How do I get my dog to stop chewing on wooden furniture? She is not teething.?

Question

The vet says she has all her adult teeth. She has chew toys. Lots of them. She chews rawhide and real bones from Petsmart. She is kept in a crate while we are away. She just started this chewing on furniture. this happens when we are there. She has good dog food, is exercised and well fed. Will buy Sour Apple spray tomorrow although I don't have high hopes. (the ingredients are simple to put together.) I do tell her no , loudly, when she bites something she shouldnt and give her her stuff instead. Help!

Answer 1

Sour apple didn't work for me either but Bitter Lemon did so you might want to rethink that since it didn't work for another user here also.

Sounds like she is getting back at you for leaving her alone. Dogs will do that. She chews when she is home because she knows you will see her do it!

Answer 2

you are doing everything right. I agree with the person who says the dog is getting even with you. I think so too. Negative attention is better than none at all in her eyes. DON'T put hot sauce on the furniture. One, it MAY ruin your finish. Two, it may really hurt the dog if she rubs her eyes against whatever she is chewing. My puppy liked the bitter apple. I just yelled ICK!!! every time I saw him chewing and gave him a toy instead, like a Kong you can fill with food. I only had to do this about four times, and he never chewed again.
Good luck.

Answer 3

I have an English Mastiff and remember the chewing days well. We had about a dozen teething items that we would literally rotate constantly all day long. It was almost funny to see him go from something coarse to cut into his gums on purpose helping teeth get in, to something soft to alleviate the pain of it, to something frozen we would give him ( try frozen bananas and frozen carrots - keep the freezer stocked) and then to a nylabone again. We had frozen washcloths soaked in water, socks with ice cubes tied in them, and plush toys stashed everywhere and on hand. It sounds like a pain but it was more like a way of life. He honestly NEVER destroyed anything in our house because we were always giving him something he was allowed to chew. If he even looked at something he shouldnt have, we would reach to the side table and give him the dog chew toy instead and praise him. To this day, he LOVES bananas. It isnt forever but the chewing stage requires strategy and consistency - just be patient and have a chew toy arsenal to help you. You can almost make one from household items without even going to the store. Good luck with your big guy!

Answer 4

My older dog did this, and it turned out she actually liked the taste of sour apple. A better idea is vaseline and cayenne pepper. She'll be dragging her butt for a day, but I guarantee you she'll never touch it again! And if it's wood or metal or something, it's easy to clean up too after the problem is solved. Otherwise, it sounds like you're doing all you can do!

Answer 5

if this happens while you are at home, the best thing (other than no-bite spray) I can think of is ... have a water bottle with you at all times. when you see her do this, spray her in the face with it - one squirt will scare her at first. when you do this, yell NO! this will also help her to learn the meaning of that ever important word. this is a good alternative to spanking the dog. eventually, this will become a good threat to her. if she is doing something bad, and you reach for that water bottle - she will stop!

Answer 6

Try spraying her with a water bottle when she starts chewing and tell her know. Also try calling a local trainer for some advice.

Answer 7

Does sour apple still make the stuff that comes in what looks like a toothpaste tube? That worked well for us. I havent seen the spray.

Answer 8

I'd smear something edible and nasty on it, try mustard or a little tabasco-she wont chew something that tastes bad

Answer 9

put some hot sauce on the furniture......hopefully she learns

Answer 10

you will have to put the dog in a kennel when you leave the house.