Help with chewing issue?

KateandZeus

Hi folks,

I'm really hoping that someone will have some clues as to how I can stop this.

I have a 13 month old Doberman/Boxer/Springer cross and he's adorable, I got him when he was very very young (too young really) at just five weeks old, he came from a litter of ten and the Mum turned her back on all ten puppies when they were three weeks old, she lost all interest in them and started getting short tempered with the pups when they tried to feed.
I didn't plan on bringing Zeus home the day I went to view him but after spending time with the pups and the mother, then speaking to the breeder, we decided that I could give him everything at home that the breeder was.
It wasn't a decision that either of us took lightly and only came about after a lot of talking and questions being asked, both by myself and the breeder.

He was toilet trained and asking to go out by the time he was seven weeks old, he had all the basic commands - sit, stay, lie down, leave etc - by the time he was nine weeks old.

He chewed one skirting board when he was about four months old but has never chewed anything else.........Until about a month ago.

He has now chewed the corner off my leather sofa (I was not happy about that!) the carpet, the curtains over the patio door and numerous footballs/toys etc

I don't mind him chewing the footballs/toys because that's what they're there for, I do want him to learn the difference between what he can and can't chew though!

Nothing has altered in his life apart from a house move four months ago, he doesn't get left for any longer than he always has been, he's kept in the same environment when he is left, he still has the same amount of toys when left and is never left for longer than nine hours.....Ever! (Seeing as that's a similar amount of time that he's kept separate from us at night when we're sleeping then I think it's a reasonable amount of time while I'm at work)
His health is very good, his teeth are extremely good and he's a very happy dog.

What I'm after is some advice on what could be causing the chewing so that I can then work on stopping it.

I've never been one for using a dog crate but I have just bought one to try him with as my partner is getting to the stage where Zeus either stops chewing or he goes, and I really don't want to get rid of him, he's one of the family now!

Has anyone got any tips for using the crate?

Can you tell me about your experiences with crate usage, good and bad please?

Any other tips that I just haven't thought of?

Thank you

verarenczi

A crate is going to solve a lot of your problems. Here's some tips in this thread When your dog just WONT have the crate (APARTMENT LIVING)

Also I'd be providing a ton of chew items. I personally like compressed rawhide for my Lab, as it has been the longest lasting for him but it does give them some gnarly gas!

Kongs are wonderful, too!

verarenczi

Here's a good thread discussing all your options on what to put in your Kong: What do you put in your Kongs?

Mikey

Unless you've observed some signs of 'seperation anxiety' in him when you leave (ie. shaking, peeing, yawning-extreme stress really...and I'm assuming the chewing happens when your gone?) I'd just say he's bored.

Crating will of course stop it-but you'll want to entertrain him in a crate (kong, other SAFE toys)

But also think: there is nothing inherently and intuitively different to HIM from the couch and his toys, or the curtains and his toys right?

The differences are obvious to us, but dogs don't have a 'my people sit on that so I don't eat it, this is on the ground and it squeaks so I do' built in.

So I would really work on reinforcing for chewing appropriate items (Kongs allow self reinfocement-they get a treat for chewing on it) "good good boy" etc etc.

If it's possible to catch him chewing (or even nosing around) the items he's not allowed -like curtain or couch etc-take him right to his toy and praise him for chewing it.

Make sure (And you sound really responsible and well versed in dog care so I'm sure you wouldn't) you do not punish for chewing inappropriate items-especially after the fact, that's confusing.

Crio (another moderator on here) is really great with training advice and will probably have a bunch of wonderful advice for you too.

Welcome BTW!

KateandZeus

Excellent, thanks guys

verarenczi, I had a look through that first thread earlier and will sit and read the second you posted in a minute - thanks!

Mikey, no big issues with separation, he used to cry when we left the house but now he doesn't make a sound (unless he can see us ie. if he's in the lounge and we're in the garden)
You're right, he only ever chews the things he shouldn't when we're not here!
I have thought of boredom, I've rotated his toys so he has different ones, left the radio on for him and even sometimes the tv (he moans if there's no bike racing to watch though ) He still carries on chewing though

You're right again, there isn't anything that screams out in dog that the sofa etc aren't for him, is there anything on the market that would help reinforce the differences?

Zeus only ever gets told off for something immediately after the fact, although he seems to know that he's done wrong when he chews because I'll come in from work, go into the lounge and he'll straight away be very submissive and cowed. If he hasn't chewed then he's as normal and eager to come and see me and get petted.

He never gets told off by being hit, maybe a very rare tap on the nose but never a "beating" I don't believe in it and can't stand that sort of behaviour towards animals, if you haven't got the patience to teach them the proper way then you shouldn't have them in the first place!

I can't wait for Crio to see this thread then lol

I'm quite eager to try the crate training to be honest, it's not a training method I've used before and have never thought about using a crate before now.
I've had mixed comments about it, from people saying it's the best thing they ever did to people telling me bluntly that I'm guilty of cruelty for even thinking about it

Criosphynx

Hi!

sorry my computer went insane this morning and I couldn't even view threads let alone post in them

I agree, he sounds bored. Dogs chew for three reasons...teething, stress, or boredom. I think the first one can be eliminated. lol

I'll touch on this in points

I know you think you are observing remorse, but you aren't. Dogs cant think this way and I guarantee he is picking up on your body language, they can't connect "i chewed this twenty minutes ago" to "bad"...their brains just are capable.


unfortunately the dog decides how much they dislike the punishment, not us. There are dog that you CAN hit and it doesn't phase them, and dog that if you say "hey" they pee on themselves...not saying you are being to rough, just saying your dog may think you are.

people who tell you that its CRUEL I find are completely ignorant on many things "dog"...its only cruel if you over use it, or the dog is hurting themselves in it. My dogs LOVE their crates and it has saved me a TON of grief...I don't think crating is done regularly in the UK like it is here in the US...so that may be part of the reason you are hearing negative comments....we had a poster here once from Australia that pretty much called us all animal abusers...its just a cultural thing.


anyway, you've gotten great advice so far...only think I would add would be to feed all meals in the crate to really cement in that positive association. And perhaps think about teaching him som' advanced tricks (we can tellyou how) to help with his boredom

KateandZeus

Thanks Crio

All his meals will be getting fed to him in the crate, he'll have treats given when he goes in on his own and he will never be put in the crate as punishment!

What length of time would you say is the maximum for a grown dog to be left in the crate?

I'm very lucky in that one of my best friends used to be an animal behaviourist at Battersea dogs home over here in the UK and she has some great advice, I used to have a real problem with Zeus being over excited whenever anyone came in the house, not in an aggressive way but in a "too friendly" way, he used to jump up and climb all over people, not scary when you're used to dogs but if you're a child or wary of dogs anyway then it's the last thing you need!

What sort of advanced tricks would you suggest?

I tried him with a Kong and he chewed it to bits within two hours

I've got a friend making me some extra tough chews for him so hopefully they'll last a bit longer!

I forgot to say that Zeus is very food orientated so it does make teaching him quite easy.
Unfortunately he's also a creature of habit, once he does something then he'll keep on doing it, great when it's toilet training, not so great when it's chewing

Criosphynx

awesome

personally i try to make 6 hours my MAX...i have done eight in rare rare instances...but doing that regularly you will likely start to see either UTI's or the dog peeing in his crate.


Are you familiar with clickertraining?

KateandZeus

What's UTI?

(sorry for being dense!)

Zeus goes for nine hours in the house on his own without pee'ing anywhere, or is it a stress thing in the crate?

Yeah I started clicker training Zeus when he was about five months old, he took to it really well - especially seeing as he realised if he made me click the clicker then he'd get food LOL!

Criosphynx

Sorry...urinary tract infection...they get it from holding it too long....but if hes willingly holding it that long it may not be an issue..

Cool, if hes clicker savy you can do shaping games like

ClickerSolutions Training Treasures -- More 101 Things To Do with a Box

shaping games are great for bored dogs.

or just start teaching advanced stuff...you can teach a dog to do anything under the sun with clicker training...handstands/retrieves/sommersaults...etc