Note from dog walker: "The puppy has been pooping silver and purple beads... "

[Dee*Jay]

Let me first start with a list of things Oscar The Monster has eaten since we got him several weeks ago:
- my new brown sweater from J Jill (fortunately it was a loose weave and I was able to crochet the hole back together to the point that only I can tell)
- the only sheets we have that match our comforter (guess it's time for a new bed ensamble)
- the doorframe to my office (apparently he doesn't like it when I work)
- rocks out of the pot from the big cactus (it kinda leans to one side now because there's not much left to hold it upright)
- various books and magazines (he's particularly fond of science fiction)
- the trim and baseboard at the bottom of the stairs (that would have had to come up anyway when we replace the marble, but still... )
- the bottom leaves off of the false aurelia (it actually looks better shaped like this, but I'm not telling him that!)
- the corners of the walls (in several places)
- the mission style table in the entry way (maybe it's his way of telling us that we shouldn't just pile the mail on there for weeks at a time)
- and now, apparently, the decorative beaded pillow that used to sit on the sofa in the den (what a shame; I remember my little thrill of triumph when I found that pillow at TJ Maxx for $5 because it matched to nicely)

We've gotten him to stop using the 4th floor family room as his own personal toilet, so I take that to be a plus, but this chewing/eating thing is out of hand. We got the spray stuff that is supposed to taste bad to them but we might as well have dumped it in his water bowl and let him drink it for all he is stopped by it.

We also borrowed the crate back from my clients who lent it to us when we got The Demon. Funnily enough, when we first had The Demon in the crate he HATED it. Now we can't get him out of it. He goes in there and looks at us like, yah? what the problem? and when the puppy tries to get near it Dino growls. So of course now the puppy sees the crate at belonging to The Demon and won't even get close. We read that you should put the pup's food in there so he develops a positive association with the crate. Right. Oscar would starve to death before he would go in there to get one bit of food. Trust me. And I simply CAN NOT *shove* him in there and shut the door. I can't. After his reaction to my MIL last weekend there are obviously some unresolved issues in his little doggy past and I am simply not willing to add to his trauma by pushing him into a cage and locking him in. (Yes, I am a big softie... )

So, dear PS friends, WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO? Soon the entire first floor (which is where we put the dogs when we're gone) will be destroyed (please refer to woodwork items above). More importantly, I'm really afraid he might eat something that will do him some harm. There are AMPLE toys of all kinds for him to chomp on, and we tried to give them both big long rawhide bones, but The Demon took them all to "his" rug and wouldn't let Oscar have any. (Oscar didn't seem to mind in the least. As a matter of fact, he lets The Demon take things from him all the time and couldn't seem to care less.)

But back to the matter at hand. What am I going to do with The Mad Chewer?

Help me...

 

[NYCsparkle]

Hey deejay...that title cracked me up....here are a few tips...hopefully SOMETHING will work

 

[curiopotter]

If all else fails, call Caesar Milan!

http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/

 

[Erin]

I''ve noticed that dogs are territorial of their toys. Little Monster may not be interested in existing toys because he can already smell that they don''t belong to him. He should have his own toys that his big brother doesn''t (shouldn''t) play with.

 

[ljmorgan]

Your biggest solution here is EXERCISE. Exhausted, happy dogs do not tear everything to shreds. A looong 45 minute walk in the morning, at a very quick pace, followed by 15 minutes or so of throwing a ball in a yard.

He needs his own crate, one that you do not allow your other dog to possess. Let the new dog access this crate first, and correct your other dog if he tries to enter it, or growls at your new dog for entering it. Same thing with bones -- each get their own, and when Demon goes to take the other one, correct him. If he continues, take away his bone and force him to leave the room for a while. Repeat until he''s happy to be in the room minding his own bone. I dealt with this recently when bringing a new chihuahua into my home, chi''s especially are very territorial!

When you get home, another long vigorous walk. Even my tiny chihuahuas need long walks to rid excess energy, dogs don''t get exercise running around the house or even a big backyard.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Welcome the the joys of having a puppy Dee Jay! I remember all too well, as my youngest is only about a year and a half now and still has puppy tendencies.

I would suggest crate training. It''s the only way to ensure that the pup is not getting into things when you are not around. I know that he won''t like it and that you don''t want to "shove" him in there and shut the door, but sometimes that''s what it takes. Let him associate his crate with good things and he''ll eventually learn. Put him in for a few minutes and then praise him lavishly with treats/hugs/kisses/snuggles for being a good boy when you let him out. Increase the crate time little by little each day/week and he''ll get used to it.

I do not leave food or water in my dogs'' crates because if they eat/drink then they have to pee/poo during the day when nobody is home. They get breakfast first thing in the a.m. and dinner in the evening and they are happy, healthy pugs.

Good Luck with Oscar!

Jess

 

[AmberGretchen]

Deejay - nyc has given you some great pointers in that post. I think it sounds like Oscar definitely needs his own crate - crate training is something that will prove invaluable with a dog that has chewing issues. I would actually give him all his food out of kongs, buster cubes, etc...because it will keep him busy and mentally stimulated and focused on chewing the right things. This link has a number of helpful handouts you can download for free - including one on confinement/crate training. I highly highly recommend trying this - either with a crate of his own or baby-gated into a part of your home such as a bathroom or kitchen, or in a metal x-pen (sold at most pet stores, and nice because it is collapsible and can be stored out of the way when not in use, and you can also set it up anywhere). Demon''s response to the crate indicates that he might do well having one permanently - they should like their crate quite a bit, its like their personal den, and its a very comforting place for them if they are trained properly to use it.

 

[jcrow]

*Lindsey* - i completely agree re: exercise! lots of it. they need it. especially if they are alone for a good part of the day.


instead of food/water in the crate, have you tried treats? cosmo will do nearly anything for a treat!

and instead of a crate, (although i do think he should learn to make peace with the crate) is there a small room that he could be left in? cosmo stays in the guest bathroom. i put a treat in and he walks right on in.

also, for the wood chewing... they make a spray that you put on the wood, etc. and it is suppose to deter them from knawing on it. maybe look into that?

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 7/31/2007 3:58:49 PM
Author: *Lindsey*
Your biggest solution here is EXERCISE. Exhausted, happy dogs do not tear everything to shreds. A looong 45 minute walk in the morning, at a very quick pace, followed by 15 minutes or so of throwing a ball in a yard.

He needs his own crate, one that you do not allow your other dog to possess. Let the new dog access this crate first, and correct your other dog if he tries to enter it, or growls at your new dog for entering it. Same thing with bones -- each get their own, and when Demon goes to take the other one, correct him. If he continues, take away his bone and force him to leave the room for a while. Repeat until he''s happy to be in the room minding his own bone. I dealt with this recently when bringing a new chihuahua into my home, chi''s especially are very territorial!

When you get home, another long vigorous walk. Even my tiny chihuahuas need long walks to rid excess energy, dogs don''t get exercise running around the house or even a big backyard.

Right on with this post......totally on the mark.

He needs his own crate---one that the Demon isn''t allowed to go into. A way to achieve this would be to first put the Demon in his own crate with his bone. Once that''s done, you can entice Oscar into HIS crate by tossing HIS bone or toy into the back of his crate (or luring him in with some other tantalizing thing.) When he tries to come out of his crate with it, take the item away and throw it back into the back of the crate again. After a few times, he will sit down with it becuase he knows you''re going to take it away. Once he sits in his crate, close the door.

Don''t push him in - that will give a negative connotation.

Dee, I empathize with the softie issue....I had the same viewpoint on the whole ''cage'' thing. BUT.....after my Nicky, I''m a total convert. You have to understand that they don''t see it as a cage....WE do. To them, it''s a den...and it''s security. Not at first, but with repetition, it becomes that to them. Once Oscar realizes that he''s not getting hurt in there AND that he benefits (because he can enjoy HIS treats/toys with NO interference from Dino), he''s gonna warm up to it quickly.

It took me about 2 weeks to crate train Nicky to the point of not crying/barking.....tough two weeks, but well worth it.

Being the ''parent'' requires us to set aside our ''softie'' inclinations to do what''s right for our fur-babies. If you had a human child, it would be your job to make unpopular decisions from time to time.....i.e. taking a child for shots even though it''s going to temporarily hurt him. For me, this is much the same thing. If Oscar continues on his eat-the-earth ways, he could ingest something that would seriously hurt him, and I KNOW you''d feel horrible about that.

He''s far too young to have the run of the land yet....just like a 3-year old child is too young to run around a house and get into anything/everything. My dog Nicky was eeeeeeeeeeasy to crate train, but it took until he was just past 3 years to finally get full run of our house. From 1-3, we did some short trial runs, and realized he just wasn''t ready for it. He was too full of energy and too curious to let him.

Now he''s six......he''s had run of our house for just about 3 years, and his favorite place is still his crate. It''s in the dining room with the door open. He hates to ride in the car, so every morning, when he knows we''re fixing to leave, he runs into his crate! for security......because that''s where he feels safe.

 

[mrssalvo]

I third getting him his own crate..seriously, leaving him home alone with free reign of the house can not only destroy your house but he could seriously injure himself too. I crate trained Zoe by giving her treats when she went in to the point she''d randomly go into when I was looking in order to get a treat. Also, keeping Dino out of Oscar''s cage is a must..

 

[Ellen]

I got some Kiwi''s he could chew on.

 

[rainbowtrout]

One of my friends has 2 very high energy pups (rottie and a chow chow, both strays)

Her solution is packs: she bought them doggie packs and started out with 1 can of beans in each side. you can go up as they get in better shape. this makes their exercise time even MORE effective, plus you have a dog in great health.

 

[risingsun]

When my beloved Charlie was a puppy he ate an entire glass Christmas tree ornament. He pooped glitter and tiny bits of glass for several days

Only one of our many trips to the emergency vet clinic. Crate training, in his own crate, is a must, IMO. Constant supervision is also needed for "I eat it all" puppies. They are like little sharks. My Charlie is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel...what he did to my oriental rug was a crime. I had my back turned for a minute

He's older and has been to obedience classes. He even earned his Canine Good Citizen Award. Training, when your guy is old enough, tons of exericise, and a good sense of humor should help

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 7/31/2007 6:07:24 PM
Author: Ellen
I got some Kiwi''s he could chew on.

 

[monarch64]

Awww, Oscar''s getting a bad rep already! Sorry he ate part of your sweater, DeeJay, but at least you were able to repair it! I didn''t know you could crochet, that''s so cool! I like to knit but I''m not good at following patterns so I just stick to scarves and throws, whatever I can knit in a straight line, lol!

Daisy is totally crate trained, but boy did she chew the heck out of this place even with tons of exercise/attention. Our LR ottoman is shredded on three corners, guess that''s a loss, and as soon as she was "tall" enough, she figured out how to pull paperwork and bills off the desk or dining room table where DH and I would have left them. TG for internet bill paying! What she really loved to do as soon as I bought brand new linens for our bed was to sneak upstairs and pee all over the bed, I guess in an attempt to mark it because Milo sleeps with us there and she''s relegated to the crate. Two or three times a week for the whole months of March and April I was washing the duvet cover, filler, quilt, and sheets and taking the down mattress cover thingie to the cleaners. Argh, could''ve stuffed her in a gunny sack and thrown her in the river! Luckily she''s never chewed on wood (knocking on an end table right now), I can''t imagine having to replace door frames or furniture due to a dog chewing them.

Ya know, there are obedience trainers who''ll actually come to your house and train for an hourly fee. I took Milo for training in brookfield with a guy named Dave Wiecoskek (ok I just butchered his last name and I''ve lost his card but I bet you can google something and find him.) Anyway, he was great and is known around these parts as the dog whisperer...maybe you could give him a call and have him over once or twice, or someone similar.

 

[monarch64]

Oh, and forgot to add that maybe there are TOO many toys lying around on the first floor? I''ve read and been told you shouldn''t give them more than one or two toy options because then they get confused as to what exactly is a toy, or they get overwhelmed or whatever by too many choices. I figured that out with ours real quick when we added the second one...if there are three rawhide bones in their playspot in the living room, neither of them wants anything to do with a bone, but if there are only 2 somehow it''s a magic number and they both grab one (ok after a little scuffling) and are contented.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Thank you all for the great advice. (Except you Ellen--the puppy doesn''t like kiwis. But if you have any extra strawberries he''ll be right over!)

So what I''m getting here is that maybe we should explore a second crate for Oscar (and perhaps a bigger house along with it since those crates are so damn HUGE.) and to take a different approach with the whole toys/rawhides thing. (Thanks for the tip about possibly too many toys *MONNIE*, that never even occured to me.)

The HH did get Oscar to sit in the crate for about 15 minutes last night with the door closed but even though there were toys in there with him he just sat and stared at the HH the whole time. He wouldn''t even lie down. Oh well, I guess that is *some* progress...

In terms of exercise, the dogs go out four times a day, but I''m guessing they must not be getting enough energy out, especially in the morning walk because it seems to be after that that the destruction occurs. Time to teach the puppy to fetch!

Unfortunately Oscar is not food motivated at all. Sometimes he''ll take a treat from me "just to be polite" and then put it down on the ground and walk away. But *AL* I love the idea of tossing the bone in over and over again until he stays in there with it. We are definitely going to try that!

One question: We read somewhere that the crate should be covered on three sides to make it dark and den-like. Do you all do that or do you leave it uncovered so the dog can get a full view of what''s going on?

 

[mercoledi]

I don''t know what the setup of your house is, but my friends have a rather rambunctious chocolate lab that is just a bundle of energy. They have him crate trained but also have his crate set up with a little door that allows him acess to the back yard. They can close/lock the door when they don''t want him to go out (and for security reasons) but otherwise he can be crate and still duck out to the yard to run laps and chase lizards as he desires.

I don''t know if it would work for you, but it''s a cool setup that I thought is worth sharing. Good luck with the Daemon and monster!

 

[Miranda]

Oh Dee Jay! I''m so sorry! What a naughty pup! Your post did have me cracking up. I''d try the crate, too.

 

[jaz464]

Date: 7/31/2007 3:58:49 PM
Author: *Lindsey*
Your biggest solution here is EXERCISE. Exhausted, happy dogs do not tear everything to shreds. A looong 45 minute walk in the morning, at a very quick pace, followed by 15 minutes or so of throwing a ball in a yard.

He needs his own crate, one that you do not allow your other dog to possess. Let the new dog access this crate first, and correct your other dog if he tries to enter it, or growls at your new dog for entering it. Same thing with bones -- each get their own, and when Demon goes to take the other one, correct him. If he continues, take away his bone and force him to leave the room for a while. Repeat until he''s happy to be in the room minding his own bone. I dealt with this recently when bringing a new chihuahua into my home, chi''s especially are very territorial!

When you get home, another long vigorous walk. Even my tiny chihuahuas need long walks to rid excess energy, dogs don''t get exercise running around the house or even a big backyard.

This is all true and very very important. Many people think letting dogs run around the backyard is all the excercise they need. NOT TRUE! A tired dog is a good dog. Dogs need to be walked every single day, preferably twice a day, minimum 1 hour.

And of course, a puppy should not be allowed to roam the house. He needs to be crate trained ASAP. You may feel bad locking him up but you are not doing him any favors by allowing him to chew on whetever he wants and possibly choking or digesting something dangerous.

 

[Julianna]

I don''t have any puppy advice for you, just wanted to jump in and say that your posts are always such fun reads.

 

[angel_nieves]

Deejay I love the tittle to your thread. My mastiff had a problem chewing (doors, furniture, my favorite Ayn Rand books). We ended up crate training her and walking her three times a day. It seemed to help, getting rid of excess energy she she more content when it was time for her to be inside.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 8/1/2007 10:49:16 AM
Author: Dee*Jay

Unfortunately Oscar is not food motivated at all. Sometimes he'll take a treat from me 'just to be polite' and then put it down on the ground and walk away. But *AL* I love the idea of tossing the bone in over and over again until he stays in there with it. We are definitely going to try that!

Glad to hear it may offer some help to you. I KNOW it did with Nicky.

When Nicky was little, he LOVED banana-flavored/scented Nylabones. So, I'd throw it into the back. After a few times of trying to get by me and having me take it away from him and toss it back, it was HYSTERICAL. It was like you could *almost SEE* the little thought bubble over his head going "Crap, if I try to pass her again, she's just gonna take it away.....hmmm? How can I keep it?" So he'd lay down and begin chewing it, and I'd sit for about 2 min while he did. Then I closed the crate door and sat for another 2 min while he kept chewing. Then I'd get up and move around the house. The only time he got the banana bones was in the crate.

Date: 8/1/2007 10:49:16 AM
Author: Dee*Jay

One question: We read somewhere that the crate should be covered on three sides to make it dark and den-like. Do you all do that or do you leave it uncovered so the dog can get a full view of what's going on?

I can only reply based on my experience, and my answer would be no.....don't cover it. A den doesn't have to be dark to be a 'den'; it only has to represent security and HIS space. Obstructing his view by covering the crate just reinforces that he's alone (because he can't see you readily) and can make him anxious. I think it also send the wrong message......it's only time to settle down when it's dark.

I tend to view the crate more like a kid's playpen.....confines him to a safe area where he can play without causing separation anxiety.

I had Nicky in an airline carrier container (think plastic on 3 sides with the grated door in front) for the first 2 nights; then I moved to the open-style wire crate. With the open wire crate, he could see me moving around the house even when he was closed into the crate. He came to realize that he was ok in there and that he could still see me and I could see him as I moved around the house.

When I was training him, I'd put him in for a short while after dinner. His crate was in the dining room, which was between the kitchen and living room. So, I made it a point to walk back and forth during that time---carrying laundry, cleaning the apartment, etc., so that he could see me and knew that he was ok. I didn't respond or acknowledge him at all when he cried or whined. After 5-10 minutes, he'd finally stop making a fuss and settle down and just watch me walk back and forth. Once he settled for 5 minutes, I'd let him out and keep about my business, walking around the house. He learned that he wasn't alone when he was confined, so he stopped being anxious.

 

[aljdewey]

Let me tell you, too, about a very POSITIVE experience I had with the crate.

One night, I had gone out after dinner and Nicky was crated as usual. When I returned home, he TOTALLY didn''t look right....his whole face was swelled until his eyes were little slits. I was PANICKED....and phoned the emergency vet.

Her first question was ''is there anything he might have gotten into?''. Because he was crated, I KNEW that wasn''t possible. Because I could be so sure about that, she realized the only remaining explanation was that he was stung by something. A quick trip to the drug store to get some benadryl fixed the problem within 30 minutes.

I''d owned two others dogs before Nicky, and that was the absolute FIRST time I was able to say unequivocally "no, it''s not possible that he got into something while I was out." That really punctuated for me how much the crate represents his safety.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

I second the crate training. We did that with Max and it made a HUGE difference. The first week we had him he chewed a hole in the carpet, (actually a couple of holes), chewed a hole in the wall (right through the drywall, my neighbor thought someone was coming through the wall) and chewed many wood corners in our apartment. The bitter apple worked on the wood but nothing else. Once we got the crate it all stopped. I was so worried he was going to eat something that would hurt him, it really gave me peace of mind while I was gone. He also had chewed the cord to a fan (which luckily was NOT plugged in at the time)
I did not cover his crate, it was open on all sides. I''m sure the cat probably taunted him through the bars!!
He recently had 2 knee surgeries. He tore both ACL''s within 4 months of each other. The crate training REALLY came in handy then, because he had to be crated when we weren''t home. If I hadn''t already crate trained him it would have been really difficult to get a post surgical 80 pound dog in to a crate!
Good luck!

 

[AdaBeta27]

Keep him away from wallpaper. My parent''s dog figured out how to strip that off using his teeth.

 

[Dee*Jay]

First of all, AL YOU'RE A GENIUS! We got Oscar into the crate with the bone trick last night. I don't know who was more tired at the end, him or my HH, but it worked. Then the HH just sat there reading a magazine for about half an hour in full view of Oscar. The Demon kept pacing back and forth and whimpering a little for a while, but then he just lay down beside the crate, and Oscar lay down in the crate, and everything we owned was safe for a few small moments! We are going to get a second crate though and see how that works out.

Also, Al, thank you for the story about Nicky and being stung. That really hit home for me.

mercoledi, unfortunately we don't have our own yard, but it sounds like your friends have a great set up there.

Tiffany, I wonder if our neighbor's dog is eating the drywall from the other side of our wall! I swear sometimes I hear noises like that coming from their side, and they have two cocker spaniel puppies that are pretty spastic. When we first moved in I seriously thought maybe there were rats trapped between the walls or something. I wonder if there's a "delicate" way to ask my neighbors about this... ?

Ada, we don't have any wallpaper but we were thinking of putting up some textured grass paper in the entry way as part of a remodeling project. I think not after hearing this!

 

[risingsun]

Our crate is also our kennel cab. There are openings on the sides, as well as the front door. We don't cover the sides. Check on the size. It should be big enough for the dog to get up and turn around, but not too big--it won't seem like a den. When we're at home, we leave the crate door open, in case he wants to go inside. Only positive experiences should be associated with the crate. We never use it for discipline. Best of luck

My friend's Russian Wolfhound ate her kitchen, because she thought it was cruel to put him in a crate

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 8/2/2007 4:21:27 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
First of all, AL YOU'RE A GENIUS! We got Oscar into the crate with the bone trick last night. I don't know who was more tired at the end, him or my HH, but it worked. Then the HH just sat there reading a magazine for about half an hour in full view of Oscar. The Demon kept pacing back and forth and whimpering a little for a while, but then he just lay down beside the crate, and Oscar lay down in the crate, and everything we owned was safe for a few small moments! We are going to get a second crate though and see how that works out.

Also, Al, thank you for the story about Nicky and being stung. That really hit home for me.

YAAAAAAAAAAAY, DeeJay! Seeing this post LITERALLY made my whole night!

SO SO SO happy to have helped!

You're right....I *AM* a genius

.....but not because of this. This wasn't a huge brainstorm - it's just relaying a positive experience that might help. SO glad it worked!

There is nothing worse than loving an animal so much on the one hand and feeling the most intense frustration on the other because you can't please each other. It's MUCH easier to figure out what works.

The dog I had before Nicky wasn't crate trained....and it was a really rough go for us for nearly two years. She (Brittany) stripped wallpaper with her teeth (laughed when I read that from someone else), chewed every pair of shoes I had one evening when I feel asleep on the sofa...name it. There were days I left the house in a hurry and forgot to remove the bag of trash with chicken in it. Had to induce vomiting with hydrogen peroxide because she ingested it and I didn't want her to fall ill from food poisoning. Let me tell you what a horrible pet-parent you feel like spooning THAT down your dog's throat.

We went through two years of frustration with each other because I thought crate training was mean.

When Brittany passed years later from heart failure and I got Nicky, I vowed to do things differently.....and became a mega-fan of crate training.

For what it's worth, I crated Nicky at night as well when he was little. Because they are tired at night, they are too pooped to get anxious about it, and it's a way to boost the number of positive crate experiences he has. Also, he's less liable to get into trouble during the night

. In the morning, take him out and PRAISE PRAISE him and lavish plenty of attention on him. I used to spend the first ten minutes of every day sitting on the floor in the kitchen with Nicky. I'd get up, let him out of the crate, take him out to do his business, and then start the coffeemaker. While I waited for it to brew, I'd sit on the floor with him and love and play with him while the coffee brewed.

I'm totally doing the happy dance for you here in MA tonight, DeeJay!

EDITED TO ADD: PS.....you should make sure the dog walker doesn't thwart your progress. Explain to her your approach for getting Oscar into the crate and ask her to handle it the same way. Offer to give her a bit extra if she's worried about spending a few more minutes, but she really needs to get on board, too, in order to maintain consistency. It's no good if she walks him and then shoves him in the crate to leave. Then YOU'LL end up with a dog who won't want to go in the crate when you try it.

 

[aljdewey]

Here''s the little guy you should thank for ''teaching'' me......this is Nicky.

Nutjob was in the crate, sleeping UPSIDE DOWN.......one weekend. Realized it was really quiet and I hadn''t seen him upstairs (hubby and I were in the study)......found him hanging out sleeping in his little haven. He really LOVES that thing.