raineth Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 (edited) haven't read everything yet (will do so), but the thing that struck me first was it seems she is not receiving enough guidance about what to do. teaching a dog what to do is a lot more successful than teaching it what not to do. So think of some alternate behaviours for her to do at the times and situation she's normally be chewing your stuff and encourage/train her to do those things instead A simple alternate behaviour to chewing on your shoe would be to chew on a toy or a bone for example. ETA: o.k. so I've read everything now. I think Kiesha makes some great points Don't underestimate a walk either. Obviously I don't know your circumstances so yes you may genuinely be unable to take her for a walk sometimes. But if its not make sure you do it! Edited October 15, 2010 by raineth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 I agree- sounds like interactive toys would be fun for her rattleballs/treatballs- those toys which have plastic bottles inside- so they make a very satisfying 'crunch/crackle' when chomped ...( I recently bought some from Cheap as chips). all those sort of things will perhaps keep her attention longer? Our youngsters love those black hard plastic rough surface balls which make a weird 'laughing' noise when rolled!! (CaC again) The noise drives us mad- but here, they fill up with sand and are silenced soon enough i did 10 or 15 mins of some general training stuff before i had to leave, and she was superb! i;m just going to have to spend some cashola and invest in a large variety of toys that make noise. do you know anywhere in particular you get these bargins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 haven't read everything yet (will do so), but the thing that struck me first was it seems she is not receiving enough guidance about what to do. teaching a dog what to do is a lot more successful than teaching it what not to do. So think of some alternate behaviours for her to do at the times and situation she's normally be chewing your stuff and encourage/train her to do those things instead A simple alternate behaviour to chewing on your shoe would be to chew on a toy or a bone for example. yep, i replace these things with her actual toys when i catch her then praise her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiesha09 Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Mine aren't interested in the kongs once the food is gone either It's all about getting hte food out so you have to make it hard enough that it takes ages. I make up different stuff like mince and mashed potato, tuna, pumkin and cheese, ricotta, egg & spinach (the favourite) etc in two different kongs. I freeze one and just refridgerate the other one. They eat the refridgerated one first which takes only a few minutes and then they move onto the frozen one which takes a couple of hours to get through Then they may snooze then move onto the treat ball then snooze again. I know it sounds like a bit of work but it is a good idea to provide a few different options. It is truly worth it. Each night I probably spend 10-15 minutes or so preparing the treat toys for the next day, but then again my two get ALL their food in treat toys now. I don't have to do that (they wouldn't chew if I didn't) but it provides them stimulation while I'm not working with them. It gives them a job to do. I also think you hit the nail on the head about your old housemate. Consistency is key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Those toys I mentioned are from Cheap as Chips stores. I wouldn't leave them with a dog overnight , but with people around ..they last a reasonable time The crackle chewtoys have quite a tough covering ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 (edited) I agree- sounds like interactive toys would be fun for her rattleballs/treatballs- those toys which have plastic bottles inside- so they make a very satisfying 'crunch/crackle' when chomped ...( I recently bought some from Cheap as chips). all those sort of things will perhaps keep her attention longer? Our youngsters love those black hard plastic rough surface balls which make a weird 'laughing' noise when rolled!! (CaC again) The noise drives us mad- but here, they fill up with sand and are silenced soon enough i did 10 or 15 mins of some general training stuff before i had to leave, and she was superb! i;m just going to have to spend some cashola and invest in a large variety of toys that make noise. do you know anywhere in particular you get these bargins? The best toys my dog has ever had are form the $2 shop or equivalent. They may not last long but they sure are fun! Probably because they are so easy to rip to shreds LOL. This is the result of a ball i got he from the $2 shop (it cost me about $1) Yes that is my ugg boot in the background. You can see it is not chewed up though It is more of a comforter for her which she loves to cuddle up to or carry around. NO, i don't mind slobber on my foot either Edited October 15, 2010 by aussielover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 My girl stuck everything in her mouth for a taste until she was just over 2. We learnt very quickly not to leave anything at low levels and still live like that (just in case). Remotes still don't stay on the coffee table and my shoes do not come out of the wardrobe until I am putting them on my feet. She still has problems with pillows and doonas so she gets one large stuffed toy a month to destroy and once she is done it is all cleaned up. She does get playtime every single night with things like tug toys as well and I taught her 'leave' very early on so we could salvage things she shouldn't have. You really have to be vigilant as they don't know they shouldn't be chewing certain things - everything is just so interesting to them at that age. I know it is harder with flatmates but once you get used to it it becomes quite automatic. You'd do the same thing if you had a toddler getting into stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Hmmm seems my favourite toy is in high demand ! LINK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Hmmm seems my favourite toy is in high demand !LINK only 3$ what a bargin. I might have to get me one LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushie Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Jager liked to get his mouth around everything, be it a chair leg, a shoe, a pen or your fingers. When we caught him chewing something that we didnt want we would give him a firm 'NO' remove what he was chewing and offer him something that he is allowed to chew on, usually a stuffed kong or a nylabone then praise him for chewing on those. If he wasnt interested in what we offered in exchange, we made it fun for him, and again when he showed interest in it, we would praise him. He has pretty much stopped chewing on most things - except my boyfriends shoes - but that's the BF's fault for thinking it was so cute when he was a puppy and he crawled all over them and nawed at them. So now he thinks that is okay, it is just the one pair of shoes doesnt touch the others, just that one pair. Most of the time now, if i am sitting watching tv or at the computer, Jager will disappear for a minute and then come running back with some form of chew that we have given him and lay at my feet chewing away. You just have to be persistant. Removed EVERYTHING that he can get to, that you dont want him chewing. But make sure he knows what he CAN chew on as well as what he cant. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Boo hoo - cheap as chips are not in QLD.....they are incredibly cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Dogs do a lot of their 'thinking' thro' their strongest sense....their noses. That's why dogs....especially when they're young & learning how the big wide world around them works...head for items which strongly have their people's scent on them. Like shoes & socks & electrical cords & sofa cushions. All those items are in constant touch with parts of people's body's that most transfer their scent. Sniffed a shoe, recently? We touch electrical cords with our hands & sit on sofa cushions. All the time transferring our familiar scents & our dogs love their owners via their scents. So, as others have said, it helps to keep those temptations...like shoes & socks (& underwear, too....another 'scenty' item!) well out of the way of specially younger dogs who are also at the stage of exercising their teeth & chewing. There's been good suggestions how to do this....like blocking off some living areas with baby gates, storing shoes out of reach, keeping socks & underwear drawers tightly shut etc. Just a firm 'No' when caught. Sometimes people get a bitter tasting product from dog suppliers to put on solid things like chair legs. You can also train your dog to have the item he is allowed to chew....his toy (some people buy soft toys from the Op Shops for their dogs). And you made this soft toy appealing by rubbing the palms of your hands & soles of your feet over it frequently. Make a big deal of his play toy....for fetching, for sticking in his bed with him, getting him to retrieve it. With this 'approved' nicely people-scented toy in his mouth as often as possible....no room left for scrounging out alternatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 (edited) lopolla: poodlefan did offer some advice yes, but i was not looking at being told whose fault it is. Sorry but while you continue to provide access to attractive items to chew - if she does it IS your fault. No point in getting pissed off at the dog. Why is this important? Because recognition by owners that its THEIR responsiblity for what their dogs chew is the key to success in stopping it. It's not about "judging" but about giving advice to the one individual in these circumstances who's likely to be able to fix the situation by changing. That's you Lopolla or me when it happened to me. No amount of punishment or time outs is going to fix this. All you might achieve is a confused dog that is wary of you in the house. Not what you're after I'm sure. Same logic applies to toilet training - incidents in the house are the owner's fault. If the owner takes responsibility and changes their levels of supervision and frequency of access outside, the dog gets trained. Blaming the dog doesn't achieve anything. Same with recalls, pulling on the lead etc. Most dogs get into bad habits because we allow them to happen. As a dog owner, my view is that the more we take responsiblity for what our dogs do, the easier it is to stop unwanted behaviour. Nothing "judgemental" about it. Edited October 15, 2010 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Have to agree, humans fault. 8 months is a baby. My kids learnt from about a year old, leave toys laying around = WILL BE CHEWED Mine even ate furniture We spent 3 years making sure NOTHING was available, one of our dogs even resorted to 'borrowing' books from my extensive library, to chew on so I pulled of enerything at her height and moved them all for a year. Management is the key. the dog will eventually grow up and more than likely not chew especially with a little gentle training later, leave! etc. and consitency. Many dogs are given away etc. between 1 and 2 years as this is a very challenging time, no longer small and cute, very strong, going through adolecence etc. Honestly, if you can manage to get through it with your beautiful dog, you will have a wonderful wonderful friend for many many years to come. I know it's frustrating, most of us have been in the same predicament, I hope you can take a few deep breaths and have another go at keeping everything out of the dogs way. She sounds very well cared for :p and lovely.xxxxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 I know it's frustrating, most of us have been in the same predicament, Yep, right down to having an orthotic with its own special "finish". :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Oh.. Just remembered, I do have a walking stick with a 'textured' handle now :p I left it outside . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 Mine aren't interested in the kongs once the food is gone either It's all about getting hte food out so you have to make it hard enough that it takes ages. I make up different stuff like mince and mashed potato, tuna, pumkin and cheese, ricotta, egg & spinach (the favourite) etc in two different kongs. I freeze one and just refridgerate the other one. They eat the refridgerated one first which takes only a few minutes and then they move onto the frozen one which takes a couple of hours to get through :p Then they may snooze then move onto the treat ball then snooze again. I know it sounds like a bit of work but it is a good idea to provide a few different options. It is truly worth it. Each night I probably spend 10-15 minutes or so preparing the treat toys for the next day, but then again my two get ALL their food in treat toys now. I don't have to do that (they wouldn't chew if I didn't) but it provides them stimulation while I'm not working with them. It gives them a job to do. I also think you hit the nail on the head about your old housemate. Consistency is key. thanks ill give this sort of thing a try when i can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 Hmmm seems my favourite toy is in high demand !LINK oh i have seen these, they make a pretty good sound, will have to try and find one :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 i am working on making things less accessible to her, like i have said a few times now, i put things away, every now and then i slip and leave something but she doesnt always chew it. i also shut off rooms when im not in them. it has taken a good week to get the house back in order since the hosuemate moved out and now i think im just going to have to start from scratch with this sort of thing basically. before when the other person lived here there was always stuff lying around, not my stuff, but still stuff and it would have sent mixed messages with me telling ivy no whilst my house mate went behind me and did things her own way - which i didnt really know was going on all the time. thanks everyone for your advice. im off to the shops to see whats available and then i am getting back into my study. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiesha09 Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Have to agree, humans fault. 8 months is a baby. My kids learnt from about a year old, leave toys laying around = WILL BE CHEWED :p Mine even ate furniture Mine too! I thought everything was safe as there was NOTHING in her reach.... well she decided to give the coffee table its own unique finish complete with teeth marks But she did get better once taught to chew her own stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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