# Dog eats ALL toys and everything else



## roswell

I have a VERY active puppy (9 months) that is a lab/beagle mix. The problem is that he eats (and not just chews actually swallows) everything! I've tried every toy out there, kongs, bones, nyla-bones, etc and he destroys and eats them all in no time.He even eats his crate and any bedding we put in it. He gets plenty of exercise (we play almost all day long and he goes running with me). However, I do have to leave the house sometimes and also need to sleep. lol. Any ideas how I could discourage him from eating everything? Honestly wouldn't even mind replacing toys if he just destroyed them, but he eats them and thats unsafe!


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## mustlovedogs123

I would take him to the vet he could a medical problem. How often does he go for walks/ runs and for how long?


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## beverley

branston too has always done this. he no longer has toys apart from a rope tug toy that we supervise/play with him with.
he now has bones instead under close supervision. they occupy him for a while too!
he has never had 'bedding' in his crate, apart from when he was tiny as this only lasts 5 minutes!
he just thinks that everything is edible!


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## doxiemommy

I'm with Beverley. When you aren't there to supervise him playing with toys, he shouldn't have any. Also, do you have a wire crate or plastic? If plastic (sound like you have plastic, since you say he's even eating his crate), I'd go with wire, with no bedding.
And, yes, a trip to the vet! Maybe he has some sort of chemical issue or deficiency.


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## hanksimon

My condolences.... welcome to the world of a Lab-mix. Labs eat everything (and swallow), some will chew on the corner of the house. Mine unscrewed the washout on the side of my house when he was a pup.... and he just twisted the head off of a yard sprinkler... just because he wanted to (and I left it unguarded for many weeks).

First, you have to attempt to puppy proof as much as possible. Next, only give him one or two chew toys at a time. Some Lab will not destroy and eat the soft un-stuffed animal toys.... Others will chew and then swallow when you realize your mistake. I currently give mine things that he can swallow, as well as Kongs and hard rubber bones. I also give mine a couple of large raw carrots with his supper. Cut off the top green part.

Think of them as being like squirrels, they gotta chew. So give them something that's OK. BTW, after supper, my dog will sit on the floor with a hard rubber bone for about 30 min. He can't 'destroy' it, so he'll tear little pieces off it... and swallow.


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## Canyx

hanksimon said:


> My condolences.... welcome to the world of a Lab-mix. Labs eat everything (and swallow), some will chew on the corner of the house. Mine unscrewed the washout on the side of my house when he was a pup.... and he just twisted the head off of a yard sprinkler... just because he wanted to (and I left it unguarded for many weeks).
> 
> First, you have to attempt to puppy proof as much as possible. Next, only give him one or two chew toys at a time. Some Lab will not destroy and eat the soft un-stuffed animal toys.... Others will chew and then swallow when you realize your mistake. I currently give mine things that he can swallow, as well as Kongs and hard rubber bones. I also give mine a couple of large raw carrots with his supper. Cut off the top green part.
> 
> Think of them as being like squirrels, they gotta chew. So give them something that's OK. BTW, after supper, my dog will sit on the floor with a hard rubber bone for about 30 min. He can't 'destroy' it, so he'll tear little pieces off it... and swallow.


Hanksimon, I really enjoy seeing your Lab-related posts 
I called Snookdog's a few weeks ago to ask about the hemp rope and also "if the sweet potato chews are supposed to be eaten so quickly." The conversation basically went like this: 
"Well, they're baked so they're pretty hard... What kind of dog do you have?" 
"A Lab mix." 
"Ah, see, that's the problem. You said the L word."

And OP, don't worry ( I hope), they sort-of grow out of it when they mature. Don't get me wrong, Labs will always be vaccuums. But if your dog will be anything like mine, he'll at least slow down *a little bit* and start distinguishing between what he wants to chew up and what he wants to eat... *maybe*


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## hanksimon

I think Labs are perfect dogs, intelligent and forgiving, and excellent 'starter' dogs for new owners, terrific to get from a rescue. On the other hand, I think that a Lab pup can be one reason that new owners might switch to being cat lovers


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## hope729

Hello All. My dog isn't a lab or lab mix, he's a 6 yo teacup poodle. But he has eaten his toys from day one---kongs, squeaky toys, stuffed toys, any & everything in the toy category. He has never chewed his bedding or anything else (so far) just toys.

I'm sharing our recent experience with toy eating in the hopes it might spare someone else the anxiety & expense & their pet the pain & illness we just went through. My dog became very sick suddenly & after a trip to the vet literally every day for 10 days with xrays, barium series, blood tests & tons of meds he finally passed the fabric shell of a rather large stuffed toy. I don't know how he swallowed it without choking to death. I had worked outside in the yard most of the day before he got sick & he must have done it then. Cost $870 before he was okay again which I don't begrudge but couldn't really afford. I've already gotten pet insurance & wish I'd done it sooner. I have another small rat terrier/chihuahua mix & an elderly cat & this round with Charlie, my little poodle, has been a learning experience all the way around so I'm insuring all of them.

But the financial aspect aside, Charlie suffered for over a week & a half before he finally passed the toy & I was terrified & stressed to the max afraid he wasn't going to make it & had cancer, etc. Luckily I work at home so I was here to give him round the clock care. Anyhow just wanted to share this because although he had always chewed & eaten toys & I didn't give him rubber or plastic, it never occurred to me he would or could swallow an entire stuffed toy minus stuffing. Now I know. If your dog eats stuffed toys, be careful! Btw, I've read that some dogs do this because they're bored but we go for a walk in the park almost every day plus play & go on short outings in the car to places that give dog biscuits like my bank & pharmacy with drive through windows. So I don't believe my dog does this from boredom.

If anyone knows of any toys that are chew proof, I'd love some ideas. At this point, the only thing I can think of to give him to play with that he can't chew up is an anvil.


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## SassyCat

Well hanksimon pretty much said it and solutions apply for any dog. Bones help, those that are hard but not too hard. Main trouble is to keep him from destroying his teeth, gums and whatnot - you could ask a good and experienced vet for more advise. 
Now, one root cause of this problem is boredom - if dog rarely gets bored he won't become a chewing maniac. Labs never seem to get too much or even enough of any activity including chewing, digging and other unwanted activities.


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## nfedyk

Oliver is a mega chewer and has been right from the start. He destroys every toy he gets but the only one he actually tried eating was the rope ones. Someone on another forum suggested getting him some antlers. He loves them and they occupy him for a long time. They also last a long time. He has had the first one for a few weeks now and only chewed off a little on the end. I would highly suggest these for your dog.


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## hope729

nfedyk said:


> Oliver is a mega chewer and has been right from the start. He destroys every toy he gets but the only one he actually tried eating was the rope ones. Someone on another forum suggested getting him some antlers. He loves them and they occupy him for a long time. They also last a long time. He has had the first one for a few weeks now and only chewed off a little on the end. I would highly suggest these for your dog.


Antlers, huh? New one on me, haven't seen any but will look. Thanks for the suggestion!


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## dagwall

I've got a power chewer who will eat the makings of his destruction. Because of that he doesn't get stuffed toys with the exception of the "tough" ones. He will still destroy the "tough" stuffed toys but it takes longer and he only gets then under my supervision. As soon as pieces start coming off/out I'm picking them up and shortly after the toy is going in the trash. Mostly he has nylabones and antlers to chew on and a braided rope for playing tug. Pretty sure his bloat scare was caused by a partial obstruction from him eating part of one of his rope toys, no more unsupervised access. 

I'm lucky that he really only chews on his things with the exception of grabbing a shoe, towel, blanket, or pillow to chew on to get my attention. Never done that while left alone with access to those inappropriate chew items, just right in front of me staring right at me begging for attention. 5-10 minutes of playing/training and he's back to being a good boy.


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## nfedyk

hope729 said:


> Antlers, huh? New one on me, haven't seen any but will look. Thanks for the suggestion!


You can find them at high end pet shops as well as many online sites. The person who told me about them suggested looking on ebay as he thought they had the best prices. I ordered them from this seller if you are interested:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300679506310?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649


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## doxiemommy

Petsmart and Petco both have antlers.


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## kitley2001

Are the antlers hard on their teeth? I was buying hard bones...with marrow in them for Ginny, but then I read she could break her teeth on them. She chews her toys as well. We have bought her a canvas covered "Wubba", and they last a few months now. As soon as she starts to chew it, it gets put away. She seems to be understanding this somewhat..lol.


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## hanksimon

I have no experience with antlers - you might search the rest of the forum. My dog is 11 yo, so I don't give him hard things to chew, b/c I'm worried about cracking his teeth. In fact, he doesn't destroy hard rubber bones as readily as he used to. He never tried to destroy Kongs.


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## kitley2001

Thanks for the info hanksimon. So...maybe I will get lucky too and Ginny will chew less as she gets older..I can hope so anyway!


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## Samipaws

I concur with Elk Antlers, they are better than Deer or Moose antlers. The Elk Antler are hard and make for a great chew without the fear of splintering. Also the marrow center gives another special treat. I have seen them at pet stores or about $40 a pound, but when researching online, the best deal I saw was from http://elkantlerstreats.com/elkantlerstore/ under $18.00 for the XL's. That's a great deal


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