# How can I stop my Scottish Terrier puppy from chewing up carpet and other things?



## maygit (Sep 19, 2008)

Actually it's my girlfriends puppy that is 8 months old. He was crate trained for the first 6 months but he's grown much bigger since she got him at 8 weeks. He has so much energy naturally as a terrier that she finally took him out of the crate and allowed him to be free in her apartment while she's at work. I will note that while he was in the crate, he chewed a hole through the bottom of it and tore a nice hole in her carpet in an attempt to escape around month 5. After about another month of being in there, she felt it was time to see how he would do alone outside of the crate.

For the first month, he was great by himself in the apartment. Now all of the sudden in the past month he has been really bad. While she was at work one day he went back to the carpet area that was recently patched up and decided he didn't like it that way and tore that spot up again. Additionally he began chewing on her new heels and shoes that she bought as well. She contemplated buying some baby gates and confining him to the kitchen area while she's at work since it's linoleum flooring, but that was until we noticed at some unknown point he had chewed on the wall as well. The only immediate answer she could think of is to kennel him while she's away and let him out like normal when she's home(this was about 2 weeks ago). Everything was working out well until last night; while she was sleeping he decided to tear a different hole in the carpet.

She would hate kenneling him while she's at work and sleeping, but there's nothing else that we can think of at the moment. I've read about spraying some bitter yuck/apple on spots that he likes to chew, but he seems to be chewing everything, not just one or two spots. He has a large variety of chew toys(pig ears, bones, rubber chew toys, stuffed animals w/ squeekers, tennis balls, etc) in which he was well trained and praised while learning which toys are his and which toys are her cats. 

Now, he doesn't get walked on weekdays and only occasionally on weekends(yes, i know this is a contributing problem) and due to illinois law(or at least her apartments), he must be on a leash at all times while outdoors. So his outdoor activity is normally just for bathroom purposes. He does, however, get played with a lot while she's present and even if she's not playing with him, he's very good at entertaining himself with his toys, running around the apartment, and chasing/playing with the cat until he burns himself out and then wants to nap.

Any suggestions on stopping this chewing behavior while he's not being supervised? While typing that last part, i wonder if it would be a good idea to keep him from napping during the day so he sleeps better at night so she doesn't have to kennel him then at least. Although, puppies do need a lot of sleep too so I don't know.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

This dog sounds bored! Bored dogs become destructive dogs. This dog needs to be walked. This dog needs to be walked. This dog needs to be walked! Third time's a charm, right? 
Really, for an 8 month old dog, play time is not sufficient exercise. It's just not. There's play time, which is great for interaction with you (given that you play with him, which is important) and it can be a bit on the mentally stimulating side, but it is no substitution for exercise.

This poor dog has so much pent up energy, he's stir crazy in the house all day, and has resorted to chewing.
Exercising the dog by walking him every day will go a LONG WAY towards solving this problem. 

The bitter spray can work, if there are certain things he chews, but if it's everything, that's pretty impractical. You can try it, though, on his "favorite" chew spots. A couple things, though: there are different brands, if one doesn't deter your dog, the other brands might work, and, you do have to re-apply quite often. Also, some dogs LIKE the taste....

If the dog is exercised, and some of his pent up energy is released, he may spend more time relaxing and napping during the day and not destroying things. 

Also, do you leave anything for the dog to do, when you're at work? Have you tried leaving an interactive toy? Or a frozen, stuffed kong? That can take a while to nibble and lick, and it might keep him busy for awhile.

And, at this point, because you've said he chews a lot of things, it might be better to go back to the crate, so that the destruction is limited to one area.....until the exercise kicks in. Then, you might not have a chewing problem....


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

> he doesn't get walked on weekdays and only occasionally on weekends(yes, i know this is a contributing problem) and due to illinois law(or at least her apartments), he must be on a leash at all times while outdoors.


He's a puppy - he needs massive amounts of exercise and socialization. Why is walking him on a leash a problem?

He's a puppy - he needs to be on a leash until he's been trained to come when called.

He's a puppy - he needs more than playing in the apartment - he needs both physical AND mental exercise. 

He's a puppy - he needs his sleep. 

What you have is a bored, frustrated, untrained and unsocialized puppy that will (without training classes, proper daily walks) probably be a nightmare of an adult dog.

Why did your GF get a dog she can't/won't properly take care of? Its not fair to the dog.

And good for you for trying to help. Seriously.


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## maygit (Sep 19, 2008)

doxiemommy said:


> Really, for an 8 month old dog, play time is not sufficient exercise. It's just not. There's play time, which is great for interaction with you (given that you play with him, which is important) and it can be a bit on the mentally stimulating side, but it is no substitution for exercise.


How long(distance and/or minutes) do u recommend walking him? Also, not trying to argue, what's the difference between running a marathon in the apartment and crashing and running a marathon outside? A marathon is a marathon, correct?



> Also, do you leave anything for the dog to do, when you're at work? Have you tried leaving an interactive toy? Or a frozen, stuffed kong? That can take a while to nibble and lick, and it might keep him busy for awhile.


When he was in the crate he had about 3 toys in there. When he is out of the crate, he has like 15 toys at least and and one of those fake bones (rawhide maybe?) that are suppose to be good for dogs. He likes those and it usually takes him a few hours to chew it.





lisaj1354 said:


> He's a puppy - he needs massive amounts of exercise and socialization. Why is walking him on a leash a problem?


I'm guessing since she works all day, she pretty much comes home, eats, plays with him inside until he's burned out and then shortly after they go to bed. I'm certain the cold/snow outside is a contributing factor as well because when she first got him when it was warm out, he got outside more often.


> He's a puppy - he needs to be on a leash until he's been trained to come when called.


As stated, due to chicago, illiniois, and/or her apartments laws/rules she must keep him on a leash while outdoors at all time. Unless she can find a nearby pet park, in which i think she's looked and the closest one is 30 min away, he has to stay on the leash.



> What you have is a bored, frustrated, untrained and unsocialized puppy that will (without training classes, proper daily walks) probably be a nightmare of an adult dog.
> 
> Why did your GF get a dog she can't/won't properly take care of? Its not fair to the dog.


I wouldn't consider him unsocialized since when she goes home to her parents house, he has plenty of interaction w/ other dogs 10x his size and is not frightened or nippy at them. Also given that she lives in an apartment building, when it was warmer outside he was socialized with both kids and adults and does great around them as well. I would agree on the other things.

I can't answer why she got the puppy because i've never asked her and it's too late at this point because she's not the type to give him away. What i can assume is that she just moved to chicago(in May) about a month prior to getting the dog and she was probably lonely given I live 3 hours away now. She got the dog, feeling she could take full and proper care of him, and then I was to move in within a month or two after that and i would be home in the day time to care for the dog. Due to college and other things, i haven't been able to move in yet and won't get another opportunity to until this summer.

Thank you both for your responses. I'll talk to her and bring up what you've stated, you were very helpful. Freezing a kong with stuff inside is a great idea and i'll see what I can get her to do on the walking part. An estimated walking time and/or distance would be helpful.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I would recommend 30-40 minutes twice a day. Here's the reason: if your gf can fit in a morning walk, the pup will expend some of that energy before being left alone. An evening walk can do the same thing before bed.

If you run a marathon in your apartment, you'd not have a really clear shot at being able to run without slowing down to turn the 4 corners of each small room, and hurdle over the coffee table, and, and go around the dining table, and jump over the bed, etc, you get the point, right?  On a true marathon course, you'd have lots of good long stretches without having to slow down and turn, or hurdle over things, or go around things, right? You'd be burning off your energy in a nice, long, steady stretch. I mean, I've run 2 marathons and 5 half marathons myself, and I'd HATE HATE HATE to have to run one in my apartment! 

Also, on walks, the pup is exposed to all sorts of sights, sounds, and smells that keep his mind racing, trying to explore and sniff, and see what's out there and what's going on. He may be exposed to strangers, and learn to deal with that, and see strange dogs and strange cars, etc. His mind keeps working, to figure out where you're taking him and what's going on, and what was that noise, and who is that person, etc. Walks are very stimulating for dogs in a way that playtime just can't be.

I'm not sure what the leash law has to do with having outside and walking him. We have a leash law in California, too, and we walk our dogs, and they have time off leash in our large yard. But, the leash law shouldn't have anything to do with why the pup can't be exercised....

Socialized: ok, maybe he is. But, the more strange dogs, people, and places you can get him comfortable around, the better. Dogs go through several developmental stages. They second fear stage is actually about 8-12 months, I think... so if you aren't consistent about continuing to socialize pups, they can develop fear around strangers and strange dogs that they didn't have before. So, keeping it up is important! 

A couple other things: I wouldn't recommend leaving rawhides for the pup when no one is home. Rawhides can cause stomach issues for some dogs, and little bits can come off, be swallowed, cause choking hazards, or stomach obstructions, which can lead to an ER vet trip.
Toys are great, but interactive toys, and treat dispensing toys are great, because it requires the pup to do something in order to get the treat. It's a challenge and may keep her busy during the day. As for the kong: we stuff ours with peanut butter, and freeze it overnight. Or, you can use cottage cheese, or yogurt. If it's frozen it can take lots of chewing and nibbling to get the good stuff out! 

Good luck to you and your gf!


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## maygit (Sep 19, 2008)

Walking on a leash isn't a major problem, i was basically just stressing that there is nowhere outside besides a pet park that he can be off the leash since she lives in an apartment that's not gated off and retains the leash law policy. It's unfortunate too because she walks all day for her job and it would be much easier for her to come home and just play fetch outside in the huge yard so he could get his long energy bursts out that way and she could somewhat relax. I'll let her know what's going on and see what she's willing to do. 

Thanks again!


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

I live in northern NJ, and its been a nightmare of a winter. My dog HATES the snow and the cold. But he still gets walked. I don't have any place to let the dog run either. My community requires dogs on leashes at all times.

So I have to walk him, and I make sure he's walked 4x or more a day. I live in a townhouse and I make sure that he's up and down the stairs all day. And when my work day is over, I spend at least an hour and a half every night tossing a ball to him and having him bring it back. 

He's a 2 year old Maltese and even with all that, he still needs more exercise than that. So believe me - leaving that poor dog in the house with no daily walks is cruel to him. Besides - he's a terrier. They are all-weather dogs. 

There is no excuse for not walking the dog outside. Its not the dogs problem that your GF walks all day for her job. I am handicapped, and when I walk, its an incredibly painful experience. But I chose to have a dog, and I by making that choice, I made a lifetime commitment to give him what he needs to live a happy and healthy life - both physically and mentally.

All your girlfriend needs is a warm coat (and one for the dog too) and poop bags. And I'm sure her apartment will smell better (and be in better shape) for the effort.


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## JuneBud (Feb 17, 2010)

You have gotten good advice, but I have a suggestion about the carpet chewing. My puppy was a terrible carpet chewer. I finally had all the carpet torn up and replaced with tile (I wanted to do that anyway - he just accelerated it). Now - what to do about the carpet chewing: get yourself a large container of red pepper (black pepper might work too) and sprinkle it on the chewed spots. He'll lose interest in chewing there very quickly. Then sprinkle it around in other places he's likely to chew. My carpet was medium color and I noticed no staining, but you might want to check first. My pup had to have an emergency visit to the vet because of a swallowed piece of carpet - luckily he vomited it back up.


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