Help Needed! Help with Chewing

[maggies mom]

Hello , my dog is 9 months old and has just recently started destroying our deck! She loves to be outside so I usually let her out whenever she wants and she will sun on the deck or play in the grass etc. A few weeks ago i noticed she had been chewing on one of the railings so I sprayed it with the bitter apple stuff. Yesterday I look and she actuauly destroyed almost a whole plank of wood! Its not like she is out there all day usually a 1/2 hour tops because Im paranoid about heat / cold etc. , I cant watch her every second she is outside and I never know if shes barking to go out and play or she has to go to the bathroom so I don't want to restrict her going out, what can I do? Besides the deck being screwed up Im worried about her eating all this wood!

 

[bullmama]

I can't think of anything except training and supervision. I know that does not help but she needs to be trained not to chew the wood. Hopefully others will have better ideas for you!


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[JAKEISGREAT]

I feel your pain. It is something they eventually outgrow, but other than correcting and containing, I have no suggestions. Jake has eaten and swallowed lots of stuff. I'm thinking the wood is probably tiny little shreds and it will pass through or he will barf it up in a week or two. Make sure you watch her because she will love wood INSIDE too!!!!

 

[Davidh]

Welcome to bully hood, they do like to chew and will eventually out grow it, but in the mean time just supervision and correction when you catch them doing it. I have gotten pretty good at fixing sheet rock, and window ledges.

 

[LisaMarie]

Training and supervision is right!! I never let Mocha out on Her own. When She has to do her business I go out there with Her. They are like toddlers,into everything!!!! You need to be out there to stop her before she starts to chew on the wood. Make a correction sound or say no in a firm voice. It is actually good to go out there whith them.You can notice if she is constipated or has runny poo, and you will know for sure if she peed or not. I take time to let her run out in the backyard and play but I am out there with her.

 

[maggies mom]

Thanks for all the advice, I guess I have gotten lazy about going outside with her. For a while she was being so behaved at everything I think i forget sometimes she is still a puppy! Knock on wood she has ever chewed any of our furniture ..Yet

 

[Corlando465]

Does she have any toys outside? We keep a few special toys out back that are just for outside play. We also toss an empty milk jug or 2 litter bottle (with all caps, rings and labels removed) in the toy box every so often, which my boy loves to chomp and run around with. Maybe something like this might help?


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[kazzy220]

I feel your pain ... Linus is now 11 months old and we have a huge wood pile that we use for the fire pit outside and he just loves to eat it. A couple of days ago he threw up and it was virtually a HUGE pile of bark. We were horrified because we thought we were watching him!!!

None of my other bullies have been so bad at eating wood so I'm hoping the other posters are right and they grow out of this!!!

 

[newbie]

Definitely supervision and correction. Our 8 month old never chewed wood and my husband is all into the freedom thing, so we left him out during the day, once he showed a full week of being able to hold it until we came home. First week was a charm, no mess, no issues. Second week...chewed baseboards and banisters... funny thing is that I wanted so much to believe he was being good, I didn't do a thorough investigation around the house. Couldn't find him one day and noticed he was licking the banister that he chewed! I was horrified! Patrolled the house and found baseboards chewed and more banisters chewed. Bitter apple spray, tobasco, lemon juice didn't work, he actually loved the taste, even though I had to hold my breath when I was applying it. Resorted to putting him back in his playpen during the day... oh, forgot to mention....ate my chair as well! Was the only way to stop the destruction. When we're home, he has full reign and we catch and correct... Good Luck!

 

[linwhite]

I can't tell you all the furniture I have with chew marks or worse. Deck wood is probably pressure treated. Another thing to be concerned about. Does he have lots of nylabones? Raw, beef soup bones with the marrow are good. when the marrow is gone, fill them with peanut butter or squirt cheese. Get some of those kong treat stuffers if you don't like the bones and fill them. Maybe that will deter the wood chewing. My adult males dogs both still like to chew but lucky for me, not the furniture or deck. Nylabones and those Nylabone puppy keys are their favorites. They get the keys off the ring pretty quickly and I toss the ring when they do but they'll carry a key around in their mouth like a cigar and chew on it when the spirit moves them. I have a doggie door so I never know which toys I will find where. this afternoon, Zam, my EB puppy saw a set of key on the back steps, picked them up and carried them in for himself. He's getting the habit too. I'm going to keep nylabone in business for years to come.