How do I get my dog to stop eating my couch?

Question

I have a dog who is about 9 monthes old. She is potty trained, well behaved, and knows how to do tricks. I leave her inside all day and before I leave I pick up anything she might chew on..napkins, trash, etc. Lately she has been ripping holes in my couch cushions and pulling out the stuffing. I leave her oustide and she chews on the siding! I punish her and she just doesn't get it. She has about a thousand toys and bones to chew on. Why does she chew the couch? I want he to stop but have no idea how. I want to leave her inside but I don't want my couch to be ruined either. Help?
(Serious inquiries only. Please don't answer if you don't know what your talking about.)

By the way she used to be in a crate all the time and a couple months ago we started leaving her in the house crateless and just this past week she has started with the couch. I bet she does have some kind of seperation anxiety. I leave at 8 and am not home usually until about 6. With a 30 minute break at home most days.

Answer 1

If she's just doing this while your away she may be suffering from separation anxiety and she may need to be kenneled, when can't be supervised. Some smaller breeds may still be teething most large breeds teeth are fully in about 6 months. Also they find in a short period of time that the kennel is like there own special place. Just like a baby if she crys when she's placed in the kennel you have to ignore it, if she gets you attention (what she wants) and doesn't get let out or does then she'll learn to go longer and louder. Kennel will not hurt her, but eat things that may not pass can kill her and be very costly. Safest bet for her is to kennel, and safest bet for you couch.
Best of luck :)

Answer 2

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How do I get my dog to stop eating my couch?
I have a dog who is about 9 monthes old. She is potty trained, well behaved, and knows how to do tricks. I leave her inside all day and before I leave I pick up anything she might chew on..napkins, trash, etc. Lately she has been ripping holes in my couch cushions and pulling out the stuffing. I...

Answer 3

My dogs didn't eat the furnature, but shoes. All of them. And underwear. And what I did was bought the Boodha bones and plain jane rawhides and they dug those more than the shoes.

I'd also HIGHLY recommend getting her crate trained when you're not home. It's easier than people think and it's going to save you $$$$ in the long run. Get some puppy treats and call out 'crate' or 'kennel' or whathaveyou, when she goes in, give her the treat, lots of praise and close the door. Make sure she has jsut enough room to get up and turn around, and fresh food and water. AS SOON as you get home, take her out back and praise some more, let her go potty, more treats...etc. It'll make things a lot easier on you both.

Answer 4

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After I started training my dog, he became very attached to me and loves to stay by side as long as he can. But just going to them won't help. You have to practice what they teach you outside of the class and you need to keep up with it at least every now and then after the class ends otherwise they'll just go back to previous habits. This course is a really good place to go for dog obedience classes. It get's your dog around other people and dogs to socialize while getting the training you need. As for electric collars, I would say to not get one. In my experience, they're only a negative effect on your dog. I mean of course you're going to need to correct your dog, but being positive and encouraging your dog works a lot faster and easier.

Every dog is different, so unless you have a german shepherd or a really smart dog, it might take a while to train her. You might get frustrated with her, but go easy. She's still a puppy and has a lot of energy. A backyard or somewhere to run will help her get rid of a lot of energy that might cause her to misbehave from boredom.

Answer 5

A 9-month old dog is still considered a pup, and, as such, may still be teething. However, most dogs prefer to sleep on the couch, not eat it, so, in my experience, this is an unusual situation (I'd understand it for cats, but not for dogs!).

You didn't say whether you have caught her in the act. If not, then scolding her won't help, because the dog won't associate the punishment as having anything to do with the couch, and there's little you can do except the last-resort ideas I listed, below.

But, when you catch her in the act, you should grab her (NOT violently, though), and place her as far away from the couch as possible, but within sight of it, and tell her to "stay". Wait beside her for a few moments (30 or so seconds should suffice); if she's a "good" dog, she'll sit and look up at you waiting for your command (look at her during this "wait" time, but with a non-commital look; in other words, don't look "angry" or "happy"). If she makes for the couch during that time, then, pull her back (again, gently). Repeat this until she gets the idea that she needs to stay near you at all times. When you think that she "gets the message" (again, 30 seconds or so is fine), then walk to the sofa and sit down, making sure that the dog stays where you put her; if she follows you, then tell her "NO!" and put her back. Repeat this until she stays; then, call her over to the couch (make sure to wait a few moments, or she'll get confused: "Stay? Come? Which is it, lady???"), but make sure that she stays on the floor. Then, tell her to sit or "sleep" by you (i.e., not on the couch). Then, after a few moments, get up and walk away, making sure she follows you. Pretend to do something like get a coffee cup out of the cupboard, then return to the sofa, again making sure that the dog takes her place next to you, per the above. If you wish, you can give her a SMALL treat as a reward for following you. Then, return to the couch, and repeat the procedure a few times (watch a TV program or read for about 15 minutes or so). The idea is that the dog learns that the couch is only accessible while you are there, and, obviously, you won't permit her to tear up the furniture! This might take a while (hours . . . days), so be patient! Unfortunately, there is the risk that if she doesn't go after the sofa, she may find something else to destroy!

As for the reason she won't chew on the "thousand toys and bones" available to her, I think it's because you have spoiled her. Even a human child will quickly tire of many toys, and demand new ones. But, leave out only a select few (and nothing edible that might ruin her appetite and/or cause her to leave little doggie presents all over the house!), and the dog (and child!) learns that the toys are precious and to be enjoyed while they can! Also, leaving out lots of chew toys might confuse her into thinking that everything is fair game!

Although there are things you can buy to deter a dog from chewing on stuff, you would be conflicting her natural instinct to teethe with a "weapon" that could confuse her, rather than train her. Likewise, don't spray the dog with water as some folks do. Most dogs don't associate the water with a punishment; it's just an annoyance to them, and it could make them "angry" or even violent toward you (how would YOU like getting YOUR face sprayed for no apparent reason? a water fight is a different story, of course!).

As a second-to-last resort, fence-off the couch (there are small, expandable fences you can get from most stores that sell child-proofing accessories, such as a home and hardware store). Tell her she's a "good girl", and then leave the house. If she chews up something within range, then you know it's a teething problem. If she doesn't chew on anything, then she probably got the message from the above procedure.

The last resort is to contact a trainer.


P.S. FWIW, you wanted "serious REPLIES" or "...RESPONSES", et al., not "inquiries"; that's YOUR side of things as the "asker"!

Answer 6

Oh dear, yes I have the same problem. For some reason my eldest male and youngest Male just love the stuffing. I have no idea why. I just gave them all potato sacks stuffed with dooners for the winter to keep them comfy on their beds, but alas, one by one they have been ripped apart and scattered over the garden. I have yet to discover how to make mine stop, an endless struggle in my attempts to keep them warm and comfy. After the years I feel it is just their need to chew, rip and shred. I found that stuffing Kong's with peanut butter for night time restlessness prevented it for a while, but with so many dogs I could not keep up with the peanut butter supply. As soon as the peanut butter ran out, the boredom set in and the stuffing was fair game. Age has nothing to do with it, I have 4 dogs, two older two younger, it is one of the older and one of the younger that does it. blehhhhhh, if someone has a solution, please let me know too, I will try it and let you know of my success.

Answer 7

do you punish her after she has chewed on the couch?

If so no wonder she doesn't get it.

You must catch her in the act in order to tell her NO.

She maybe just bored. Even though she has tons of toys and bones to chew on.

Maybe you should put her in a crate while your gone so she will stop this act. maybe buy her a stuffed toy. Or in the crate put her a toy and a bone to play with.

Answer 8

Dog training techniques are as controversial as abortion, Palestine and Bill O'Reilly. But, which dog training techniques can you trust to get you out of the dog house? It will help if you think about dog training techniques as being in one of two categories: balanced and imbalanced.

The discussion about which dog training technique to use when training a dog is one that resembles a discussion between an Israeli and a Palestinian. Each one seems absolutely certain of their position and is more than ready to vilify those who don't share their views on dog training. But, if you look at dog training techniques and methods and evaluate their worth and effectiveness based on whether the approach is balanced, it's a lot easier to weed out the garbage.

For the most part, trainers and their methods fall into two main categories. Those who do not use a physical consequence as a deterrent and those who do. There are many variations in the methods used by different trainers however, almost all trainers fall into one category or the other. Some trainers use food as a reward and never allow the dog to experience a negative consequence for a poor choice. Other trainers afford the dog the opportunity to experience a consequence for making poor choices.

The Use Of Food:

Using food is great in the sense that you will probably have a very happy dog on your hands when he realizes that the training comes with an all-you-can-eat buffet. However, using food to train your dog has some pitfalls we think you should be aware of.

Food is great if you just want to impress your guests with a couple silly pet tricks but, in the real world, your dog will probably be much more interested in chasing the cat than hanging around to get your silly, dry biscuit. So, if you are using food as the primary or sole motivator, you're in for some disappointment when it comes time for your dog to perform in the real world.

Strictly Positive Reinforcement:

It is not difficult to find trainers who will tell you they use a kinder, gentler method than those used by consequence and reward trainers. They will tell you that your dog will be emotionally destroyed by the use of correction as a deterrent. Their goal is to sell you on their loving approach to dog training. They would have you believe that their method is much better than those old, barbaric correction methods.

If you try to train your dog with a method of training that is as imbalanced as this, you will be in for some serious disappointments. Sure, it sounds like a great idea; training your dog and never having to correct him for making a poor choice. Never having to do the very thing you like doing the least. However, no matter how distasteful the concept of physical consequence is to you, it is necessary if you want a really good dog. You cannot consistently praise a dog when he does something right and never give him a consequence for doing something wrong, and expect him to turn out balanced.

Consequence And Reward:

In some cases, dog training methods that involve physical consequence as a deterrent cause additional problems. Not by virtue of the fact that the dog received a physical consequence for his poor choice, but because the training was too harsh, improper, or the balance between consequence and reward was not achieved. A bad trainer can destroy any good training system. It is far from true that methods using consequence as a deterrent will result in a fearful dog. It all depends on the skill of the trainer, the manner in which the dog is corrected and the balance between consequence and reward.

Dog training techniques and methods that use a healthy balance between consequence and reward are without doubt, the most effective, healthy training techniques you can use. It is important to remember that consequence in NEVER connected to emotion while reward is always given with sincerity and love.

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Answer 9

She is chewing your couch because 9 month old dogs are not old enough to have free roam of the house! They should be in a kennel when you are not around to watch them. Dogs should not get free run of the house until at least a year old and even then it needs to be introduced gradually. 9 month old dogs are still very much chewers and need to be supervised or in their kennel at all times.

Answer 10

Crate her. Buy a Crate/Cage large enough for her to have ample room (I bought a large breed dog crate for my Boston, ran me about 50 bux, because she was destructive in my absence too) Crating isn't as cruel as some people make it out to be, crating actually calms the dogs because it locks them into a "den-like" setting which is comforting, makes them feel a little more under control. Put in some food, water and a few toys to keep her busy, it'll help I promise. I been there too. Crate the dog, save your house.