dog eats everything.

[dabomb7612]

hi im new here and i signed up because i needed some help with my dog.

I have a beagle and he just turned a year old.

he eats literally anything thta will fit in his mouth. by this i mean anything. plastic things he finds on the ground, to his blankets, yes he chews up his own blankets rips it and eats it. he Chews up his pillows and everything. I have no idea how to go about stopping this.

also starting recently, his behavior has been getting worse and worse.
i can not leave him alone anymore without him chewing stuff up and causing trouble. He bit holes in the couch, but this has only been happening recently.

Someone please help me with these problems!

thanks in advance

[devinecanine]

Does he have plenty of his own stuff to chew on? Does he get a lot of attention and activity? He may just be downright bored.
You could try spraying bitter apple spray all over everything but some dogs actually don't mind the taste of it.
Somebody else will have some better advice for you, I'm sure. Good luck!

[dabomb7612]

yes he does have many toys.
in fact he had more, but the rope toys that we got him he ended up ripping apart and eating. now he is down to the rubber toys.

i walk him usually at least once a day.
i dont really know what activities there are to do, other than walking, and playing tug o war with him ocasionally, and an attempt at playing fetch.

the bitter apple seems to phase him for a bit but after awhile he goes through it.

[Doberluv]

I agree that he is bored. On your walks, how much real exercise is he getting? He needs someplace to run. Obedience training, using positive methods would be great for him. Search this forum and other places for some tips. I'd work on that a couple times a day for 15 minutes or so, making it fun and rewarding for him. His brain needs exercise just like his body. Have you thought about enrolling him in an obedience class? If you do, find a reputable, positive method trainer. Be careful you don't get a rotten trainer. Watch a class once if you can and get recommendations. Classes are fun and the pup gets practice socializing with other dogs and people and you get some training tips...gives you both something to do and to work for.

[dabomb7612]

How much should he be walking. i usually run to the park and back to my house which takes about 20 minutes in total.
I have already done obedience classes with my dog.
What are some other activities i can do with my dog to keep him more occupied and less bored?

also, is it normal for dogs to EAT everything? not just chew them up? including Blankets, rope toys, pillows, and just about anything he can manage to swallow. :confused:

[BigDog2191]

How many times a day do you feed him?

[dabomb7612]

i feed him twice a day.

[amymarley]

Your dog is considered a pup for at least two years old. Think of a human baby teething..and discovering. I know most will hate me for this, but I am a trainer... unless you and your "pup" are physically with me, or I do one-on-one training "phone calls." .....Go to a trainer in your area. Yes, I bet a lot of people here can help, but unless you decide to be active in the training, wether a phone call daily, or a trainer locally, you will not get the results you want. I am willing, as I am sure others are too. But your best bet is with a local trainer.

[Fran27]

First, your dog needs more excercise. 2 walks a day if you can, or a good romp in the yard if you have one. Second, you need to keep an eye on him, use bitter apple repeatedly and say a firm 'no' when he chews on something forbidden, Third, when you're away, buy a crate and put him in there.

[GSDMom]

does this only happen while your away? maybe it's seperation anxiety?
when my pups chew something they shouldn't have, I say a firm NO - take away what they are not allowed and give them a chew toy
they soon learn what they can and can not chew on

sometimes I give a cold face cloth, I wet it and freeze it first - this helps teething pain
your puppy may have some really soar gumms

[DanL]

I agree, a 20 minute walk for a Beagle isn't nearly enough exercise. That is a hunting dog who can go for hours. You need to find him another outlet for his energy, like lots of rough and tumble play outside, letting him run in a fenced area, stuff like that.

The other thing is- crate him! A dog will never damage your house if he's crated when you are not around. Our pug is almost 4 and still stays in his crate at night. He will go there to get away from the other dogs, it's his private little place. Our GSD pup is 8 months, he's never eaten anything because he's supervised and if he can't be with one of us, he's crated. The only one we don't crate is our 12 year old but she was crated for about 3 years because she'd chew stuff like table legs.

[dabomb7612]

does this only happen while your away? maybe it's seperation anxiety?

this doesn't only happened when I am away, it happens all the time right in front of me, i just say no, and spray bitter apple on the thing he was chewing.

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

[dabomb7612]

oh also, GSDMom, the suggestion you made about the cold face cloth, not only would my dog chew on it, but he would end up biting pieces off and Swallowing it.

i dont know why my dog does this but ever since he could rip blankets and cloths apart he would swallow them.