I want to know how to get our 11 and a half month old dog to stop chewing everything. He will chew anything he can get his mouth on. We have lost thousands of dollars worth of stuff. He is a Bichon shihtzu cross.
By Angela from Drayton Valley, Canada
I read that dogs who are compulsive chewers are bored and need an outlet to spend their energy and attention on. Giving the dog long walks, a lot of play, or another pet to entertain helped ours. We had one dog and after he chewed up a number of items, we got another dog and the chewing ended. His attention focused on the other dog and playing. The second dog did not have any destructive chewing problems. Good luck! (11/02/2009)
By Myrna
Before we domesticated dogs, they had jobs. In fact, many of today's breeds were bred to do specific work. So dogs get bored when they don't have enough to do, not to mention, chewing is just something dogs do.
With all that in mind, the best thing to do is to get your dog several Nylabones or Kong toys. Many Kong toys have a hole in the middle for kibble or treats to be placed inside. The dog has to "work" to get the kibble free. Several trainers whose work I've read about suggest giving a dog all of their kibble for the day in 3 or 4 Kong toys. They love this! Something to keep them occupied and feed them at the same time. We have to remember that dogs used to have to work to eat, now they only have to go to a food bowl. There's nothing wrong with the way we feed our dogs, but if he's chewing everything in sight, Kong toys are worth the initial investment.
After you have bought your Kongs, anytime he chews on other things you can substitute what you'd like to keep with the Kong.
One other thing, Kong toys are kind of pricey, but so is having to buy another pair of shoes because the dog chewed up another one. Its far more cost effective to budget in a Kong toy a week for several weeks than to have to replace all that a bored dog will tear up. Hope this helps. (11/04/2009)
Try a large variety of toys. They get bored with the same ones all of the time. (11/04/2009)
By Beth
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