My dog has ruined many items around our house, i.e. shoes, pens...pretty much anthing he can get his paws on. The newest was chewing up boxes of different colors of printer ink & of course I now have ink on my carpet. He will do this mostly when were gone, but will also do it when were at home. We are constantly picking up anything that he might chew on, but this is getting old very quick. I would appreciate ANY suggestions!
Thank you so much for your suggestions! You had some really good ideas, and I think the biggest one is the crate. He's been uncrated for a while so I haven't felt comfortable w/ putting him back in the crate, but I think its the best thing to do for my sanity. I do appreciate the time you took to help me.
Destructive chewing can be very frustrating, I feel your pain. I can't say that I've found ways to keep my dogs from chewing, but I have definitely lessened the damage seen in my home.
1) The best investment I ever made was in crates for my dogs. I really like the folding crates I bought at PetsMart - I think they were Bargain Hounds, but they may have been made by Midwest - they are inexpensive, superlight weight and they fold up for easy storage and travel. No stupid pins to mess with. If no one is home or awake the dogs are crated. But you have to make the crate a 'good' place, not a place they go for punishment. Crate training is a whole separate topic, but a few things regarding it apply to chewing. I feed my dogs only in their crates and always make sure they have water. I have metal bowls that attach to the door of the crate so they can't spill and it discourages chewing on them. Sometimes I'll stuff their food into a toy so that they have to work to get it. That way it'll keep them occupied for at least a little while. Also, leave a favorite toy or 2 in the crate with them so they have something to focus on.
2) For when people are home - I limit the areas of the house the dogs are allowed into. If I can't see where they are, chances are they are going to get into trouble. I put up 2 wooden baby gates that keep them confined to the living room since that's where everyone usually is. I keep their toybox right next to the dog bed. That way they don't ever have to go searching for appropriate things to chew on. Also, use the loud noise that his license makes jingling against his collar to your advantage – it lets you know where he is! That way even if your back is turned you have an idea of what he may be up to. In the beginning you may even want to put a little bell on him. I’ll admit, I ripped one of a Christmas decoration and put it on my terrier when I first got him because he was constantly getting into mischief.
3) EXERCISE - a tired dog is less likely to get into trouble (plus it makes me feel less guilty about leaving them in crates while I'm at work because I know they are sleeping). Everyday when I get home I take my dogs for a long walk. I have 2 young dogs that are very energetic and walking them the 4 mile loop from my house to the beach and back isn't enough to make them tired. So I bought them backpacks (I've been through a few brands and really like the Ruffwear Approach Packs)and weighed them down. Of course you want to increase the weight gradually over time, but right now my Jack Russell mix carries 4 cans of soda, my ID and cell while my Pitt mix carries 4 bottles of water, a collapsible water bowl and a miny first aid kit. It helps tire them out and is also there in case we need fluids or help. In the winter I hate the snow so I've taught them to run on the treadmill. If you don't have time to do a 1.5hr walk with your dog, take him out in the back yard and just play fetch for a half hour - every little bit helps.
4) Teach the DROP IT and LEAVE IT command. I've lost count of how many times I've left the room only to return to see one of them picking up or about to pick up something they shouldn’t. Those 2 commands saved the dogs from plenty of time in detention.
5) Find toys that keep his interest. Things he can't ruin might work or because he can't destroy them he might not be interested - it's trial and error. Try toys that you can fill with food. If you don't want to fill them with treats just use part of their regular feeding. In the evening you can take a portion of their breakfast kibble, put it in a Kong, soak it in water until the kibble expands, freeze it overnight and then give it to him in the morning before you leave for work. The Kong already makes it a challenge but because it's frozen he has to work even harder. Most dogs really like solving puzzles.
6) Be aware - I know we would all love our dogs to respect our things but it never seems to work that way. Just try to keep things that are tempting out of reach and things that are appropriate always readily available. Make a huge deal over it when he chews on something he's supposed to, he'll get it eventually. If he's chewing on rugs you can try the bitter sprays they sell at pet stores, sometimes that helps. A trainer friend suggested once putting hot sauce on things like dog bed corners and other things that could be washed/didn't really matter if they got stained.
For awhile you’ll have to watch him practically every second, but eventually things can relax. Once you get to trust him more because he’s making less mistakes everyone gets to breathe easier. Right now he’s chewing on everything because in his mind he can, he just needs clearer boundaries. I know I probably sound like I’m up on a soapbox and I’m sorry for that, it’s just that I know how infuriating it can be. I almost got rid of my dog last March because of all his chewing. I actually talked to the woman I got him from, told her I couldn’t take it and was returning him. If she hadn’t suggested some of these things I wouldn’t have him now. I can’t imagine not having him in my life. I’ve been through a ton of trial and error methods and these are the things that worked for me – they may not work for you, but I’ll be happy if just one of them helps.
I'm glad to help. Don't worry about reintroducing the crate - I stopped crating Max for 7mo and just confined him to the laundry room when he was alone. But when I got Maya she wasn't housebroken, it wasn't fair to crate one and not the other so back in the crate he went. I've tried since to stop crating them, but Maya chews on the walls so the crates have to stay. And believe it or not they actually like them. If someone forgets to put up the gate in the living room alot of times you'll find them sleeping in their crates instead of their dogbeds. If your dog has separation issues you may want to leave a scent article in the crate with him when you first start the crating again. I used a Tshirt that I had worn all day and left it in the crate with my dog. Somehow it comforts them being able to smell you when you aren't there. Just use a shirt you're not overly fond of just in case your dog shreds it. Good luck!