Chewing

[canadaone]

Hi. I have a puppy that chews on everything. I tried using something called "Bitter Yuck" but he delights to carry around my shoes and chew on them even with that stuff sprayed on them. So, since I love to garden, I tried a solution I use to keep rabbits away from eating the garden- I sprayed my shoes with hot sauce. It slows him down a bit, but- still chew, chew. What can I do? He has lots of chew toys and I am taking him out for longer walks. I would dearly like to be able to put my shoes back on the floor instead of keeping them on the dresser so they come to no harm.

Also, would appreciate a few tips on teaching him manners.

[Domestika]

You can try another bitter spray. The first kind I got, my puppy loved. It MADE her chew stuff.
I bought "McNasty", I think it's called, and that turns her off a heck of a lot more (though not entirely...unfortunately). So try different kinds.

[lizzybeth727]

Puppies chew. A lot. On everything.

Puppies have to learn what is an appropriate chew item. So make sure that he does have appropriate items, including toys, bones, kongs, rawhides, etc., and rotate these items out often, so that it's a novel item every time you bring it out. When he's chewing on an appropriate item, be sure to reward that behavior - by giving treats, praise, playing with the item with him, etc. Then make sure to put away items that are not appropriate for him to chew on, so that he cannot get to them (I call this "puppy proofing the house"). Eventually he'll learn that chewing on appropriate items is really fun, and he'll forget how much fun chewing on inappropriate items is. Since puppies (and many adult dogs, too) like to chew so much, it might take months for him to forget about chewing on your shoes, so until then it's best to keep them put away.

[ihartgonzo]

I'm not really a fan of Bitter Apple... it doesn't work permanently most of the time, and it's a bandaid for the most part.

SUPERVISION is of utmost importance! How old is your puppy? What kind of chew toys are you providing for him? In order for him to truly learn what is appropriate for him to play with, or chew on, you need to be there to catch him when he's going for something inappropriate, let him know that isn't right, and replace that with one of his yummy chewies. If he's trying to play with a shoe, immediately make a loud noise to distract him, then entice him to play tug with a rope toy or a stuffie, what matters is that you are present and actively teaching him what you want from him. Plus, supervision is also key to housetraining and teaching him manners. If you cannot supervise him, put him in his crate (or tether him to you) with a stuffed Kong or a chewie to occupy him; it's safest for him and best for your sanity!

What kinds of manners do you need help with? A good, general behavior to teach your puppy is to sit in front of any doorway until you tell him to come through; the back door, the bedroom door, the front door, etc. Particularly the front door! You really don't want a dog who races out the front door every time it is opened or a visitor knocks. And, beyond that, have him sit (or down, etc) when ever he is given ANY privilege... food, a treat, putting his leash on, going outside, getting into the car, getting pet, anything. You need to teach him that you aren't an ATM of food and affection and fun, he has to work for it, too!

[TheGoldenRetriever]

Originally Posted by ihartgonzo

I'm not really a fan of Bitter Apple... it doesn't work permanently most of the time, and it's a bandaid for the most part.

I wholeheartedly agree! Bitter Apple, tabasco sauce, etc. ... are at best only temporary stop-gap measures. Besides, it's really not practical to coat all your shoes (and whatever else) in that stuff. Good supervision and actively teaching provide the best and longest-lasting results. Puppy-proofing is a good preventative measure, puppies will chew less once older and done with all their teething ... and by that time you will have taught and guided them toward appropriate chewing of their own toys.

Also don't overlook lizzybeth's advice to rotate out puppy's toys! It prevents them from getting bored with their toys and then looking for other things to chew. Suggestions from lizzybeth and ihartgonzo really are the way to go ... these methods are what I have always used for puppies. They work!

The only thing I would add to their suggestions is try to get everyone else at home on-board with puppy-proofing ... but realize that this may not be possible. My stepson simply will not put away his shoes and a few other things ... his father will put away everything except shoes. I got tired of contantly telling them, or always picking up their stuff myself and then hearing later "Hey! Where's my <fill in the blank>!"

I have found it much more effective to teach our puppy the "Drop it!" and "Leave it!" commands. "Drop it" means drop whatever it is you just grabbed ... "Leave it" means don't touch whatever it is you are about to grab. Frankly, the puppy is much easier to train than my stepson or his father!

These commands are useful in other areas as well. "Drop it" is good while playing fetch, "Leave it" is essential when outside with your puppy and he tries to go for something on the ground that could possibly hurt him.