# Chewing sticks? A problem (or a solution)



## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I think it's fine for her to chew sticks outside! She will easily learn appropriate outlets for chewing and how to distinguish between a stick and your furniture. Now that rawhide etc is mostly out, what's a doggy to do? Does she have a Nylabone and a kong? Try coating the Nylabone with a little peanut butter or melt a tiny bit of cheese on it to get her to "start" it if she thinks its boring. An icecube is good fun and a frozen carron is good chewing too.


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## iflyems (Jan 2, 2009)

Ljilly28 said:


> I think it's fine for her to chew sticks outside! She will easily learn appropriate outlets for chewing and how to distinguish between a stick and your furniture. Now that rawhide etc is mostly out, what's a doggy to do? Does she have a Nylabone and a kong? Try coating the Nylabone with a little peanut butter or melt a tiny bit of cheese on it to get her to "start" it if she thinks its boring. An icecube is good fun and a frozen carron is good chewing too.


Why is rawhide out?? What about pigs ears??

Did I miss something??

Edit: nevermind. I did a search and found the thread on rawhide.
http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=48196&highlight=rawhide


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## Griffyn'sMom (Mar 22, 2007)

Griff used to eat EVERYTHING outside - never chewed a thing inside. He thought outside was an additional gigantic snack tray! :doh:: He made me nuts with eating acorns - I was afraid he would choke but there were too many to pick them all up. 

Keep the guitar out of her reach... just in case.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Mine love sticks.... and dont seem to like little ones either. They seem to go after limbs and break them off.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Oakly was my stick boy as a pup. He never touched furniture inside the house.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

Tysen is outside chewing on a stick as a type!


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

As long as she's not swallowing parts of the stick, chewing on them is a good outlet for her. It's also a great opportunity to practice "give", trading her for something equally good in her eyes.


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## jonesyboy (Sep 20, 2008)

Jonesy loves sticks too, and has not chewed on anything wooden in the house as of yet - knock on wood that he doesn't.

Sue


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## For the Love of Goldens (Dec 11, 2006)

I think sticks are a natural thing for dogs. Maybe try getting some antlers that they sell to chew on for an alternative.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

Casey makes mulch out of practically all of the sticks in my parent's yard. We could put him into business!!  He has never chewed anything but a nylabone, kong, or tennis ball, etc in the house.

I just wanted to add that you need to keep a close eye on them while they're chewing sticks. A while ago Casey chewed a stick a little too small and it got stuck in his month between his teeth (across the roof of his mouth). We had to help him get it out because it was wedged in there! Silly boy!


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## LucyD (Nov 20, 2008)

Lucy simple adores leaves, when we go outside she goes straight to them and when she sees me getting near her the chase starts!


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

Well, it's official. I'm now a member in good standing of the *Overthinking Dog Owners Retinue*, also known as *ODOR* for short.

And you'll be happy to know that I took your advice to heart. There's a large maple tree in our back yard, and this morning I went to Home Depot and bought a chainsaw and I'm taking it down so Tessie will have something to chew.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay...


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

avincent52 said:


> Nine week old Tessie loves picking up sticks and twigs in the backyard and chewing on them.
> The vet said that it's okay from a medical point of view as long as she isn't eating them.
> 
> What about from a training/behavior point of view. My first reaction was to take them away from her so that she doesn't get a taste for wood that could transfer to our furniture, moulding, or (God forbid) one of my guitars.
> ...


Anything that she wants or likes that much - I would use to my advantage...
so if she like sticks.....then I try to make them interactive...playing fetch...teach her how to walk and carry them...how to give them to your hand...encourage her to 'find' them if they are slightly hidden from her view (like in the grass or hidden behind an object...)

Watch the qualities of the stick itself...is it brittle? Does it have too many arms or fingers that could impale the pup? (My childhood beagle lost an eye running with an unruly stick....)


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I think I have a thread on here that shows what happened to someones dog that was chewing on sticks. Ugh! Mine do chew, but I make a habit of trying to pick them up before they find them.


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## bellagr (Jan 4, 2009)

my bella still loves to chew sticks...like the others said, it's an outlet. also try throwing it for her a few times and she'll bring it back-it's in the breed,she'll soon get the hang of it and bring it to you to throw instead.

if you DO see her getting interested in the furniture, make a sudden loud noise-some coins in a metal tin will do. make sure she doesn't see you making the noise though, you don't want her scared of YOU, but associate the biting the furniture with something loud and unpleasant.

also, tell her "leave" and firmly take her away and giver her something else to play. it's not too early to train. my golden retriever learnt come and leave by the time she was 6 months old through everyday interaction and not targeted lessons...


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

Tessie is already fetching a ball quite happily, and for the moment I don't really need another lure for her--but that could change by tomorrow.

She pretty much knows that when she picks up a stick, I'll come over and take it away. 
She's not running away though, just kind of chewing on the sly hoping to get away with something. 

I'd rather just not harass her about it and leave the "drop" and "trade" for household items. (Like tissues and napkins, her favorite things.)

She picked up a branch yesterday that was the size of a small tree. It was pretty funny, actually.


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## Griffyn'sMom (Mar 22, 2007)

avincent52 said:


> She picked up a branch yesterday that was the size of a small tree. It was pretty funny, actually.


:worthless


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

I'm ODORous through and through I guess. 
Turns out that by letting Tessie chomp on a few twigs, all of a sudden I changed her world view.
For the past day or two she seems to think our yard is a quarter acre depository of chewy toys and the house is where she's supposed to run around and go bonkers.
The fact that it warmed up--and all the smells came back--didn't help.
So it's back to the drawing board--I filled four leaf bags full of residual leaves and twigs in the hopes that she'll start playing--especially fetching--more outside, and less in the house.


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