They ate my leather sofa!!! what can i do?

[Davidh]

Oh man, well boys will be boys. They make different color duct tape, so maybe you can find one a dark brown and use that, or put some type of cover or blanket over the bad spot. Just think, know it is more valuable because it has been customized by a bully.

 

[dolphin]

I think the Surefit cover is the best to check out too. Unfortunately if you got it redone they might just do the same thing again.

 

[Bizzymammabee]

Sorry about this Henny. I think your best bet would be to buy a sure fit cover and put it on there. Surprising because they boys have so many toys and should really be past that mischief point.


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[Rural mystic]

You have the right attitude about it, yes its just stuff. We would prefer they wouldn't tear it up but if that's all we were after we could have gotten a toy dog or cat. I have some pictures in my profile page of stuff I labeled alternative chew toys. LOL. I would have preferred of course that they wouldn't have been chewed up or chewed but it happens. It has improved a lot over the months but I still have to be on the alert. With the furniture there have been 4 bed beds totally destroyed. I would always think that well perhaps now he is at the stage where he wont destroy it, buy a new one, that goes unmolested for a week or a month and then wham, by by bed. Furniture, book cases, shoes, baseboard molding... In the end if no one is injured and its just stuff we just complain a little, and try to laugh it off and go on

 

[cali baker]

I wanted to thank everybody for all the helpful (and supportive) replies! I'm going to look into both the duct tape and the Surefit sofa cover. I really thought those two were "over" the chewing/destroying phase too...ha, that'll show me . I guess they're just trying to keep my life more "exciting"

 

[eljeffe23]

I'd say they aren't to be trusted alone with chewable items for a while. The only advise I would have is to make sure they are tired out when you leave them home alone. Take walks ect before leaving if possible. That sucks big time, sorry man. It is so hard to stay mad at this breed for very long!!!

 

[BodiesMom]

Whenever I see or hear stories like this, it's just hard for me to understand!! My Bodie boy chewed on the bottom of 1 bookcase (of course it was the new bookcase, not the old one that was in the same room!), but that's when he was around 3-4 months old. Maybe we just really "Lucked-up" with Bodie! He's always been much more interested in chewing on his bones and toys rather than anything else!! We even leave our shoes out on occasion in the floor and he's NEVER attempted to mess with them!! He doesn't even try to eat stuffing or bits/pieces that come from his toys. He actually spits it out!!!
Anyway, I know that leather is a very hard textile to fix...frown...I would call or search around to find out what it'd cost to have it fixed or reupholstered, however, that could end up costing as much as it would to just purchase a new couch. If it were myself, I'd call around and find out the cost of repair, and if it wasn't worth fixing or too expensive, I'd go to my local fabric store, get some foam batting/stuffing and some thick upholstery thread and just fill and see it the best I could until I could afford to replace it. I know this doesn't really give you much info, but maybe you can use something or some of the ideas.
Here's hoping your boys are done with the sofa!!!


BullyLove!!!

 

[ZuleikaD]

First, the sofa: The damage doesn't look impossible to repair, but I'd get it done fairly soon to prevent it from getting worse (even just people sitting on the furniture, etc.). You can probably find an upholsterer who will make a house call for the sofa arm, so you don't have to take the whole thing in. The cushion can be taken to the shop. Then, I'd cover up the furniture until they learn not to chew things that don't belong to them.

Which brings us to chewing the wrong stuff. Tallulah is 4-1/2 and still chews constantly. She chewed through a leather leash in two places during a 15 minute car ride. Now, I've learned to take her leash off and take a chew toy in the car. When she first came home several weeks ago she was allowed free in the house during the day when I wasn't home (I crate her now, more related to potty training though). She didn't eat any furniture (luckily), but I still have a bunch of cardboard boxes sitting around from my move last fall (err, yes…last fall…), and she chewed one up one day even though she had toys to chew.

The next second I saw her put her mouth even near that box (or any other), she got a a very stern "leave it" in my deepest, firmest voice and I held her gaze until she backed off. And I gave her something else to chew in that same moment. A couple times when I saw her going for the box, she didn't listen and I had to physically intervene to distract her, by nudging her or sliding my leg between her mouth and the box. I always made sure to offer her something to chew that was hers at the same time. It only took a couple of days and she hasn't even looked at one of those boxes in a few weeks. Now, if she can just train me to unpack them...

Anyway, I figure it's a lifetime commitment to distract her from chewing things she shouldn't. Or doing anything to or on the furniture besides sitting or sleeping nicely on it (and the sofa also has a washable blanket on it where she sits). In general, I treat her like a toddler and she's never out of my sight for more than a couple of minutes. If I can't see her, I wonder what trouble she might be trying to get into.

 

[dieMuttivonBifi]

Whenever I see or hear stories like this, it's just hard for me to understand!! My Bodie boy chewed on the bottom of 1 bookcase (of course it was the new bookcase, not the old one that was in the same room!), but that's when he was around 3-4 months old. Maybe we just really "Lucked-up" with Bodie! He's always been much more interested in chewing on his bones and toys rather than anything else!! We even leave our shoes out on occasion in the floor and he's NEVER attempted to mess with them!! He doesn't even try to eat stuffing or bits/pieces that come from his toys. He actually spits it out!!!

Ha! Same here! Bifi is almost a year now, the only time he chewed on something was when he was about 3 months old, it's an Ikea floor lamp made of paper. I always say he's a bulldog for a first timer ^^. We would bring boxes from stores just so he would have the experience of destroying something lol.

@cali baker when a cousin of mine was a three year old toddler, whenever something breaks- whether it be her toys or something my grandma owns- she would say: "don't worry mama will buy a new one" exactly those words everytime lol. Maybe your boys are thinking along that line too?!

 

[VegasGeorge]

Is this an extremely isolated incident, or has chewing on stuff been a problem all along? I stopped my two girls from chewing by using Grannick's Bitter Apple spray, and I went through several bottles of it over a period of months. But in the end, it worked. My dogs don't chew on anything around the house anymore. I started out by spraying every corner of every piece of furniture, etc. Then I focused on anything that seemed to be attracting their attention. I've had three Bully pups (Abby died at 10 months) in the house, and only have evidence of a couple of very minor chew jobs. Teeth marks on the corner of a small guitar amp that sits on the floor, and teeth marks on the front of a wood filing cabinet. The cabinet can be repaired easily, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. If I were you, I'd get the Grannick's (I buy it at Pet Smart) and start using it right away.