for mine because at the moment the frozen stuffed kong is enough, but some owners have shown dog toys that require the dog to move levers and parts to get the treat out. Also crating is probably a must at this point or at least confine her to a room where she can't chew anything. Also if you can get up earlier and tire the dog out so she'll sleep while you're at work would help too.

You can easily google "dog puzzle toys" and see lots of suggestions.
 
#3 ·
She probably is 1. A lot of dogs are chewing terrors until age 2, and some dogs never stop. My old dog chewed everything, destroyed furniture, ate baseboards, etc., until age 2.

Is she free roaming while you're at work? If so, that needs to end. You need to confine her, in a crate, in an ex pen, or in a room with nothing in it, not even furniture. Chewing problems are mostly about management. A dog can't chew what they can't get to, so get everything movable out of her reach and then confine her when you're not around.

When you are with her, make that time stimulating. Lots of exercise, positive obedience training, puzzle toys, play. Feed her from toys like a buster cube, kong or tug a jug instead of from a bowl. Frozen stuffed kongs are fantastic for a chewing dog, and safe to leave her alone with. DO NOT use rawhide. Dogs can't digest rawhide, so if she swallows a big chunk, she could end up with a bowel obstruction.

Antlers and bully sticks are also good options for a chewer. You can get them online fairly cheap.

ETA: When she's chewing on something she should, praise her, even give her a great treat. If you catch her chewing on something "bad", simply replace it with a good thing and then praise her.
 
#4 ·
Agreed with all of the above.
My own dog is not a chewer at all. My fosters have been major chewers. I crate them without any bowls during the workday with a nylabone or a extra-tough black Kong only. I actually have a "dog safe" room, empty of nearly everything but an old couch, which works great for light chewers or dogs that may only get into trouble with some objects (like shoes are a big one for many dogs) but the really chew crazy dogs will eat the door frame, the wood moulding, the bottom of a door or even the dryway.

Lots of exercise helps, but won't completely solve the chewing thing on its own. I could take my previous foster for an hour run and as soon as she cooled down, she would chew IF left alone (meaning, I left the house or she thought I had). With enough exercise, she was fine to be loose at night and while I was home, even if in another room.

They make metal bowls that attach to the side of a crate if you want to be able to provide water during the day. You can also try the rabbit-style water bottles where the dog licks the end of the spout to get water. I don't give water during the day in the crate as I make sure that the dog has at least 1/2 cup of water in the AM (dry dog food has 1/2 cup of warm water poured over it), hasn't had a hard workout in the AM, the room has A/C and the dog has free access to water all evening and night.
 
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