Dog Chewing?

Question

My dog is starting to chew on all the shoes we have and we have tried to keep em all lovked up but sometimes we just forget, he even chews on socks, but thats it, i really dont want to sit here and keep spending money on shoes, he even chewed my husbands army boots, some of you all might know they cost quite a bit, plus i have went through 4 pairs of flip flops in 2 months.... HELP ME PLEASE my hubby said we might have to get rid of him if we cant figure otu whta to do

Answer 1

My dog, a husky-lab-hound mix, was having a lot of trouble when we weren't home with her too - chewing shoes and anything plastic she could find. We tried the Kong but that didn't work, tried crating her but she broke out of 2 different types of crates - it was a nightmare. Finally, when I took her to the vet I asked about what could be done since her behaviors were happening when we weren't home and you can't really train a dog to act in a certain way when you aren't there to do it.

The vet indicated that our dog has a huge case of separation anxiety and this is the problem. He prescribed Clorprimine (spelling could be off a little). WHAT A WONDER!!! She is a totally different dog now! Rarely does she chew things when we aren't home and when she does it's not a pair of shoes - it's a pen or a plastic cup....no big deal. The medication runs us $30 for 100 pills and I give it to her twice a day. COMPLETELY worth each and every penny!! It doesn't make her sleepy or lazy either.

Answer 2

You might want to use a kennel cab for when you can't supervise him to make sure he doesn't eat things he is not supposed to. Redirect him when he goes for something he shouldn't and provide plenty of "OK" chew toys like a Kong, Nylabones, balls and treats on occasion like Denta Stix etc.
You can spray some "Yuck Mouth" on flip flops and leave them out where he can attempt to chew. It has a very nasty taste, stronger than "Bitter Apple" spray but you can't smell it.
You didn't say how old your dog is. If your dog is a puppy or young adult, this behavior will likely stop with training. I have a Pit Bull mix who chewed two holes in the wall in her adolescent chewing stage and with training and supervision she is a great dog now. She won't chew on anything that she shouldn't. The Kennel Cab helped a lot with that, at times when I was not able to supervise her.

Answer 3

Really? It sounds like this dog needs more toys, supervision, and mental stimulation. Invest in a Kong, if you dont already have one. You can stuff it with peanut butter and freeze it, it will take a while for him to get it all out, also Nutro makes these desert things that also work great for stuffing bones and stuff like the Kongs. Treat dispensing balls are fun and mentally stimulating as well. You could look into doggy daycare, this way your dog will get high intestity rigorous exercise with other dogs. Also supervising him so he doesnt have the opportunity to chew on shoes and other things he shouldnt get into helps tremendously. Try crating him when you arent home, or confining him to a dog-proofed room with his toys when he cannot be watched. Too many animals end up in shelters and are euthanized each year for easily fixable problems. Go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and check out the Idiots Guide or Dummies Guides, they are very straight and to the point books. The animal ones are written in a very user-friendly manner that will give you the info you need to help your dog stop chewing innapropriately. Good luck, please dont give up on your training ability or your dogs trainability.

Answer 4

I would try two things, first you can purchase at the local pet store bitter apple, it will taste bad to the dog when it goes to chew on whatever you spray it on, like the tip of your shoes or something. I've known people to also use vinegar or a little bit of jalapeno juice. The dog will eventually get the point that chewing on stuff = icky taste. Or one method that has worked for me is whenever you catch the dog chewing, spray him with a water bottle. Make sure the spray is a hard stream, not a fine mist. It will startle the dog and most dogs don't like being sprayed like that. Tell the dog "no" after spraying and try to hide the bottle behind your back or something so they don't learn to hate bottles. It got my sister-in-law's dog to stop barking at nothing. Well good luck, I hope you don't have to get rid of your dog.

Answer 5

put 3-4 Penny's in a empty pop can. Duct tape the top so they don't fall out. When u see him eating the shoes or flip flops..shake the can really hard and tell him "BAD" or "NO" and give him something he's allowed to chew on. If he ignores you...throw the can at him!! I promise this will not hurt...it's a empty pop can with 3-4 Penny's in it. It will scare him and make him fear doing it again. It's a popular dog training technique that works great for my dog!!

Answer 6

Purchase a product called bitter apple, and spray it on some old shoes where the puppy will have access to it. They will taste the bitter apple (Very Sour), and not like the taste and should learn to leave the shoes alone.

Also you may want to try crate training you puppy while not home, and making sure it has a lot of toys it can chew.

Answer 7

there are two options you have...onme get this spray from the pet store that is called bitter apple and it may or maynot make him stop chewing on your shoes. he might then switch to something else thogh so he is going to have to learn. when you find that he has chewed on something take him to that spot where he chewed the item and point at it and tell him no bad boy and other
things...make him look at you so you get eh point across. when you come home and find that he hasnt eaten anythign reward him...alot...unfortunatly this may take a long tuime but i am afraid it is the only way to make him learn.
i hope he gets better!!!

Answer 8

There is a product called "Bitter Apple". You can find it in any pet store. Just spray it on whatever you don't want him to chew on. It has a bitter taste they don't like. You might also want to get him some chew toys and squeaky toys, to keep him occupied.

Answer 9

There are a few real keys to dog training, whether you are trying to train your dog to come when called, sit, stop barking or any other behavior. Understanding their importance is critical to achieving rapid results that are long lasting and help develop the bond between you and your dog. Learn more http://OnlineDogTraining.enle.info/?5I10

The first is simple; you must win your dogs mind. If you don’t achieve this first then you will be struggling the all the way. When I talk about winning your dogs mind what I really mean is that your dog looks to you for all the decisions. Before you do anything else watch one of the amazing video sites that show you the 5 Golden rules to establishing yourself as the pack leader. If you aren’t putting these in place then you are setting yourself up to fail. Just at the crucial point where you really want your dog to listen they will go and do their own thing. For sure your dog may play ball occasionally or even most of the time, you may even have a dog that is obedient 99% of the time, however if you want a dog who always listens to you and does as you ask then you need to win your dogs mind.

The second key to success is to motivate your dog. It is really important that you discover what it is that your dog enjoys both in terms of exercise and play but also in terms of a reward. If you can make the experience enjoyable then you will both achieve more and look forward to training.

Some dogs love to fetch, others love agility, and other dogs simply love obedience training, or swimming out into water and retrieve. At least to start with find out what your dogs love is and help them develop this, what I am saying is work with your dog. The other point to recognize is to make training enjoyable reward your dog.

Answer 10

well, if you can't remember to keep those things away from him get an alternative. deem certain toys his and put something sour or yucky otherwise sprinkled in your shoes. you could also just call a vet and ask what to do, i'm sure they'd share some advice over the phone.