why do my bichons chew everything in sight?

Question

My bichons are almost 2 and they still chew everything...even the walls!!!! They have several really neat chew toys but while we are gone during the day they chew walls..furniture and anything else they can find. HELP!!!!!!

Answer 1

Bichons,I love them! Bichons are people dogs and want to be with their loved ones. They are suffering from separation anxiety.
A dog is a social animal. It wants to be with the family and being alone is not an entirely natural situation. Some dogs can not adjust to this situation without help. As a puppy, a dog learns that making sounds brings its mother to it. So barking, whining and crying are natural reactions when the dog wants to be reunited with its family. It may also consider digging, scratching at the door or window and other behavior designed to allow it to escape the house and rejoin its family to be "normal". Dogs may become so anxious that they tear up objects indiscriminately, defecate or urinate without control. If a dog is punished for these actions, the resulting increase in anxiety can make the whole situation worse. It is best just to ignore the destruction if at all possible. In order to treat the disorder, it is necessary to set aside some time to figure out exactly what is happening and to help your dog adjust to separation.

1) The first thing you need to do is spy on your dog to figure out how long he or she waits before tearing up stuff in your absence. Some dogs literally start in one minute or less. Others wait a half hour or an hour or whatever. Once you have an idea of this you can work on the problem. It is also necessary to teach your dog at least to "sit" and hopefully to "stay" prior to working on the actual behavioral problem.

2) A dog that is so nervous that it must be in the same room with you all the time requires working with sit and stay until it can tolerate you being out of the room -- then start to work on leaving the house. It can help a great deal with steps 2 and 3 in this process to use an anti-anxiety medication, such as amitriptylline (Elavil Rx) or buspirone (Buspar Rx). Talk to your vet about this. It is also very helpful to consider asking about referral to a certified veterinary or animal behaviorist for assistance

3) Leave for short periods and come right back -- sometimes all you can do is stand outside the door for a few seconds. Don't stay away long enough for your dog to get upset. The idea is to lengthen the time gradually. It may help to vary the time some so your dog can't keep track of a "routine". Keep this up until your dog is comfortable with you gone for a reasonable length of time. Don't make a big deal over coming back in -- it is best to greet the dog quietly or ignore it.

4) Once your dog can tolerate you being gone for an hour or two, it will probably be possible to make the jump to longer durations without much problem. Usually, about the time your dog is very comfortable with being left alone, it is best to begin a slow taper off of any behavioral medications used to help in the treatment of the separation anxiety. Abruptly stopping the medications can lead to a relapse, so take a little time to wean your dog off according to your veterinarian's directions.

Answer 2

All dogs have the urge to chew, its natural. But when your bichon's chew items that they are not supposed to tell them no, and give them a harsh tone. Also try to get some different chew toys, or even dental chews, raw hide so they don't get bored and chew on your furniture. Try to deter them from chewing on your furniture with those bitter apple sprays they sell at the pet stores.

Answer 3

I think maybe your dog is teething or they are getting their Molars in. Get some Bully Stick's (that is what they are called from the local pet store.) But I remember our dog teething around the age of 2 year's old. But at that age its one or the other. If not I would go ask the vet.

Or the other option is if they are left all day in the house with no one to play with its because they need attention and some exercise, They need walks 3 times a day for at least 15-30 minutes.

Answer 4

We have 14 dogs with us they are all part of the Bichon family, that being Frise, Havanese, Bolognese, Maltese, Lowchen and Cotons.
We suggest that even at two they should be crate trained to avoid the stress that is now part of your life.

We have a site that is free to join and will give you all the help you need.

www.eurobichons.com

hope to see you soon

Answer 5

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/gsrNo

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 6

Its natural for dogs to chew on everything. Just like my dog! Anyways..just give them dental bones, or other chew toys or raw hides like dry pig ears(gross, i know). OR, I found a special spray thing that you spray on things that you don't want your dog to chew on. I don't know if it works, but you can give it a try. Try looking for the spray at PETCO. Also, when they chew, tell them "No!" in a harsh tone. Hope this helps =) good luck..

Answer 7

this may sound wierd but they are probably bored and you need to walk them or play hard with them to get rid of some their energy. Dogs also like to chew, nylabones are good they last a long time, and keep their teeth clean.

Answer 8

Good question- I trained my 1yo Pitbull mix Hilary to stay off the couch in just 5 days. Pretty quickly. I just had to use the Dog discipline magic system i found with google.

Answer 9

I suggest you visit http://www.dogsvets.net and consult a Vet or breed expert for free

Answer 10

You have two retarded dogs.. Sorry to have to tell you that..