Help With Chewing

[BettisAndCabana]

My 11 month old rottie, Bettis has been chewing everything he can get to. He never did it when he was younger, it just started about a month ago. And he only does it when we are not at home. I put everything i can think of up and out of reach from him, but he still manages to find things. I dont like the idea of a crate. Does anyone know anything i can do to get him to stop chewing everything up? Like any training techniques?? I really think he may have a seperation problem or something.

[brunie's mom]

You don't like the idea of a crate? Do you like the idea of your things chewed up and ruined or something that your dog has chewed and swallowed killing him???
He's probably getting his big molar?...or he's bored? or needs more exercise? Lonely? Could be many reasons for his chewing.
Without you being there to supervise and correct him while chewing, he does not understand what he can't chew.

I would say you do what is best for your dog, get him a large crate and start slowly getting him used to it. Feed him in the crate and give him treats in the crate and leave him there for short times in the beginning...and add time in the crate slowly. Many dogs do better with seperation anxiety because they are crated...they feel safe.
You may not need the crate for too long...could be 6 month? or a year?, then you can slowly let him start spending more time out of the crate when you leave home.

Gina

[AngelBunny]

You don't like the idea of a crate, but you don't like him chewing. Sorry, but you're going to have to get over your hesitation about crating him before he chews something that at best, will make him dreadfully sick, at worst kill him.

Are you and he in obed class? And how much physical exercise is he getting? In my experience, a young dog who's tired and worn out from mental and physical exercise is more interested in sleeping than chewing.

[JeninND]

Crating a dog is not cruel. Oh they will act like it is in the beginning, but they get used to it. There's no way I would have left our first rottie home alone until he was probably 2 1/2 to 3 years old.

[Shelby427]

Why don't you like the idea of crating? It's a wonderful tool if used correctly. Shelby was crated until we could trust her - about a year or so. She would be crated if we were not home, and at night. She would go in there on her own and nap sometimes...She was never a big chewer (thank goodness) but if she had been, being crated kept her safe and we KNEW she was safe while we could not watch her. Now that she's 4, she has full run of the house and does not chew or destroy anything. Crate training is great.

[JaniceH]

I agree with the others.

Crating keeps your dog safe and your house safe too. It also can become an area of relaxation for him as well as a tool he needs to get used to if he ever had to stay confined at the vets.

I was reluctant at first many years ago when I got my first Rot. She was 10 months old and fine at first. At 11 months old she completely wrecked my kitchen and I actullay rang my vet who knew me very well, whether he thought I would be cruel if I crated her. He reassured me and I have never looked back. When I consider my dog is maturing I crate her for smaller period of times and eventually put it away altogether. Teazle, my current girl, was allowed her freedom when she was about 15 months old.

So I would not hesitate to crate him.

[Alura]

We used a crate ours when she was a puppy and we left for a few hours...but hesitated to do so when we needed to be gone the whole day. We found a way to block the kitchen so she could have more room yet still be safe. If that is not an option, a "play pen" of sorts may work, although they tend to be too short and he could probably jump over it.

We tried giving her free roam of the house when she turned 1yo, but within a week learned she was not ready. She didn't destroy the house but she always found something to get into... lotion, vaseline, my shoes etc....so she went back in the kitchen for another 8 months unitl she outgrew the chewing stage. She is now free to roam and she is not in toruble when we come home!

[Joanne in NJ]

I know someone who had a dog who chewed things. Notice I say had.

Last week this dog managed to get ahold of and chew something he wasn't supposed to.

They went in and operated to remove the blockage.

He died yesterday of peritonitis.

[moz205]

It's amazing what they can find. I gate my guy off the kitchen. I have a room there which is his since a pup. When he earns his freedom, he will graduate to free roam. My friends dog found and ate bullets, hubby is a cop. Needless to say surgery was done. Thankfully, he was ok. My guys' room had to be dog proofed, nearly everything out. He's 11 mths and will still chew or eat whatever he can find.

[Shelby427]

my friend's lab ate socks and a grocery plastic bag and golf balls - notice I said BALLS - he ate like 3 of them! Thankfully after spending over $5000 that year in TWO surgeries, he's fine now...but c'mon, why risk it??