So Luna has gone from scare of our shadows and the shadows of trees in the back yard to hanging out with us on the couch and running around like a crazy person in the yard in just under 3 weeks! Things are going really well when we are around her but I am trying to figure out how to improve her life when we are not home. Right now we are forced to crating while we are at work because she is extremely destructive if left unsupervised. Last Friday we had the nerve to leave her crate unlocked while we went to the upstairs bedroom to shower and in that span of maybe 15 minutes she managed to plow through the chew stick we gave her and move on to the future missus' boots. She chewed right through side zipper ruining the pair and yesterday while crated obliterated a level 8 Tuff toy.
I'm not sure how to move forward. I want to give her more freedom but don't want to risk every shoe in the house and/or go through an $18 dog toy every day. Any tips on dealing with a heavy chewer would be greatly appreciated.
How old is she, first off? A lot of these behaviours taper off as they get older.
But honestly we had to just move everything chewable out of reach of both our dogs until they were at least 2. You can give them things to chew on and distract them, but if they're at a chew-y age and it's there and they're not supervised, then they'll probably eat it. Mabel once got through $300 worth of shoes in one day. Bones are a good distraction, but probably not something you want indoors.
Fortunately we have a yard, so it's not so much an issue during the day, but we lost quite a few TV remotes due to Uschi rising early and then figuring out how to open the hall door.
She's between 1 and 2. The yard isn't an all day option because she's small and slender and winter is starting to set in here. I totally look forward to building her a doghouse in the spring and letting her roam free in my fenced in yard (that I had redone specifically for a dog) but that's months away.
our behemoths can get through one in eight seconds flat (we've timed it) but they're meant to last several hours and act as a good bone substitute, with far less mess. The other option is nylabones, which are pretty much indestructable, but those have been a bit hit or miss for us - Mabel loves them, Uschi largely ignores them.
But it seems like crating might be your only real solution for unsupervised in-house time. It's a bit sad, but it's not forever, just until the adolescent behaviour tapers off. And as long as she gets enough exercise otherwise then it's not a problem, health-wise - lazing about is usually what dogs love to do.
our behemoths can get through one in eight seconds flat (we've timed it) but they're meant to last several hours and act as a good bone substitute, with far less mess. The other option is nylabones, which are pretty much indestructable, but those have been a bit hit or miss for us - Mabel loves them, Uschi largely ignores them.
But it seems like crating might be your only real solution for unsupervised in-house time. It's a bit sad, but it's not forever, just until the adolescent behaviour tapers off. And as long as she gets enough exercise otherwise then it's not a problem, health-wise - lazing about is usually what dogs love to do.
My dogs go through them in about 15-20 minutes.
The big beehive looking Kong toys though, those are actually impervious and worth getting.
well shit, maybe our lot just weren't trying hard enough.
The Kong things are great, but as an alone-time toy it depends how food motivated/focussed your dogs are. Ours have a Kong attention span of about three minutes, but they're not the brightest muppets in the show.
well shit, maybe our lot just weren't trying hard enough.
The Kong things are great, but as an alone-time toy it depends how food motivated/focussed your dogs are. Ours have a Kong attention span of about three minutes, but they're not the brightest muppets in the show.
That's true. Both my dogs are super food motivated, particularly Reo who just beelines for any food in the area.
We somehow got lucky with Gaston and he's not much of a destroyer. I've seen him wreck a particular type of stuffed monkey, but that was very much a one off. He just fucking hated that monkey.
We somehow got lucky with Gaston and he's not much of a destroyer. I've seen him wreck a particular type of stuffed monkey, but that was very much a one off. He just fucking hated that monkey.
He knows Planet of the Apes is always looming.
Dont see no dogs on that planet do ya?
I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
well shit, maybe our lot just weren't trying hard enough.
The Kong things are great, but as an alone-time toy it depends how food motivated/focussed your dogs are. Ours have a Kong attention span of about three minutes, but they're not the brightest muppets in the show.
Would said muppets be into the kongs if they had peanut butter in them, or can they fish it out fairly quickly? We'd use that as a way of keeping my mom's dog distracted while we were leaving, or as bait to crate her (it sounds mean, but this dog successfully ripped up the carpet and pad next to the front door on several occasions).
well shit, maybe our lot just weren't trying hard enough.
The Kong things are great, but as an alone-time toy it depends how food motivated/focussed your dogs are. Ours have a Kong attention span of about three minutes, but they're not the brightest muppets in the show.
Would said muppets be into the kongs if they had peanut butter in them, or can they fish it out fairly quickly? We'd use that as a way of keeping my mom's dog distracted while we were leaving, or as bait to crate her (it sounds mean, but this dog successfully ripped up the carpet and pad next to the front door on several occasions).
Hmm. Their laziness usually outweighs their food motivation, but that said I don't think we've ever tried with PB - they very rarely need that kind of distraction, and don't have excess energy to burn off. I use the word muppets advisedly, since it's like trying to think of a way to entertain a carpet. Mostly they just want to snooze.
I have five cats. My girlfriend and I did not intend to get 5 cats, but it happened and aside from being never-ending poop machines, we love having them.
This is Munji. In almost forty years of being around many cats, he is the weirdest. Super lovey on his own terms and will also get behind me on the couch and hold my head with his paws and try to bite my skull. If I ever get video, I will post it. He has to get water from the bathroom sink. Loves to be held by me and will hug me like a koala purring.
Buchi is the youngest one and the only one to be directly rescued from the streets. We checked if he had a home or chip and then got him him fixed. In that time he really bonded with me and is my shadow when I'm home.
This is Lilith. I adopted her from Craigslist when the ad said they'd take her to the shelter if no one adopted her. They said anything we wanted to hear. She has issues, but has improved immensely. She would never act playful like this before.
This is Gus and he's a very good boy. If he was a stray, he must have been the sweetest one. Walter is hidden on the blanket behind him.
This is Walter. He's usually a lump on the couch. At night he likes to serenade us with his Siamese-y yowling. He's not the brightest, but he figured out the bathtubs give him the best and loudest acoustics. He has issues with matting on his fur, this was before a trim.
I'll try that next. I was expecting the Tuff toy would last a bit longer and then scale up or down from there but she's a wood chipper and everything I've given her thusfar is Steve Buscemi so time to bring out the big guns
I'll try that next. I was expecting the Tuff toy would last a bit longer and then scale up or down from there but she's a wood chipper and everything I've given her thusfar is Steve Buscemi so time to bring out the big guns
Antlers/buffalo horns are great but do require a bit of monitoring, which I only found out after Enzo had cracked three teeth chewing like a monster on them because they were the only thing that could stand up to what a chewer he was when he was younger.
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VivixenneRemember your training, and we'll get through this just fine.Registered Userregular
our behemoths can get through one in eight seconds flat (we've timed it) but they're meant to last several hours and act as a good bone substitute, with far less mess. The other option is nylabones, which are pretty much indestructable, but those have been a bit hit or miss for us - Mabel loves them, Uschi largely ignores them.
But it seems like crating might be your only real solution for unsupervised in-house time. It's a bit sad, but it's not forever, just until the adolescent behaviour tapers off. And as long as she gets enough exercise otherwise then it's not a problem, health-wise - lazing about is usually what dogs love to do.
When we discovered that Bodhi can wreck a whimzee or greenie in about 1/120th of the time it's SUPPOSED to take him, we had to get a bit creative with "enrichment" options to occupy him when we were both out for the day. Cow hooves and goat horns (filled with peanut butter as encouragement) worked a treat for a bit, though we found we did have to replace them reasonably often because he'd lose interest in them over time... but they're a bit too expensive. Same with bones - he would actually ignore them when we first gave them to him. Then we started chucking them out or removing them after a couple of days, and that was when he started getting all up in them, probably cuz he realized they weren't always going to be available at his leisure.
For a while, Kongs were a great option too, because he's a bit too dumb to figure out how they work (like, we would literally just fill it with loose kibble and it took him ages to figure even that out). Now he's just so chilled out during the day that we haven't bothered in a while, though I'm thinking of reintroducing them just to exercise his noggin' a little more. Like, starting again with just kibble, then some lightly wet kibble (i.e., briefly tossed in beef stock), then gradually upping the difficulty all the way up to frozen soft stuff.
The last time we put up a camera to record Bodhi's activities during the day, we literally just watched him sleep in 1 bed, get up to move to another bed, sleep there for a while, then get up to sleep on the tiles to stay cool, then get up and go to yet another bed because clearly the tiles weren't as cuddly as his beds. No visible anxiety at all, mainly because I think he sleeps to help time pass more quickly until he sees us again.
I'll try that next. I was expecting the Tuff toy would last a bit longer and then scale up or down from there but she's a wood chipper and everything I've given her thusfar is Steve Buscemi so time to bring out the big guns
Our behaviorist back in the day did say that sometimes some "tough chewers" are also just really anxious, so they chow down on things to help relieve it. When they calm down or feel a bit more settled, you might see the chewing back off a little.
But then again, she did also say that some dogs are just tough chewers regardless, sooooo...
ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
Yeah I'm just trying to do best by her but I need to remember the progress she's made. When I was first taking her out she would keep her distance but also hide in our shadow. Now when I take her out she's prancing around with her tail wagging in between full sprints across the yard. I wish I loved anything like she loves her new back yard.
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I'm 100% sure that Haechi's daytime behavior while I'm gone is the same as Bodhi's.
Except when it thunderstorms.
Then I'm pretty sure he hides under the dining room table or in the guest bathroom.
When the doggy daycare people drop him off back home during rainstorms, I come home to find little nests built with blankets and pillows for him. The first time I saw that I was like "Yes, these daycare people are good people."
As far as chew toys go I have nothing to offer; Haechi annihilates entire kangaroo thigh bones in two days and he only weighs 9-10kg. HE LOVES FOOD. But maybe you could give them a whirl if you can find them?
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
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VivixenneRemember your training, and we'll get through this just fine.Registered Userregular
Posts
Nah.
He's probably happy because nobody is trying to make him swim any more
She's between 1 and 2. The yard isn't an all day option because she's small and slender and winter is starting to set in here. I totally look forward to building her a doghouse in the spring and letting her roam free in my fenced in yard (that I had redone specifically for a dog) but that's months away.
If she's small, you might check these out:
https://www.whimzees.com/
our behemoths can get through one in eight seconds flat (we've timed it) but they're meant to last several hours and act as a good bone substitute, with far less mess. The other option is nylabones, which are pretty much indestructable, but those have been a bit hit or miss for us - Mabel loves them, Uschi largely ignores them.
But it seems like crating might be your only real solution for unsupervised in-house time. It's a bit sad, but it's not forever, just until the adolescent behaviour tapers off. And as long as she gets enough exercise otherwise then it's not a problem, health-wise - lazing about is usually what dogs love to do.
My dogs go through them in about 15-20 minutes.
The big beehive looking Kong toys though, those are actually impervious and worth getting.
The Kong things are great, but as an alone-time toy it depends how food motivated/focussed your dogs are. Ours have a Kong attention span of about three minutes, but they're not the brightest muppets in the show.
That's true. Both my dogs are super food motivated, particularly Reo who just beelines for any food in the area.
He knows Planet of the Apes is always looming.
Dont see no dogs on that planet do ya?
Would said muppets be into the kongs if they had peanut butter in them, or can they fish it out fairly quickly? We'd use that as a way of keeping my mom's dog distracted while we were leaving, or as bait to crate her (it sounds mean, but this dog successfully ripped up the carpet and pad next to the front door on several occasions).
Hmm. Their laziness usually outweighs their food motivation, but that said I don't think we've ever tried with PB - they very rarely need that kind of distraction, and don't have excess energy to burn off. I use the word muppets advisedly, since it's like trying to think of a way to entertain a carpet. Mostly they just want to snooze.
This is Munji. In almost forty years of being around many cats, he is the weirdest. Super lovey on his own terms and will also get behind me on the couch and hold my head with his paws and try to bite my skull. If I ever get video, I will post it. He has to get water from the bathroom sink. Loves to be held by me and will hug me like a koala purring.
Buchi is the youngest one and the only one to be directly rescued from the streets. We checked if he had a home or chip and then got him him fixed. In that time he really bonded with me and is my shadow when I'm home.
This is Lilith. I adopted her from Craigslist when the ad said they'd take her to the shelter if no one adopted her. They said anything we wanted to hear. She has issues, but has improved immensely. She would never act playful like this before.
This is Gus and he's a very good boy. If he was a stray, he must have been the sweetest one. Walter is hidden on the blanket behind him.
This is Walter. He's usually a lump on the couch. At night he likes to serenade us with his Siamese-y yowling. He's not the brightest, but he figured out the bathtubs give him the best and loudest acoustics. He has issues with matting on his fur, this was before a trim.
Kind of glad it's happening quick.
Rip off the bandage
Giver her all the hugs. Hopefully you can go visit?
I'm going to befriend them on Facebook and at list be able to see her. I'm sure I could visit if I want to.
I'm not sure i do though. Might be too hard.
Some just love to go to town on them.
Satans..... hints.....
Yeah
Maybe once it's less immediately painful - from her point of view she'd probably be delighted to hang out.
speaking of terrible teenage behaviour, Zig has graduated to her Slaughterer Of All Things Paper phase
Mabel is horrified.
Gus looks like Ray Smuckles' chill cousin.
(Do people still know what Achewood is? Iunno.)
I think they are horrified they will get blamed for it
There is no way I could be happy right now but this is the best I could feel about the situation.
I'll try that next. I was expecting the Tuff toy would last a bit longer and then scale up or down from there but she's a wood chipper and everything I've given her thusfar is Steve Buscemi so time to bring out the big guns
All it did to Lola was give her a taste of Deer and dislocation of my shoulder when she sees deer
Antlers/buffalo horns are great but do require a bit of monitoring, which I only found out after Enzo had cracked three teeth chewing like a monster on them because they were the only thing that could stand up to what a chewer he was when he was younger.
When we discovered that Bodhi can wreck a whimzee or greenie in about 1/120th of the time it's SUPPOSED to take him, we had to get a bit creative with "enrichment" options to occupy him when we were both out for the day. Cow hooves and goat horns (filled with peanut butter as encouragement) worked a treat for a bit, though we found we did have to replace them reasonably often because he'd lose interest in them over time... but they're a bit too expensive. Same with bones - he would actually ignore them when we first gave them to him. Then we started chucking them out or removing them after a couple of days, and that was when he started getting all up in them, probably cuz he realized they weren't always going to be available at his leisure.
For a while, Kongs were a great option too, because he's a bit too dumb to figure out how they work (like, we would literally just fill it with loose kibble and it took him ages to figure even that out). Now he's just so chilled out during the day that we haven't bothered in a while, though I'm thinking of reintroducing them just to exercise his noggin' a little more. Like, starting again with just kibble, then some lightly wet kibble (i.e., briefly tossed in beef stock), then gradually upping the difficulty all the way up to frozen soft stuff.
The last time we put up a camera to record Bodhi's activities during the day, we literally just watched him sleep in 1 bed, get up to move to another bed, sleep there for a while, then get up to sleep on the tiles to stay cool, then get up and go to yet another bed because clearly the tiles weren't as cuddly as his beds. No visible anxiety at all, mainly because I think he sleeps to help time pass more quickly until he sees us again.
It's a rock and roll life our greyhound.
Our behaviorist back in the day did say that sometimes some "tough chewers" are also just really anxious, so they chow down on things to help relieve it. When they calm down or feel a bit more settled, you might see the chewing back off a little.
But then again, she did also say that some dogs are just tough chewers regardless, sooooo...
:bro:
Except when it thunderstorms.
Then I'm pretty sure he hides under the dining room table or in the guest bathroom.
When the doggy daycare people drop him off back home during rainstorms, I come home to find little nests built with blankets and pillows for him. The first time I saw that I was like "Yes, these daycare people are good people."
As far as chew toys go I have nothing to offer; Haechi annihilates entire kangaroo thigh bones in two days and he only weighs 9-10kg. HE LOVES FOOD. But maybe you could give them a whirl if you can find them?
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
You too, huh?
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
I raised the latter from a kitten, the former's a rescue cat who I got to keep him company.
who could look at this tongue and NOT want a Leonberger???