HangingTree Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Hello! So my sweet puppy, Draco, is now six months old and has lots of energy! We have a ton of fun with obedience and tracking and it's been almost two months since he had an accident in the house. So generally things are going well, however he really loves to chew.. I realize that this is perfectly normal, and he is supervised 100% of the time when he is out of the crate, so I haven't had anything destroyed yet. When he starts chewing something he's not supposed to I tell him "no" and he immediately stops and looks at me. I give him something appropriate for him to chew on (he always has chew toys with different textures available), but no matter how many times I redirect his chewing, he keeps going back to chewing the 'forbidden' things a while later. I'm not sure if he forgets that he's not supposed to, or if he just can't help himself.. It's really all kinds of things.. Blankets and pillows (big favorite, he can't even have a bed in his crate), wooden walls and floors, bed frame, rugs, window stills, my clothes, bottles.. You name it. It's not too much trouble though as he stops quite fast and the few times he is relentless I just pop him in the crate with a chew toy for a few minutes, so it's not a massive problem or anything, but I'm curious about how long this stage usually lasts? Our trainer says he will outgrow it, but I know things like things sometimes vary with different breeds, so I figure I could ask here So when did your Border Collies stop chewing anything they could get their teeth on? How much do they chew as adults? And here.. I'm too proud of my handsome boy to not show him off a little bit when I have the chance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurelin Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 I think it's more individual dog than breed. We've had a lot of dogs over the years of all kinds of breeds- mostly herding type dogs (GSDx, BCx, and sheltie) and papillons. All have become pretty trustworthy around 1-2 years old. Some were very easy and trustworthy from the get-go. My youngest papillon though... no. She is 5 and I doubt it will ever happen. If you leave her alone she will chew something up and destroy it. She will go to GREAT lengths to get into things. Last weekend she did some sort of extraordinary climbing feat (I really wish I could have seen it!) to get to a bag of dog treats up off the ground 5'. I don't know why I even bother trying to run to the store without kenneling her. I always think because she is so good under supervision and it will only be 10 minutes.... She is the smartest dog I've ever owned and a very creative thinker. Such a naughty streak though! All my other dogs grew out of it though. There is hope but I don't believe all dogs outgrow it at a set time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Gorgeous boy!! Torque stopped his relentless chewing by about 1 year old plus - but I doubt he will outgrow his drive to chew and devour any and all fleece toys. [He is now 7.] He loves to play with them, but if I am not actively playing with him, he will immediately hunker down and start chewing away. He puts it between his paws and pulls any loose end and chews. Needless to say, the fleece toys are in the closet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Bandit finally stopped chewing everything he could get his mouth on just a couple of weeks ago. He can finally lay on the carpet without trying to eat it. He can sleep on a dog bed without trying to eat it. I don't have to keep the floors quite as immaculate as I did because he is not searching out every tiny piece of fuzz on the planet to eat it!! He still chews his toys, but he has started to develop more interest in doing rather than chewing. He's going on 6 months old in a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 I agree that it's more likely an individual dog thing and breed specific. Actually, I've found my purebred border collies much easier to teach to chew only appropriate things than my border collie or other mixes. So just continue with your current MO of keeping an eye on him and redirecting him to appropriate chew toys. Maybe it's time for a more dramatic bellow of "No!" than you're doing now? And I'd often take an item that was being inappropriately chewed and offer it it the dog, giving a definite verbal correction if the pup choose to take it. Then I'd cheerfully offer a puppy-legal chew toy and praise when the pup would take that one. Be patient. Handsome Draco will get it sooner or later. And, my oh my, is he ever a handsome boy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HangingTree Posted August 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 Thank you so much everyone! It's nice to hear that it ending isn't a foreign concept, haha! I guess I am adapting to it as it almost seems strange thinking that he might one day not constantly search for things to chew I agree that it's more likely an individual dog thing and breed specific. Actually, I've found my purebred border collies much easier to teach to chew only appropriate things than my border collie or other mixes. So just continue with your current MO of keeping an eye on him and redirecting him to appropriate chew toys. Maybe it's time for a more dramatic bellow of "No!" than you're doing now? And I'd often take an item that was being inappropriately chewed and offer it it the dog, giving a definite verbal correction if the pup choose to take it. Then I'd cheerfully offer a puppy-legal chew toy and praise when the pup would take that one. Be patient. Handsome Draco will get it sooner or later. And, my oh my, is he ever a handsome boy! I will try to turn up the volume a little, and I will try your other suggested method as well! But it's nice to hear that I'm not doing everything wrong, so I guess I will just have to be patient about this issue and focus on enjoying the puppy stage as long as I can! Thank you for good advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 OK, I have to admit I've got a couple of the plush toy destroyers, as well. One is over 2 1/2, the other 9 . . . so I guess in some ways they haven't outgrown (or been trained out of) their chewing. But, it's the only thing they chew now -- and really it's more about destuffing for one of them rather than just lying there chewing) -- and if there aren't plush toys around, nothing else gets chewed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMP Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 I did a thing with this puppy I have never done before, is nearly universally dissed as a bad method and yet ... it worked. I got her a pair of shoes (child Crocs), I found an old glove and an old slipper, I bought a thick covered child's story book, found a few magazines, an old oven mitt, a towel, a pair of socks, a piece of hickory, an umbrella cover ... things that have the same basic texture and/or shape as things she has been interested in chewing/playing with. When she goes near something like a piece of furniture, someone's shoes, etc. she is told "No, get your own ....." and after a few months of repeating she gets it. It helped immensely in training her not to bite me when I walk or grab at my feet - "no, no, get your shoe!" For a while I carried the shoe with me and threw it when I told her "no,no...", then I put the shoes with the other shoes inside the door and just stopped dead in my tracks and told her to go and get her shoe. Since I didn't move until she did and that required going back to the house, she stopped biting at my feet :/ Like I say, I am sure it will be looked at askance - but she really does know her book from the thousands of others on the shelves - because it is in her toybox. Everything she cannot chew is "mine" and everything she can chew is "yours". It works for us :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 I've given dogs versions of taboo items of their own and have known others who have as well. The dogs can differentiate between them. Anyone who says they're not capable of doing this don't give dogs nearly enough credit. And it doesn't necessarily have to be new items either. The folks across from me have a Boston terrier/Jack Russel mix who loves both socks and stuffies. They giver her one of the kid's old stuffed toys and old socks all the time. She never chews theirs, only the ones she's been given. And she's not even a border collie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptJack Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 The biggest help to me in regards to stopping unwanted chewing in my dogs is having a couple of boxes (one for toys of all sorts, one for chew type toys (the non-edible ones)). Somehow knowing where to go to find the stuff they're allowed to gnaw on to their hearts content has really, really cut down on them picking random things up off the floor or 'cruising' my house searching for things like abandoned socks. We do still pick things up, and it's not a miracle cure, but redirecting them to the boxes to find something legal seems to be something that understand FAST - even the not-bright dog. And I absolutely DO throw legal items that used to be illegal ones (old stuffed animals the kids are done with, a sock we found without a mate with aknot tied in it, whatever). Once in the box it becomes fair game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMP Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 As CptJack said, "Once in the box it becomes fair game." Yes, that is my method. We have dollar store plastic baskets and anything in those is fair game. Before she gets a new toy, it goes in a basket and she has to get it from there (and put it back, too - although that's an ongoing process). She rarely ever tries to chew on anything not allowed - the bookshelves are the only real danger zone. Maybe I need to give her some Sandburg to read. Maybe the kids' book I got her is too simple :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Billadeau Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 The dogs can differentiate between them. Anyone who says they're not capable of doing this don't give dogs nearly enough credit. We make chew toys out of the legs of worn out blue jeans. Our dogs can tell the difference between their blue jeans and ours; I can smell the difference (clean laundry vs dog slobber) so I'm sure they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chene Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 I did a thing with this puppy I have never done before, is nearly universally dissed as a bad method and yet ... it worked. I'm curious, why is it considered a bad method? It sounds sensible to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptJack Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 The old theory was that dogs were incapable of knowing the difference between the shoe (for example) you give them to chew and your shoes. I think old theories assumed dogs were dumb as a box of rocks, but that's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 ^^ That's it. People used to think (and many still do) that a dog can't differentiate between what's been given to her or him as a toy and what's off limits, especially similar items. Giving a dog duplicate but new items may be a little easier, as they wouldn't have the impregnated human smells, but, as I said previously, I've seen too many dogs who can differentiate between old shoes, socks, toys, etc. that have been given to him or her and the ones that the humans are still using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chene Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 That's a shame. Our two family dogs will eat a lot of things that fall on the floor, but they're restricted to the main floor of the house so it's always clean. My dad doesn't believe a dog could be taught not to eat/destroy anything it has access to. He keeps telling me how many things I'll have to keep off the floor and out of the dog's reach. Hopefully I'll be able to prove him wrong on that point eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMP Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 Dogs are like children in this regard. Yes, puppies, like toddlers, need to be taught what is okay to eat, what is not okay to et, what is okay to play with and what is not. Eventually the adult human and the full grown dog, will be able to make the right choices. As with humans, not all dogs get it. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chene Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 Hahahaha. I'm imagining an adult human walking around picking up things of the floor and chewing on them...But yes, otherwise I get your point. I am more frustrated at the idea that "no dogs get it". I don't mind acknowledging the..different ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway61 Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 nothing to add other than I'll go on record (again) and say I love Draco's markings and keep posting his pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 Gideon was easy to teach what was his versus what was ours and never chewed a forbiddin item, however he teethed nonstop for the first 6 1/2 months. Micah thought everything was fair game. It didn't matter whether it was a dog chew or your foot. He teethed like a maniac until he was 8 months old and suddenly one day just stopped chewing everything in sight, but I couldn't trust him loose in the house until he was closer to 2 years old. I also think Draco is adorable!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizabeth Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Gidget has her toys she chews, She has her bed time toy, her training toy, and her other toys. She knows what she can and can not chew, then I made a huge mistake! I gave her some little stuffed animals. One day I came home to find my 4 ft Vermont Teddy Bear who lives on my bed missing his foot! Stuffing all over the place!! I told her Oh my goodness what have you done? "NO NO" I took the bear into the living room, gave her her own stuffy said this is yours and this one is mine, I sewed up his poor foot. Thank goodness All I have to do is fill out a form, box him up and ship him to Vermont, They will fix or replace him, box him up and send it back to me. She has left the bear alone for almost 3 weeks now. I think it is safe to send him in for repairs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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