B Point Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 OK...I get the chewing thing. All pups do it I know, but I have never seen anything like this little 13 week old pup we just got. With our older dog and all of our friends dogs I had come to the conclusion that rubber kongs were pretty tough. Nope...little Juno had one shredded in 10 minutes. Pooped out the bits the next day. He shreds everything..!! He can't have any kind of bedding in his crate and I'm at a loss as to what I can give to chew. He doesn't actually chew..he sheers. The sound drives my wife crazy..haha. I figured I'd try him on some frozen chicken legs to gnaw on for a while at a time. Any thoughts..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyQ Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 I would be extremely careful with him swallowing little bits of toys. I know even with the best supervision mistakes can happen. I'd strongly suggest looking into chewing sticks for dogs, where every piece is edible. When looking for these, be sure to avoid the ones that even look like they might splinter. If you're unsure about it, read the reviews on the product. Please, do some research into safe puppy chews. I found that my pup, Maple loved ice cubes. You can buy some cool molds for them, but make sure the chewing-spot is safe to get wet, since obviously, ice melts. If you catch him chewing on something illegal, gentle correction and redirection towards something legal helps. This strategy seriously helped with my pup. Maple's chewing was never like the horror stories some hear, and I agree that the noise can be annoying, but please be understanding and helpful towards your pup. It's always better to provide something safe for the natural inclination than find him harmed from attempting to sate his needs on a dangerous object. The noise of Maple's chewing annoyed my family so much, I would sometimes shut us into the bathroom and sit on the floor and read a book while she chewed, just so she wouldn't feel lonely and could help ease the pain. Try and remember it's only a phase. Maple's chewing has been gradually slowing since about 5 months, but after she learned what she was allowed to chew, aside from the occasional puppy-mistake, issues slimmed quite a bit. And on the subject of chicken bones http://dogs.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Dog_And_Chicken_Bones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 What colour Kong? The black ones are stronger. The only thing my lurcher couldn't wreck in minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htmlgirl Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Penny's been a power chewer since she was your pup's age, I can sympathize! I'm not a big fan of the "edible" chews for her, like the ones that supposedly clean teeth, because she can chew through one remarkably fast and could likely get bigger pieces off of it. I've found the best things for her are deer antlers or the hard Nylabones (not the softer puppy ones, the durachew type). Her favourite are the split deer antlers. I know some say these are too hard and they worry about teeth cracking, but my experience with them has been good so far. Penny will scrape scratches into them and small bits off and still enjoys chewing them now, at 21 months old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Quinn has been a terrible chewed his whole life, destroying even black Kongs. And yeah, I couldn't put any kind of bedding in his crate when he was a pup. Be careful of Nylabones. They held up well to Quinn's chewing but have done some significant damage to his teeth. Currently, he does very well with pricey Goughnuts toys. I use the green ones because the black one marked up my carpet. The other toy that he enjoys and can't seem to destroy are Chuck It balls. He chomps hard on them and the hold up great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etlai Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 I'd echo a concern about chicken bones. The thought process is a good one, however: replace undesired chewing with desired/harmless chewing. Ween Maple off of chewing in the interim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waffles Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Nothing wrong with chicken bones, feed raw and frozen, they're just fine. Just don't feed cooked bones (I won't even feed those smoked bones or any bones labeled for pets in stores). I feed raw so my dog eats meat, organs and bone-in meat every day. Usually once per week he gets a chicken quarter, partially frozen. You can also get pork butt/shoulder that has bone buried deep inside. Not sure if you can get venison where you are but deer ribs and necks are a favorite here. Pork necks as well and turkey legs are great for laying down and gnawing, freezing them makes it take longer to eat as well. Nylabones and other synthetic chews kind of weird me out as the dog eats and ingests it. They do make stronger kongs than the black. they're blue but I remember the catalog making it sound like they were only available from a veterinarian (?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 My older dog, Torque, was (and still can be) quite a chewer. I learned very fast that he could not have fleece toys - bits came out in his poop. The 'indestructible' fire hose toys could be de-stuffed in 10 minutes. A heavy non-kink garden hose was shredded. The list goes on. He never shredded a black Kong (although he did shred a red Kong), but I don't think I started giving him those until after he had his adult teeth. 2 suggestions: I saw a working dog demo once. These were shepherds and/or Malinois dogs used for police work. They had a youngish female (12-13 months) who I noticed chewing (really chewing hard) on something. I asked about it, and they said that it was hose used for a sand-blasting machine. You can buy it by the foot in this country at the big box building supply stores. Second: My friend with Rotties will buy toys meant for zoo animals - bears and tigers. They stand up to Rotties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borasaurus Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Second: My friend with Rotties will buy toys meant for zoo animals - bears and tigers. They stand up to Rotties. Wow, where do you buy those? Kieran rips apart those "tough" toys and his Kong is breaking. I have to take most of his toys away as "contraband" because otherwise he won't stop chewing them. The floor constantly looks like there's been a snowstorm in the house. Thank goodness he doesn't chew anything that's not allowed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Point Posted January 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Thanks folks. The kong was one of the small blue/white puppy ones that Tio the older dog used through puppyhood. I think this is more the result of having those wee super sharp puppy teeth. I need another Kong anyway so I will go pick up a black one to try. I'm hoping once he gets his adult teeth he won't have quite the ability to "sheer" like he does now. I'm not a fan of the synthetic bones at this young age and I have lamb bones and chicken parts in the freezer so I may introduce those very SLOWLY as I need a break from the loosy goosy poops he just got over after de-worming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Raw chicken bones are just fine. If they weren't, all of us feeding raw would have a bunch of dead dogs. Cooked poultry bones (and other types as well) are the ones that are the problem. I think your idea of giving the pup frozen chicken legs is a great one. The frozen meat will slow down his chewing and give him a good workout, and the meat with bone will be better than bone alone. Too much bone on its own can be constipating. If he hasn't had raw meat yet, be prepared for the possibility that it could loosen his stools at first. But puppies are more adaptable than older dogs, so it may not happen at all. I'd remove the skin, though, at least at first. But, yeah, go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RemsMom Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 I can sympathize, Nattie is a chewer. I just spent $60 on toys for her to chew and I have had to remove all stuffed toys from her toy box. A question about chicken legs. I have never fed raw and am a little intimidated about trying it. Do I just buy some chicken legs, remove the skin, freeze, and then give one to my pup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Point Posted January 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Thanks GentleLake.. Ya know...I've been doing a bunch of research on raw programs and trying to find suppliers as I just think its a better way than even the higher end kibble (Akana/Origen) we are feeding now. It seems a bit daunting sourcing the proper ingredients for a balanced diet but I'd imagine that once you have the logistics down it wouldn't be too bad. Now, with this little guy who is a serious chomper, feeding raw is looking better all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Wow, where do you buy those? Kieran rips apart those "tough" toys and his Kong is breaking. I have to take most of his toys away as "contraband" because otherwise he won't stop chewing them. The floor constantly looks like there's been a snowstorm in the house. Thank goodness he doesn't chew anything that's not allowed. I don't know where the zoo toys come from. As a first step, I would do some Googling. I think that they are not necessarily chew toys in the sense of normal dog chew toys - mostly because they are much larger. They are something that the dog could push around or jump on with his chest and wrestle with it. I had a BC X Lab mix many years ago. Her BEST toy was a cheap plastic (soft plastic) wastebasket (the size that would be used in a bathroom). She loved to get it in her teeth and throw it around and then would body slam it and roll around with it in her paws. The best $1 I ever spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 A question about chicken legs. I have never fed raw and am a little intimidated about trying it. Do I just buy some chicken legs, remove the skin, freeze, and then give one to my pup? Yep. Easy peasy. That's just as a chew toy. If you want to go raw, this is a good way to start, but you'd need to add more variety and some organs to create a balanced diet. Read my next post. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 It seems a bit daunting sourcing the proper ingredients for a balanced diet but I'd imagine that once you have the logistics down it wouldn't be too bad. It really isn't as hard as many people -- especially the naysayers! -- make it sound. A basic prey model diet consists of ~10-15% edible bone, 75-80% meat, 5% liver, and 5% other organs (heart and any other muscular organs are fed as meat). Variety of protein sources is important, but vegetable matter of any kind is unnecessary (though it's OK to feed small amounts of fruits and vegetables). Few supplements are necessary other than some Omega 3 if your meat is commercially raised. If you're lucky enough to be able to feed only grass or other naturally fed meats, then you may not even need that. If you'd like some links on getting started, please PM me . . . (or start another thread for the archives. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 The only thing more I add to my dogs' raw is a source of antioxidants, especially if it's commercially raised meats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 I'm so glad to know that Dixie isn't the only Puppo Destructo! Dix turned the den wicker waste basket into a pile of rubble while we thought we were evaluating her as a rescue pet - we thought maybe a 2-hour visit. Then we learned that she was turned over to us - ours. OK, I'm a total softie. Knowing her 6-7 month history, I couldn't turn her away. She's just past 3 now, and not as chewy. I finally repaired the hole she'd made in the pad we had for Fergie, and put the pad in her crate. She and Maggie Da Cat seem to take turns in that crate, but the pad survives. While our den furniture was being reupholstered, we put the big dog cushion in the den. Where the big wing-back chair for which I have made doggie slipcovers usually sits. She didn't chew that. But she turned a caluclator that we left on the coffe table into tiny bits of blue plastic.Our daughter's dog gave Dixie an "indestructible" sort of duck and rope thing for Christmas. Within a half hour, the stuffing was all over the den. I'm just thankful that she chew less every year and doesn't swallow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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