[harlem3]

I have a 9 month shepherd husky cross. when i am not home, he chews everything but his toys! i dont want to lock him up but i cant keep replacing everything. if it was my stuff that he was chewing then i wouldnt be as mad, but i rent my house and he is chewing the carpet door frames stairs and window sills. i am very reluctant on kenneling him all day. i dont much like keeping him in a kennel all day. any suggestions? please help! he is a good dog, and i would love to let him roam the house all day, but i cant afford to replace everything daily.

 

[jerrynn]

You may spray something bitter/spicy onto those things that he was chewing to let him know tat is not for chew.

There are some toys in the market that let u to keep some food inside the toys. Dogs may busy themselves for few hours just trying to get the food out from the toys.

 

[hunterpaul]

do you excersize him BEFORE you are absent.... also start leaving him for just very short peiods of time, then slowly extend the time.... the alternative would be to emply a dog walker to come in and exersize him mid way through the day... try leaving the radio or tv on in another room... put them on a timer so they come on and off at various times in the day.... he may be fooled into thinking he is not left alone... good luck with it... Paul

 

[sonnywimps]

crate training is a GREAT thing to do if you are not home. Sadly, if you are not home, there is no way other than crating that will stop your dog from chewing. Some dogs chew because they are bored, have nothing to chew on, or it's a way to take away stress.

Make sure you have LOADS AND LOADS of toys for your dog to play with and chew...soft AND hard, bones and so on.

Crating a dog is not cruel and can become extremely handy.

I do not recommend the sprays only because there is a 50% chance it will not work...they did not work for my dog

 

[bonzy]

I agree with you that I would NOT crate my dog all day either.I think it is cruel.
My big dog destroyed loads of things but got over it. The first year was definitley the worst .He wasnt alone as such as I had a pekinese and a cat...but he was bored....and took to destruction!!BUT he turned into a wonderful placid dog.

If I had to crate a dog I would NOT have one.How on earth can they be content in a' prison cell'. They are still stressed out due to the separation even if locked up. Just my opinion and I know there are many who crate their dogs.....but not me ...ever.

 

[Ben]

I heard that many dogs actually enjoy/prefer a crate because it offers some of the same security that caves offered their ancestors. I would imagine that whether it is cruel depends on how the dog was raised. If a puppy is shown to the security of his crate at night where his toys and water are, etc., I would think it unlikely that he would see it as a punishment later in life. On the other hand, if a dog who has never known time in a crate was suddenly confined to one, that's another story, entirely.

Is a puppy's crate by day a "prison cell" any more than a baby's crib at night?

 

[bonzy]

Is a puppy's crate by day a "prison cell" any more than a baby's crib at night?

YES! the baby is sleeping at night and is constantly being supervised where as a dog in a crate is left alone and not necessarily sleeping....and also maybe for a longer time...No one will come if the dog is upset.Hopefully a baby will be supervised and attended to if crying.
Just my opinion ....... that I really do NOt like putting dogs in crates.Maybe it is a European thing as I do not know anyone who as ever done crated their dogs.