# Cooper is chewing everything!



## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

1 word. Ok, 3. Get a crate  You can't punish him unless you catch him in the act, so set him up for success by not giving him an opportunity to get into trouble when you're not home. Kea will be 2 in April and we have just recently (as in within the last 6 months) started letting her have the run of the house when we're not home. We started with the crate when she was a baby, progressed to an x-pen and then she stayed gated in the kitchen.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

I'm with Kea on this. Punishment isn't going to work. She's not misbehaving, she's acting out her anxiety. If she's never been in a crate, you'll have to train her to it. See info on "Crate Games" on here and on internet. If you don't want to do the crate, you need to find a safe small room you can leave her in while you are away, perhaps the bathroom, and then put everything away that she could possibly harm. One good thing to give her is her breakfast frozen in Kongs. Mix the kibble with something moist (banana is good) and stuff the Kongs, then freeze them. Leave them on the floor when you depart, and she'll take a while to go through them. And then probably fall asleep. 

You might also want to search on here and on the internet for "separation anxiety" because I think that's what's going on with your dog.


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## Bentleysmom (Aug 11, 2012)

I agree with all of the above. Bentley has been sleeping out of his crate since he was 4 months old. He doesn't get into stuff or chew my things but he will find the tiniest piece of paper on the floor and eat it.

He's 8 months old now and still doesn't get run of the house when I leave. Even if I'm leaving for 10 minutes Bentley is in "his" room behind a baby gate where there's nothing he can possibly get into or get hurt with.

If your boy is getting into trouble he has too much freedom too early. Also, punishment....*a big no-no.* If you catch him in the act he should be corrected (not punished) and if it's something he did when you were gone nothing happens to him because he will have no idea what you're upset about.

It's our job to keep our pups safe and that means making sure he can't get into anything. It takes time, consistency and love but it will all be worth it in the end.
Good luck and keep us posted.

AND...welcome to GRF!!!


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## Krollins125 (Mar 6, 2013)

Thank you for all the advice! I set the video camera in the house just to spy on him a little bit to see how he is acting. I also left a few old shirts with our scent to make him feel at ease ( I saw that I a website about separation anxiety) we will see how it goes! I can't crate him because I am gone all day and I feel like that is mean so I'm trying to start blocking off areas 


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## kjohnstone82 (Sep 24, 2012)

Jasper used to destroy anything he could get hold of when he was young and we were at work. Like you we didnt do crate training.
We found that as soon as we upped his exercise regime it stopped straight away, he was obviously bored and thus would destroy stuff so we were only to blame really. I think now he has a new regime and knows the routine of the day he is 100% better. I can actually leave my shoes out now and leave books on the coffee table and they are in one piece when I get home!


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## CITIgolden (Mar 9, 2013)

I used to have a similar problem whenever I worked late, KC would chew on any soft stuff, mainly paper but a few times he tried the chair, wall corners etc. he grew out of it after I swamped the room with his chew toys. Elk and deer antlers worked really well, beef bones too, he'd go on for hours and then fall asleep (I videotaped him). Now I can leave anything out and he won't touch...I always leave a lot of chew toys to pick from though.


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## Krollins125 (Mar 6, 2013)

Does the bitter apple spray work?


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

KeaColorado said:


> 1 word. Ok, 3. Get a crate  You can't punish him unless you catch him in the act, so set him up for success by not giving him an opportunity to get into trouble when you're not home. Kea will be 2 in April and we have just recently (as in within the last 6 months) started letting her have the run of the house when we're not home. We started with the crate when she was a baby, progressed to an x-pen and then she stayed gated in the kitchen.


I agree! If not a crate a baby gate/s. My Hank didn't have run-of-the-house when we were out until he was at least 18 mos. He never chewed anything but there were just too many expensive temptations.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

My experience is that Bitter Apple (and the like) does work *if wet*!
So I would not bother to spray items and expect the dog to leave it alone all day long...


PLEASE dont leave your shirts out for him to smell....He is anxious and he is chewing...just my opinion...but you are inviting him to eat the clothing and asking for a very expensive vet bill...
Plus, how is the poor dog supposed to know the difference between the old-shirt he has permission to chew...and the bedspread that he will be punished for chewing? They both smell like you!!




Krollins125 said:


> Does the bitter apple spray work?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

You can also get creative by blocking things. We block off large areas of our home by using x-pens stretched out, and we have rubber matting covering wiring, the lower bookshelves, etc. The house looks messy, but it's working. If you can find a tall and sturdy x-pen it might work, or hire a dog walker or someone to come over during the day to let your pup out of his crate for a break. It sounds like separation anxiety behavior.


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## Seagodess (Dec 6, 2012)

I agree he should be either crated or blocked to a certain area if he is acting like this. If you dont want to crate, baby gate him in the bathroom or kitchen. Bitter apple works with some dogs, not others. As someone already mentioned, usually only when wet.
We did not crate. We gated Milla in the bathroom. The worst she ever did was rip apart the toilet paper when we forgot to take it off. After a while we stopped gating her and leashed her to the couch with nothing in reach for her to chew other than her toys. She slept most of the time anyways. She is now 4.5 months and is allowed to roam the down stairs, has yet to destroy anything :crossfing.


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