Our dog sporadically chews things - (remote controls, the sofa, wood etc) how do we stop him?

Question

He is 18 months old, and we think he is a cross between a staffy, border collie and a boxer (we got him from a rescue home 10 months ago). He is fairly well behaved most of the time, we took him to dog training when we first got him, he very soft and loving. He knows he has been naughty when we come in and take the the things off him and tell him off but he continues to do it, although this behaviour is about once a week/fornight. We leave him at home in the day (not ideal I know) with plenty of toys and chews, however he prefers to eat out of bound items. Can anyone recommend behavioural training tips, books etc. I have read that wheatgerm is supposed to help, so will be trying this out also. Thanks

Answer 1

The problem is in the first 5 words. 18 months old. Boy do dogs like to eat stuff and that age, particularly if they get left alone and bored.. but boredom is the key I've seen a Staff and a Boxer eat a kitchen (seperate dogs, seperate kitchens) because they got left on their own.

From what I've read there's nothing you can do about it other than spend more time with them.

Answer 2

If the dog is part Border Collie, this breed is notorious for getting bored and as a result becoming destructive. It has to do with how smart they are and that they need more than just a daily walk, but something that will also mentally stimulate them... doggie sports like agility, obedience, flyball and frisbee are all good ones for that mental stimulation.

Another thing is that most dogs, even tho they have all of their adult teeth feel the urge to chew until almost 3 yrs of age. The reason is that the adult teeth, tho all in, are still shifting within the jaw and so the need to chew is still present. My American Eskimo was terribly destructive until she was 3 yrs old and then it was no longer a problem. I crated my AE when I was away until she was no longer showing destructive chewing signs.

Good ideas are to crate train and plan to continue with it until the dog is a little older and then maybe consider training for some kind of dog sport to give your dog a little bit more mental stimulation.

Answer 3

It sounds like your dog needs to keep busy! There are a few reasons why your dog is acting out. Anger, jealousy, loneliness etc. A few things you should try are, first puppy proof your home..or get a kennel. Get a good chew bone, one the will take your dog a few days to a week to get through. Take him/her to a pet store and pick out a toy or two. That will give your dog more entertaining things to do with it's time. Also try to give your dog a reward (training treat) every time it's been good...especially when you get home. Good Luck !

Answer 4

Make sure you offer plenty of toys for your dog to chew. Rawhides work great, but make sure that they are around and easy to access. Also, it is best to have more then one rawhide. The other thing that works well is chuck bones. My dog loves those and she has no desire to chew anything else when she has a tasty bone. Just becareful not to give your dog chicken or steak bones. Those sliver off and can cause terrible stomach problems. They sell huck bones at most butcher shops or at pet stores.

Answer 5

A well-trained dog makes everyone happy, including his owner. Take a little time training him, and you'll never regret it; you'll always have an obedient dog by your side. Find more https://tr.im/0U29A

By their nature, dogs are pack animals with a well-defined social order. Through basic training, you need to consistently make sure your puppy understands that you are the leader, not him. So in teaching him the basic rules, you take on the role of pack leader.

To fit into the family circle, your dog must be taught to recognize his name and such commands as come, heel, lie down and sit.

Answer 6

Well you have admitted that you know you shouldn't leave him. He is chewing because he is bored and distressed at being left. If nothing changes in his daily life, then his behaviour will not change. once again:
DOGS DON'T KNOW THEY HAVE DONE WRONG. THEY KNOW YOU HAVE COME HOME AND ARE ANGRY!!!!!!
I would contact the rescue home and tell them of the problems as they may be able to help further.
Work out, how long in a 24 hour period is he left alone? I mean, time while you are at work, time you spend travelling to and from work, time you spend shopping, at the pub, a night out, time you spend preparing a meal, watching telly etc and not playing with him, time alseep in bed. By doing this, you will likely discover that he is being left in solitary confinement for around 20 out of 24 hours. This is outright cruelty. Dogs have a built in pack instinct. Seperate them from their pack (i.e. you) and they suffer.
I think you need to find him another home, change your work routine, arrange for a friend or neighbour to come in several times a day to walk him and play with him. There is no magic wand, pill, or supplement, which can stop him suffering from being made to live in solitary confinement for more hours than he is able to. You are actually inflicting severe mental cruelty on him.
Which rescue centre was it? Most will not rehome a dog to people who plan on leaving it alone all day long.

Answer 7

Border collies and boxers are very active dogs. Make sure he's getting enough exercise. It might be the case that he has too much energy to spend, and does not really know how to use it. Take him out to the park and play fetch or go jogging with him... anything that'll somewhat tire him out. Remember that the breeds he comes from are work dogs. He needs the physical exercise. If you're already giving him that, then I'm not sure what.

Answer 8

My daughter had the same problem with her dog. A friend recommended she get a piece of conduit pipe and let the dog chew on it. Conduit pipe is a heavy white pipe used for underground wiring, etc. You can get it at a home builder store. Unlike chew toys, etc., the dog can't chew it up. This seemed to work for her. No more problems with furniture, etc.

Answer 9

Tape his mouth shut....no, only joking! We had a problem with our dog too..also a border collie cross. Firstly, leaving him at home during the day is probably a HUGE factor. It doesnt matter WHAT toys u leave him, unfortunately, border collies are EXTREMELY intelligent and will know that chewing things he shouldnt is wrong, but he will still do it for attention. I know its going to be really hard, but u need to IGNORE him when u come in and notice he has done something bad. Give him his own toys and chews and praise him a lot when u see him with them. That way, he will deter from getting the attention he wants by chewing YOUR things and realise he will get more praise for chewing HIS things. This has worked for me with both of our dogs.

Answer 10

This is quite possibly a stage that he is going through at this fairly young age. It will probably pass but you'll just have to try and keep really out of bound items in an unavailable place. Also, try to give him as much attention as possible when you are home and not all negative! Use positive feedback when he's not doing it or when he stops as well as telling him to stop. He is more likely to respond to positive feedback overall. Hope this helped!