Dog chewing

[masma]

Well... we've had Coco, our 12 month old rescue collie/lurcher cross, for 5 weeks now, apart from needing some training on the lead she's been fine until this last week or so. Every time I leave her, even if I'm working in my office, she decides to chew something she shouldn't. It's usually something of mine but on one occaision she chewed my son's best trainer!
I really need some help with this as she's driving me batty. We bought her a Kong but it doesn't hold her attention for long
TIA x

[Count-A-Strong]

Place the kong inside an old shoe for a day or so, so that it smalls of you. move everything else out of the way.

[jules77]

Well the theory is, give them plenty of mental stimulation and exercise and they will settle when left and all will be fine. Usually that works......... But........I have a six year old who 'still' chews, she has more energy and go in her than a six month old puppy, and rarely sits still for fear of missing something. She doesnt chew when left though, she usually gets up to no good when we are in the house, more often than night in the middle of the night.

[jules77]

I give up with my typing skills.........more often than ***not*** in the middle of the night.

[benny3008]

I am in the same boat as you masma, my 7 month old jack russell chews everything when i leave him alone, e chewed through the sky cable and he has just this week chewed through his third harness! i find that plenty of discipline is slowly doing the trick, as harsh as it sounds, something that may work is, getting your dog to chew something that she shouldn't be and then tell her off for chewing it until she refuses to chew it when you put it near her, i do that with my little terror and it is working. Just dont let it get to you, keep her stimulated and take her for plenty of walks. Good Luck :-)

[lankeela]

Crate training, solve the problem in one lesson.

[RATTER15]

The dog needs mental stimuli to stop the chewing, Collie's need to have their mind occupied! try taking the dog out for a long walk before going into the office, at least it is likely to sleep then.

[masma]

Thank you all for your advice - I don't fancy the crate training though she's been through enough in her short life already.

[divegirl]

What are you putting in the Kong? Try stuffing it with meat paste [the little sandwich jars] and freezing it. Keeps my Danes happy for hours!

Lisa x

[masma]

I bought the special (expensive) squirty meat paste for the Kong and she'd eaten it before I got to the front door! Good idea to freeze it though, I'll give that a try. We went out for a quick meal tonight, gone for less than an hour, when we got back she was laid on the window sill in the sun, all 23 kilos of her. She'd eaten the contents, and chewed the tub, of fish food. She knew that she'd done wrong but is it right to scold her long after the event? Thanks for all your answers and tips x

[ttfn]

Hi masma, lovely to hear from you. Oh Coco is giving you the run around eh? No, I don't believ it is fair to admonish her so long after the vent but I suspect she already had a guilty feeling. My sister's lurcher swiped a home made banana cake from the back of the kitchen unit and took it into the bedroom to devour it upon the duvet. Sis returned home earlier than the lurcher expected so she quickly tried to hide it in the bed. Sis puts everything out of harms way now apart from the lurcher's toys. I am sure time willsort it out but you just have to remain so vigilant in the meantime. Do you have a crate for her?

[ttfn]

sorry for all those typos ^ my system has nearly ground to a halt tonight!

[lankeela]

I don't understand why people have a problem with crate training yet they put up with their dogs chewing things which could harm them. If they cannot be left without chewing, I would far rather they were safely contained for a short while.