# What to do about a dog who likes to randomly chew up things?



## renosweeney (Nov 6, 2011)

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the forums. My name is Ashley, and my dog, Taylor, is 6. I have had him for 2 1/2 years now. He was completely housebroken and trained when I got him. However, he has this terrible habit of chewing up random things at random times. For example, tonight I realized that he had gone into the dirty laundry, pulled out a towel, and proceeded to to chew it into shreds. Why does he do things like this? Is there a way to put a stop to it? He's been trained and I know he knows better ... but I'm just not sure what to do. (He also likes to dig through trash cans and start chewing on things he should not, such as wrappers, chopsticks, etc. Any ideas on that one would be appreciated too!) While I am not a first-time dog owner, my previous two dogs were outdoors only, and Taylor is an indoor dog. Thanks in advance!


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

In order to fix your dog, you have to begin by changing your own habits. To begin with, you need to puppy-proof your house. Garbage locked up, junk off the floor. Then, you need to be able to watch your dog whenever he is not crated. If you can't watch him, put him up.

Then, you need to get a bunch of toys that your dog CAN chew and you need to tell him that he is a genious when he plays with his own stuff. Try stuffed kongs and things like that. Keep a box of stuff around and rotate some new stuff in and out to keep it interesting. 

After a while, you can give a little more freedom. Then you can trust him with more and more things. It's a process. The more you exercise your dog, the less he will wreck your stuff. Once a dog starts grazing from the garbage, the easiest way to correct this is to move your garbage to a dog-proof area.

It's mostly about management.


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## renosweeney (Nov 6, 2011)

Let me ask you a few questions - and let me preface by saying that they are not meant to be snarky in ANY way. 

1. In terms of "junk off the floor," this wasn't even on the floor, it was in a hamper that he went through. 
2. I know you say if you can't watch him, put him up - but shouldn't your dog be allowed to wander around? Or do I have to lock him up every time I have to do something such as dishes, shower, etc.? I'm at work and so he's already crated from 7 AM to 4 PM every day; I hate to lock the sweet thing up more.
3. He's got a TON of toys. He destroys any of them that he can. He even managed to destroy a Kong bone once. But he's got a Kong bone and some other stuffed Kongs all over the house. 
4. He's exercised both in the morning before work and at night when I get home from work. In the morning it's only about 30 minutes, but it's an hour to two in the afternoons. Is that still not enough?
5. When you say dog-proof area ... there's no way for my dog not to be in my kitchen unless he's crated. Obviously, I have small wastebaskets in other areas of the house. There's nowhere you can put those that he can't get to ... I can't keep a trash can on the top of my dresser, for instance.

Thanks!


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## theyogachick (Aug 2, 2009)

You say he knows better. Obviously he does not because he is doing it. It is up to you to make sure that he can't do these things. That means keeping laundry behind closed doors if he likes to dig through hampers. That also means making sure that trash cans are out of reach. Try trash cans with lids. Try putting them in the bathroom and closing the door. In the kitchen, put the trash in a cabinet or under the sink.

If you don't want to crate him while you are doing things like dishes, use it as an opportunity to train. Put him in a down/stay or sit/stay somewhere where you can see him and do your dishes. If he moves, put him back in that spot. 

What kind of training are you doing with him? Sometimes mental exercise is as tiring as physical exercise. 

It is up to you to make sure he stays safe and away from all of these things. He can easily hurt himself or swallow something that will result in a blockage, so it is very important that you be diligent about keeping these things away from him.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

You mention that the dog was trained and housebroken when you got him 2.5 years ago. You don't mention any training maintenance during the 2.5 yrs that you have owned the dog. No maintenance work done by you with dog means original training will fade slowly and begone. Owning a dog means working the dog to be civilized and well mannered in your home not the home dog was in before you got him. That's history.


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

I guess what I mean is remove/manage temptations, whatever yours might be. Maybe your hamper, for instance, can go in a closed bedroom. Maybe your garbage cans can go on a dresser or in a closet. And your dog can be blocked into whatever room you are in, sparing him the need to be in a crated. Baby gates or pieces of plywood can be helpful to limit wandering.

If you can block him IN the kitchen with you, you can be watching him. Just keep him out of trouble for a while so he doesn't create a bad habit.

And as far as exercise goes, the dog tells you if they are getting enough. You can't walk mine enough to tire them. Ever. But 20 or 30 minutes of obedience work or agility courses will wipe them out a whole lot more than an hour long walk. Mental work matters more than physical work, although obviously both matter. Chewers almost always have too much pent up energy.

Rotating toys makes them more interesting. Put half of them away for a week and them trade them out. Dogs act like they are new when you do this. 

Make your dog eat his meal out of a frozen kong. Put his meal in a kong, rinse it with water, then freeze it. It takes a long time for them to work their meal out. They won't chew your stuff while they are working for grub!

What it comes down to is management first, teaching them to focus on their stuff second, and maintaining a balanced dog who has little neurotic energy. How you mold that to fit your situation is up to you.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

One of my three dogs has had issues with getting into things in the past.....especially waste baskets, as I keep little waste baskets around in each room also. He liked stealing kleenex and shredding it up under the beds or under end tables,....etc. For a while I had to leash him to me as I did other household chores. It was the best way to keep him from getting into stuff. Once he learned that if he left things alone he could be unleashed from my body.....all went well. It has been a few years since this happened. He did however go on a kleenex binge not too long ago. ( he is 5 years old now ) Lol!  I think it was the lack of attention he was getting as I was training the new pup.  My house is puppy-proofed always, but some things are just tempting and the dog has to learn.  Plus it is difficult to run around and empty all the baskets all at once. I did not put things "up" for my children when they were little, providing it was not a dangerous item.....and I am not going to do so for my dog either! Lol! 

Also, when I had to take a shower or a bath I just took him with me and closed the door behind us. I did however put the trash can where I could see it and him.


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

http://www.amazon.com/simplehuman-5...MS5E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320690843&sr=8-1

Locking trash can for kitchen, bathroom, any room! We have one in our kitchen. This can comes in 13 and 10.5 gallon sizes and is worth every penny.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

renosweeney said:


> Let me ask you a few questions - and let me preface by saying that they are not meant to be snarky in ANY way.
> 
> 1. In terms of "junk off the floor," this wasn't even on the floor, it was in a hamper that he went through.
> 2. I know you say if you can't watch him, put him up - but shouldn't your dog be allowed to wander around? Or do I have to lock him up every time I have to do something such as dishes, shower, etc.? I'm at work and so he's already crated from 7 AM to 4 PM every day; I hate to lock the sweet thing up more.
> ...


IMO, having a dog that likes to chew means you have to work harder at preventing that. So, it's more management for you.

1. "Junk on the floor" may not apply in your case, as you said that it was a hamper, not something off the floor. But, the overall idea is a good one, make sure there isn't anything on the floor or even a counter or bookcase that you don't want your dog to have. Now, I only have small breeds, dachshunds, and they don't jump, so for me, I don't have to worry about anything on the counters! 

2. "Shouldn't your dog by allowed to wander around?" Well, that depends. Ideally, I'd say you're right. I mean, I agree with you. I wouldn't want to have to confine my dog most of the time either. But, if your dog has chewing issues, you have to manage the situation in some way. Now, there are other ways to manage the situation besides confining him. That's just one option, in my book. For instance, with the towel being pulled out of the hamper: try a hamper with a lid, or a basket type hamper (a basket type hamper doesn't actually have the holes like plastic hampers, so pulling things through the holes isn't a problem). Or, if you need to do chores, and can't closely supervise him, try giving him a frozen, stuffed kong to keep him busy while you do your chores. My dogs are so into their kongs stuffed with peanut butter that they stay occupied with those and out of trouble long enough for me to do laundry. Or, try giving "special" toys for him to play with while you're busy, so he's more likely to stay focused on them instead of finding things to chew up. Or, take him for a walk and tire him out right before you need to do chores, so he's more likely to take a nap than look for things to chew.

3. Toys: you can always use special toys for special occasions. That way, he doesn't lose interest in them as quickly. We used to leave certain "special" toys when we were gone, and then pick them up and go back to regular toys when we got home. You can also rotate toys; occasionally just put a few away, then after a few weeks, bring them out again, it's like getting new toys!

4. Exercise: what type of dog is he? Some dogs need more exercise than others. If you have a lot of chores to do, throwing an extra walk in to tire him out is a good idea. Also, mental exercise is important, too, and it tires them out just about as good as physical exercise. So, train him to do something he doesn't know yet. And, maybe get a few puzzle toys....

5. Dog proofing requires a bit of an imagination. For quite awhile we had the trash in the bathoom up on top of the toilet. (LOL! It's not high enough to keep the average dog out, but our short little guys couldn't reach it! Maybe put the trash can in a cabinet, or in the pantry, or just get one with a lid. Maybe put your hamper in the closet, or up high.

If you take away the temptation and opportunity, sometimes the dog forgets all about trying to get those things. Toilet paper and paper towels used to be really sought after at our house. But, we got super vigilant about not giving the dogs any access to them. Now, a couple years later, they could care less about trying to find toilet paper or paper towels. By making it impossible to get those items, they lost interest in them after awhile. Now, I admit, not all dogs will lose interest, some will always chew certain items if given the chance. But, really, a little management can go a long way sometimes.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Is Taylor a Lab or Pit ?


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

doxiemommy said:


> IMO, having a dog that likes to chew means you have to work harder at preventing that. So, it's more management for you.


Agreed.



doxiemommy said:


> 1. "Junk on the floor" may not apply in your case, as you said that it was a hamper, not something off the floor. But, the overall idea is a good one, make sure there isn't anything on the floor or even a counter or bookcase that you don't want your dog to have. Now, I only have small breeds, dachshunds, and they don't jump, so for me, I don't have to worry about anything on the counters!


Agreed. Before I leave my house I clear off the coffee table, all counters in the kitchen, close the bedroom door, assure the bathroom trash is closed (it has a spring-loaded lid - you push it and it pops open, push it again and it stays closed. $15.00 - worth it), assure the laundry room is closed (it has the kitchen trash), all cabinets in the kitchen closed, the hall closet closed and the pantry closed. It takes maybe 5 minutes if I drag it out but it keeps my dogs from getting into trouble. With the laundry - it is closed in the laundry or my bedroom when I leave.
We do a check of "where's the dog?" at my house. If one of us notices we don't know where the dog is - we ask and then look for them dog. It keeps them out of trouble (alot of times we just find Sierra under the coffee table where we can't see her). 
Management. Management. Management. 



doxiemommy said:


> 2. "Shouldn't your dog by allowed to wander around?" Well, that depends. Ideally, I'd say you're right. I mean, I agree with you. I wouldn't want to have to confine my dog most of the time either. But, if your dog has chewing issues, you have to manage the situation in some way. Now, there are other ways to manage the situation besides confining him. That's just one option, in my book. For instance, with the towel being pulled out of the hamper: try a hamper with a lid, or a basket type hamper (a basket type hamper doesn't actually have the holes like plastic hampers, so pulling things through the holes isn't a problem). Or, if you need to do chores, and can't closely supervise him, try giving him a frozen, stuffed kong to keep him busy while you do your chores. My dogs are so into their kongs stuffed with peanut butter that they stay occupied with those and out of trouble long enough for me to do laundry. Or, try giving "special" toys for him to play with while you're busy, so he's more likely to stay focused on them instead of finding things to chew up. Or, take him for a walk and tire him out right before you need to do chores, so he's more likely to take a nap than look for things to chew.


Agreed.

A healthy well managed dog may need to be confined for the sake of the dog. If well exercised both physically and mentally then napping somewhere that they can't get out of in a moment's notice is no different. My dogs get baby gated into the kitchen or bathroom while vacuum or clean the carpet. They are no worse for the wear (and I own a high energy breed). Dogs don't need space all the time. My Siberian Husky lives in a one bedroom apartment. It is possible to be very possible for a dog to happy in a small space and confined for a period of time.



doxiemommy said:


> 3. Toys: you can always use special toys for special occasions. That way, he doesn't lose interest in them as quickly. We used to leave certain "special" toys when we were gone, and then pick them up and go back to regular toys when we got home. You can also rotate toys; occasionally just put a few away, then after a few weeks, bring them out again, it's like getting new toys!


Agreed again. You are on a roll doxiemommy.

Rotate. Assure they are his kind of toys. I have tennis balls - my dogs could care less they exist but they technically have toys. They much prefer antlers or kongs. Find your dogs favorite toy.



doxiemommy said:


> 4. Exercise: what type of dog is he? Some dogs need more exercise than others. If you have a lot of chores to do, throwing an extra walk in to tire him out is a good idea. Also, mental exercise is important, too, and it tires them out just about as good as physical exercise. So, train him to do something he doesn't know yet. And, maybe get a few puzzle toys....


Agreed.
Misty can go for 2-3 hours a day not counting training. Those dogs are out there.
Puzzle toys are awesome.



doxiemommy said:


> 5. Dog proofing requires a bit of an imagination. For quite awhile we had the trash in the bathoom up on top of the toilet. (LOL! It's not high enough to keep the average dog out, but our short little guys couldn't reach it! Maybe put the trash can in a cabinet, or in the pantry, or just get one with a lid. Maybe put your hamper in the closet, or up high.
> 
> If you take away the temptation and opportunity, sometimes the dog forgets all about trying to get those things. Toilet paper and paper towels used to be really sought after at our house. But, we got super vigilant about not giving the dogs any access to them. Now, a couple years later, they could care less about trying to find toilet paper or paper towels. By making it impossible to get those items, they lost interest in them after awhile. Now, I admit, not all dogs will lose interest, some will always chew certain items if given the chance. But, really, a little management can go a long way sometimes.


Agreed.

The trashcans have locking lids if they are not behind a cabinet or door, the coffee table gets cleaned off, all the dishes in the sink, the cords behind the couch (neither dog is small enough to get back there), the laundry is out of reach, no food is left out.

Management. Management. Management.


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## wil.wish (Sep 6, 2011)

I agree with trainingjunkie. A lot of problem behavior with dogs can be addressed by managing the environment. My dogs have occasionally chewed on cords. This is rare, but the potential for physical danger to them is so high I am not willing to mess around. I tacked all cords that had to be exposed and installed a cover for them so they weren't easy for a dog to get to. I don't say "impossible" because I've yet to find a 100% certain solution, but so far it's been 2 years since I've had a chewed cord. I managed my space better so loose cables weren't laying around. One of my dogs loves to eat dish towels. He'll occasionally counter-surf for one and play tug of war with the other dogs. Solution? I put my dish towels away. Same with food on the counter. There are things you just train, of course, hopefully through positive reinforcement, but some behaviors are self-reinforcing (like counter-surfing or barking) and need management. I've heard of many people that have trained their dogs not to take food left out on the table, but I have yet to reach that level of doggie-Zen myself, so I just don't leave food laying around, which is a good practice in any case. 

Trust me when I tell you that your dog doesn't "know better". In fact, many people get this idea all wrong. Your dog does not have a concept of should and should not. He understands that certain behaviors have good results, and certain ones don't. Good results (positive reinforcement) are more likely to be repeated, and others not so much. So, if your dog really loves the laundry and has successfully retrieved and chewed up towels, this action has been positively reinforced for him. By the time you see it and object, he has no idea what you're upset about - only that you're upset. So he likely tries calming signals on you, which can look very much like guilt, and gives the impression that he knows what he's done wrong. Pretty much every scientific study of dog behavior will agree that's not the case. He just knows you're not happy, and so he's not happy. Once a behavior has been cemented in, it's a bit difficult to dislodge, but not impossible. I would do as trainingjunkie said, and close off access to thing your dog might get into. That's what he meant by 'junk'. It wasn't a reference to the cleanliness of your house, but rather that MANY things we don't even think about are really awesomely cool to a dog, and have to be removed. How many things need to be removed depends on your dog. Praise heavily for chewing on his own toys, don't freak out when he chews on something else. Just redirect him to his toys and praise some more. 

And no, you really don't want your dog just free-wandering around if there are any problem behaviors you're working on. While potty-training puppies, I usually have them pretty solid in 2-3 weeks, which I think is fairly good. Of course, during that 2-3 weeks, if the puppy is out of his/her crate, I'm right there too. Not sitting watching TV in the same room, but right there. It's a bit of a pain, but it does get things together quickly, and without many of the accidents that generally accompany potty-training for many people. If your dog might chew something, just block him off so he must stay in the room with you. He isn't a wee puppy, so probably doesn't need to be chained to your side (metaphorically speaking), but the same room is a good idea.


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## wil.wish (Sep 6, 2011)

doxiemommy said:


> IMO, having a dog that likes to chew means you have to work harder at preventing that. So, it's more management for you.


IMO, having a dog that likes to chew means you have a dog. LOL. Sorry, it was just there.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

wil.wish said:


> IMO, having a dog that likes to chew means you have a dog. LOL. Sorry, it was just there.


Lol! I guess I don't normally think of all dogs as chewers! I have one chewer and one non chewer! We got the non chewer first, so we were quite spoiled! When our chewer came along we had to totally change the way we did things!


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## wil.wish (Sep 6, 2011)

I've got a set of chewers, with one machine in the group. That dog can chew through 10 feet of concrete if she feels like it.


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## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

All I can suggest (which is in part a reiteration of what others have been saying) is manage it. I'll explain what we've been doing and it seems to have been working pretty well. Might not work for you, though being an adult dog might make it harder. If you want "free roam" back up, use a baby-gate and allow it one room at a time! It'll be hard since you're going to have bad habits to break (your dogs and possibly yours as well!).

We're currently working on "kitchen/livingroom" training and have been for a couple of months. They were pretty darn puppy-proofed, but there's everyday stuff that we want to leave out. We've got a remote control caddy for our coffee table. First we watched for WEEKS with it out only while we were home. Once there was NO interest in it for a week or so (which there was when she was really little) we gave her a little bit of time in those rooms alone (while checking constantly through the window) to see if she touched it. Turned out eventually she considered it "a piece of furniture" not really worth notice. We left it out for a 1 hour trip into town....it wasn't touched, THEN we put the remotes in it, and built up like that. We've done this with the items that she has shown the most interest in chewing. The caddy, a jacket on the back of a chair, throw pillows, rug, a plant (the non poisonous one is out now, the one that is poisonous to dogs is staying up high, whether she ignores it or not). We've even managed a few pairs of shoes (she LOVES foot-stink, so this was an accomplishment!). Not everything at once, just one or two things a week extra until we are sure things are safe. 

Next step will be the bathroom (that has the cat's enclosed litter box!), then the bedroom. It just takes saying NO (or whatever) those MILLION times that your dog will go for it while you are there (you might have to get creative with a web-cam or look through windows though to do some "safe" proofing and be ready to run in there FAST to catch the act). If teeth get laid on something even for a second whether you are there or not, the item is NOT ok to be out in a room with your dog unattended! 

Invest in a garbage can that at very least has a good lid if not locking, and try to train your dog to ignore it! General desensitizing techniques worked for us for that kind of thing (and the occasional dose of bitter apple. Make sure to spray down leftovers in the garbage can with it, or something else safe so they aren't as appealing). On the super up-side with this technique it doesn't mean having to completely clean and puppy-proof your whole home at once. Just don't move onto the next room until the previous area is safe with your dog in it unattended and in a condition you're happy to live in. I've spent LOTS of time working on desensitizing to random socks on the floor simply in preparation for letting her in the bedroom unattended for more than 30 seconds. 

It has been time consuming and frustrating but I'm out of the house for about 8 hours a day now at work and I've only once or twice come home to something (other than appropriate toys) with teeth marks on it, and that was ages ago. I have no fear of leaving her in these rooms now. One major key has been teaching her the appropriate toys to chew on and making them available to her when we aren't there (A kong full of frozen wet dog food lasts for quite a while and is half of her breakfast). 

I don't know if this will help any, but its working for us (so far). Good luck!!


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