[wfin73]

OK. We adopted Charlie our F1 Labradoodle 3 weeks ago. He was a rescue and has been really good except for one major thing, the chewing is out of control. I am not sure what the household was like that he came from but he is constantly mouthing and chewing anything he can find. Our house is pretty kid proof, seeing as we have 4 children 7, 5, 5, and 3, but he is getting into everything. We run him outside and walk him, yet he seems to have an endless urge to chew and mouth. We bought a Kong and rawhide as well as a kong tire, but still he mouths and chews, especially shoes, even when on your feet. I need suggestions to break this habit!

 

[gene]

Have you tried "Bitter Yuk"? It worked for Jonah.....with reapplications and redirections.

 

[KingstonTodd]

Doodles are pretty smart, if you teach them what to chew they pick it up. Whenever Charlie starts in on something he isnt supposed to chew, reprimand with a sharp "ah ah" (or whatever you choose to say, keep it consistent) and remove the object and replace it with a kong, waterbottle, or whatever. Whenever Charlie picks the right thing to chew, give praise. It takes 100% attention for a while but it works.

 

[annieG]

Tanner didn't mind the bitter yuck nor the bitter orange. He did not like the Bitter Apple, so if one doesn't work, there are several out there.

I know it won't help much, but he will get better as he matures. Have you thought of taking him to some form of obedience class..I don't know if he is too old for kindergarden but that might help.

You're doing the right thing giving him appropriate things to chew on. I would just keep rotating them so he doesn't have them all at once, adding a new one every how and then.

Tanner at a year, will still steal my crocs but now I find him asleep with his head on them rather than finding him munching on them.

Lastly, I guess limiting his access to things either by crating or X pens. Maybe putting him in there with the appropriate chews.

 

[FoodLady]

especially shoes, even when on your feet.

Those first months with Ebbe ... as a devoted flip flop wearer I had to stash 'em all because Ebbe wouldn't not leave my feet alone! Tears flowed ... me, not the dog

Now that she's more grown up, note I'm not saying matured, the only time she does it is when she wants attention.

One of the best things ...according to my DH... is that now i ALWAYS put my shoes in the closet. Heh! I've got a lot of them and too many $$$'s invested for them to become dog treats! :roll:

 

[River Rat]

With Chouette, when I tell her "no" because she's chewing something that's verboten and she stops, I praise her and give her one of her own toys. And then praise her again when she starts chewing on it. I sometimes think that part of the attraction of our possessions is that they belong to us and have a strong scent of us about them. That's probably both heady and reassuring to a dog, particularly a dog who's been through changes as Charlie has. But if you handle your dog's toys a lot, and play with him with them, that should help.

We have lots of different kinds of toys for Chouette, from hard rubber things to soft fuzzy ones. One of her favorites is the plush "purse" that Maureen sent with her in her crate. So we try to have a variety of options; if she wants something soft, we have toys we make from strips of towel that we knot, or if she wants something hard there are the Kongs or other rubber toys or else Nylabones. We also keep alternatives handy wherever we are so that when we catch her with something she shouldn't have we can substitute quickly. I never make a fuss about it; her favorite forbidden fruit is any piece of clothing or accessory for our granddaughter's Groovy Girls. I just take it away, give her a legal toy, and tell her how good she is to be chewing on it.

But it's gonna take awhile so hang in there!

Leslie

 

[FoodLady]

and have a strong scent of us about them

Ebbe's latest steal and run item ... my bras.... and I think that is the reason why.