My stinken dog is chewing up EVERYTHING!!!!!!?

Question

My beautiful black lab mix, whom I love dearly, is driving me insane! We just paid A LOT of money a week ago to get her spayed and ever since then she has been sneaking off to chew up anything and everything she can! She's alittle over a year old and didn't even destroy things this bad when she was a pup.
What could be bothering her so bad to make her so distructive?
She's not usually like this so thats why I think it might be a phsycological thing with her. Something must be bothering her. Could it be from getting her spayed? Could she be mad at me for something?
I'm at a loss with her. She's driving me crazy... She sneaks off to chew up slippers or my daughter's toys all the time.
This morning alone, she had chewed up a candle and a rope light (that was unplugged) and some trash that I have yet to find where it came from! Just this morning!
What should I do?

Answer 1

Ok, it's not the spay.

It's time to do some remedial training. When you aren't watching her, she's crated. Period. I tell people you can also try this with a dog if they are sneaking off. Get a 10 foot leash. Put it on the dog and leave it on them 24x7 unless the dog is in the crate. When the dog is in the room with you, the leash is looped under your chair, over your foot or on your belt. Tie the dog to you. She can't sneak off. She has plenty of room to move around, sleep, play with her toys etc. but she can't leave the room.

When you aren't watching, back in the crate. 2 weeks of this, she will be fine. If she goes after something inappropriate, correct her. You have the leash in your hand to do so.

Give her one of her toys and redirect her energy.

She's getting into trouble because she has too much freedom. Restrict it and she won't be in trouble.

Right now, I have 5 dogs. 4 are in the room with us and the 5th is in the kitchen. They can't go anywhere else because we have gates. I can see ALL of them from where I sit, this minute. No one does anything they aren't supposed to and they range in age from 2-14. It's like with kids - supervise them.
=)

Answer 2

This is a phase that should pass in time. Your dog isn't "mad" at you dogs don't have those type of emotions, that's a human thing so I wouldn't think that. I would consult with your vet over what might be the cause, she might be having lasting affects from whatever medication they gave her or she could be going thru the "puppy crazies" Best thing to do is puppy proof your house REALLY well, keep all doors closed and confine her to a room like the kitchen, gate things off or purchase a crate and crate train her. It keeps your house and her safe. Purchase a couple of sturdy toys for her to destroy along with some good nyla bones.

Good luck. If it continues look into training classes or bringing a trainer into your home.

Answer 3

When I read the title I thought of my black lab haha. He tore up the bottom of the couch, fixed it, and he tore up the other side. He's part lab and German Sheperd. So he has a little bit of brown by his paws and a little white strip on his chest. Very beautiful but I thought of Bear when I read your title and was pleasantly surprised that your dog is a lab as well. Bear is only 6 months and he's gotten so big but he's done with the chewing of the furniture, now he just hides our shoes. If I'm missing a shoe, I know it'll be upstairs on my mother's bed. He's quite a character. But I'd say that it's normal for all labs or dogs that get to be so big. Just buy her some rawhides to chew on. Bear loves them. He recently chewed up a doggie pillow/bed and my other dog Lady (who's smaller despite being 4 years older, because she's a miniature shelty) was pissed at him. He knows better now. We're just thankful that he doesn't chew up our shoes haha. Well, if she continues, just tap her on the nose or her behind. Let her know she's doing a bad thing.

Answer 4

I have found that when our dog has not been played with or has any attention given to her she will chew up things. It seems that she does it to prove her point or something. Maybe give your dog a little more attention or exercise. Have things she can chew on that are hers only when she is caught chewing up things punish her and put her in a cage for a little while. Our dog learned not to chew things and this was a dog that chewed through a wall.

Answer 5

Was she crate trained as a puppy? Crate training is not only used for housebreaking but for chew training. When the dog is not being supervised, it is in a crate so it cannot chew indiscriminately. If she is allowed to chew without being caught in the act, the very act of chewing is rewarding this behavior. The house needs to be chew-proofed, which means anything of value cannot be left laying around. Next, have LOTS of safe toys available for her to chew on and praise her when she chooses one of them. And third, no being left alone without supervision.
As far as the chewing being related to spaying, was she given good pain medications after surgery? I hope so! Pain could have caused high anxiety to her and the chewing was an outlet for this.
Also, at just over a year, a labrador is still very much a puppy and needs to be treated as such. Be patient, consistent, and fair.

Answer 6

she might be giving you pay back for the spaying. give her raw hide chews and her own toys.keep her buzy with play and walks. these are a high energy dog that has to being doing something at all times while awake.give her a frisbee and a good hard ball the she can toss around or like my border collie who has a habit of chewing i give her empty soda bottles with the caps on and she will play with it and twist the tops off then toss it around all day.my 3mt old pup plays with them too.they can get upset with changes so when she is being bad and getting into stuff say no and give her her own toys. good luck.

Answer 7

you know that is weird, cuz after my cat was spayed, she would hiss and chase her tail and bite it so bad that she would bleed. But after a month or two, she calmed down and now chases things that nobody else can see. And before she was spayed she NEVER EVER acted like that. I think that the medicine they used to knock her out, really messed her up. Crazy Huh!

Answer 8

Are you giving her MAJOR walks every day?
Is she getting enough exercise?
Could there possibly be some sort of tooth issue, besides teething?
You may just have yourself a very high energy dog that will require a lot of activity every day. But check her mouth out to be sure there aren't any dental issues.

Answer 9

you do no longer say how previous your dogs is. i might make effective he has issues to chew on, you may desire to maintain issues faraway from him- like do no longer leave outfits mendacity on the floor. save him in his crate once you are able to no longer watch him, once you're staring at him, as quickly as you spot him start to mouth something he shouldn't, tell him no and supply him considered one of his chewy issues extremely. in case you're having problems with him chewing on issues like doors and furniture, you are able to spray those products with bitter apple (yucky tasting stuff that's no longer poisonous) some people advise spraying slightly interior the canines mouth so he's commonplace with in basic terms how undesirable it tastes, then spraying issues you do no longer choose chewed so the dogs acknowledges the smell.

Answer 10

what about freezing a dirty sock of yours.. that always helps.
There is like a liquid spray that you spray onto objects and it makes the dogs not want to eat them or chew them. It probably is her hormone level and it will self regulate in time.