My one year old Golden Retriever chews up anything she can get a hold of...She especially loves the kids stuffed animals, shoes and my bras.
I am down to my last pair of shoes and was wondering if anyone had any tips as to how to get her to stop this. Thanks!!
Answers:
Golden Retreivers are great dogs, the advantage is that they're bred to have "soft mouths" which means that genetically, they've been bred to have the trait of NOT destroying the birds/ducks that they retreive... the disadvantage is that the longer that puppyhood behavior continues unchecked, the harder it becomes to rehabiltate the dog... that being said, and if you're serious and willing to expend the effort, you can give the dog his/her OWN toys... ok...now the dog has his own stuff... dog toys only because they can't associate that you gave him a shoe, but he can't have other shoes, he has his own toys now... the trick is to be highly observant and when you see him even eyeball any other items beside his own, give him a warning, like a stern "NO!", take that item and put it away, then immediatly offer him one of his own toys and reward him when he accepts it by playing with the toy with him for a few...keep repeating it without fail and a dog like a golden retreiver will catch on fast...in his mind he'll connect it " Oh ! they don't want me to have their stuff, but I can have my own whenever I want" I expect that sooner than later, the dog will begin bringing you his toys to encourage you to play with him... good luck ! Awesome breed !
Shoot the dog.
You need to replace the items he likes to chew on with something else. Buy raw hides, cow hooves, bones.
Dogs are naturally attracted to the smells of these items.
You have to teach the dog that those are YOUR possessions. When she grabs something that is yours, tell her that it is YOURS. Do it repeatedly. Be very firm but gentle with her. She just thinks it's something to chew on.
Our dogs respect that training and will drop ANYTHING immediately if we tell them that it is 'Mommy's'.
Giving her a dog toy in place of what you have taken away and telling her that IT is 'Sparky's toy' and giving it to her repeatedly and telling her that it is hers will eventually train her. It takes a LOT of patience. Give her a stuffed toy that is hers alone. Give it to her repeatedly and tell her it is HERS, using her name.
Dogs LOVE soft fuzzy things and will carry them around.
Caution: --- By the way, do NOT give her any of your old shoes to chew on. She will not easily learn the difference, betwee the old and new, because the shoes have your scent on them.
Also, if you don't know this, dogs NEED to chew a lot at her age. Do not under any circumstances give her COOKED bone or chicken bones.
Give her raw bone or the special treated bones, leather chews, etc. that are available instead.
Go to the store and pick up some Bitter Apple. It's a spray that tastes really really bad to dogs. It will make him not want to chew on everything. Also pick him up some chew toys and some bones. Every time you catch him with a something he's not supposed to chew take it away and say no. Then give him his chew toy. Eventually he should learn that it's not good for him to chew on everything but it's OK for him to chew on his chew stick. Good Luck
Edit: The moving could have definitely started this behaviour. Or it could be that your not spending as much time with her so she is trying desperately to get your attention. If a dog feels neglected they'll do anything, even be really naughty to get into trouble because it's at least some attention to them. Don't give up. If you need more assistance with her try contacting a local obedience trainer to help you out. Good Luck
Try this - when you next catch your canine chewing on your stuff, simply sneak up on them or hide what you are holding, and let a metallic object clang on the surface (not on your pooch) - it scares them. Do this a few times, and they will be afraid to come near or chew anything that has not been offered specifically by you.
Because she is a year old, this is a behavior problem not a puppy thing. Does she only do it when your away from her? If so, it's separation anxiety. Invest in a kennel or close the doors. Most pet stores also sell a spray that's harmless to kids and pets that you can spray on the things she chews. It has a bitter taste and deters her chewing. Or you could do it the old fashioned way and fill a coffee can with pennies and jingle it near her when you catch her chewing. She will associate the loud noise with the bad behavior. Good luck! The coffee can also works for jumping.
You have to train her and be consistent. You need to get her stuff she is allowed to chew. When you are not home to supervise her, she needs to be in a area with only her toys and chews - not free roaming the house. You need to put your shoes in a closed closet and the kids need to keep their stuffed toys out of her reach until she's trained and if you catch her starting to grab something she's not allowed scold her, make her drop it, and give her one of her own toys/chews. Obedience training would help you and her.
Here's my question, why did you wait until she's already a year old? Did you just get her or did you think she would grow out of it on her own?
First you must take more responsibility in putting items away and keeping doors closed. You see shoes, your dog sees a chew toy. Second you dog is bored. You have a breed that has a high activity level and puppies, your dog is still a puppy mentally, need even more mental stimulation. Think of your dog at the level of a two year old child, into everything. Your dog should be walked 1 to 2 miles twice a day. A tired dog is a good dog. Also your dog must watched at all times when loose. If you can't watch your dog even for 1 minute then she needs to be crated.
Keep tiny treats and one of her chew toys in your pocketat all times. If she takes an inappropriate item to chew. Tell her "no that's not yours" firmly, ask her to "give" or "drop it" while showing her the treat. She will drop the item take the treat and then you give her her chewy saying "this is yours".
Dogs are not born with bad habits. Owners create bad habits in their dogs by not understanding how a dog thinks. Buy the book by Jean Donaldson, Culture Clash. Owners don't like to hear this but 99% of a dog's bad habits are because of the owner.
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