Training A Dog

Question: How to train a dog to not chew on everything?

(Posted by: pink_playa05 on 2010-03-05 18:32:00)

We have a Jack Russell about 7 months old. She has a bad habit of chewing everything the carpet, blankets, food/ water dishes for some reason she even chews on the bottom of bedroom doors. I've never owned a house dog before so I'm unsure as of how to train her to not chew on things. We have given her her own chew toys and bones. If anyone could offer any advice it would be greatly appreciated.

Posted by: moof on 2010-03-05, 18:44:32

Read this: dogstardaily.com/ training/ errorless-chewtoy-training Make a point of encouraging her to chew on the right things. Don't just give her chew toys and bones -- if you see her pay any attention to them, praise her. Pet her. Give her a couple treats. Play with her. Make it clear to her that it's good to chew on her own toys. Rotate her toys and bones instead of always leaving them around, which allows her to quickly bore of them. Keep them interesting and new by creating some sort of toy rotation. Exercise her. Jack Russells are energetic, inquisitive, lively dogs, and puppies are just more energetic and curious. You need to exercise the heck out of her every single day -- stimulate her both physically and mentally. Play with her, walk her, go jogging, play fetch, play soccer, go swimming, run around like loons in the back yard. Have several short training sessions every day; they should be made into games so that she can have fun and look forward to exercising her brain. If she already knows the basics, then teach her more complicated tricks. Make the things she shouldn't chew on less appealing. There are various products you can use, ranging from Bitter Yuck and Bitter Apple sprays to Tabasco sauce. She's a puppy who doesn't know any better, so YOU do need to step up and constantly supervise her. She's like a little kid -- being able to trust her alone comes with age. You don't leave a four-year-old home by herself and let her get into all kinds of havoc, while you should be able to trust a mature teenager not to get into too much mischief, right? So, you need to keep an eye on her!! If you can't, she needs to be crated or put into a pen: dogstardaily.com/ training/ puppy-playroom-amp-doggy-den If you are unfamiliar with crate training, here's how to get started: humanesociety.org/ animals/ dogs/ tips/ crate_training.html Good luck! Remember, be patient, be consistent and be calm.

Posted by: Jai on 2010-03-05, 18:33:02

Put tabasco sauce in everything she chews on. or something like that.

Posted by: Jojo Bean on 2010-03-05, 18:33:46

Try correcting her with a voice command if you catch her. If she's doing it while you aren't there, try using something called "Bitter Apple ". It's completely harmless and odorless, but it tastes AWFUL and you can spray it on the bottom of chair legs, doors, and table legs. Also, just handing a puppy a toy won't do the trick, engage her with the toy with lots of playtime and possibly keep away (my pup loves that game).

Posted by: Tsunami on 2010-03-05, 18:33:55

Yes there are ways to rid of this mess. first of all buy the dog chew bones (raw hides) that is generally whta they like. when the dog goes outside to poop or pee give them treat. now mine is terrier to and he likes beggin. and its only one he likes. you can keep training him but either yelling to stophim from doing wrong or taking paper to clobber him if he listens with yelling and shaming him then that is best way to go. my terrier is cool if you talk to him mean he will stop being ugly.

Posted by: julius923 on 2010-03-05, 18:34:06

Buy a water gun and shoot the dog with water every time she chews on something. A whoosher might be a bit of overkill and you will flood the house. Just use a small one or use a thoroughly cleaned out windex bottle on stream mode.

Posted by: TheKonman09 on 2010-03-05, 18:34:35

Use lemon juice when ever they do something you don't want them to, it works well and it wont hurt them, we did it with our dog to get her to stop barking

Posted by: TK on 2010-03-05, 18:37:28

Why does she have free, unsupervised access to all these things? When you are not able to supervise her she should be in an exercise pen or in a dog-proofed room behind a baby gate.

Posted by: Third Party Candidates on 2010-03-05, 18:37:36

There is an anti-chew spray that can be used and is not harmful to the dog. Also, provide him with new chew toys once in a while. Puppies chew because they are teething. If the problem is out of hand, use the crate to help train him during this period. Use the spray on items like your furniture. Stay on it and have patience..he is a pup and has to learn. Good luck.

Posted by: Jennifer M on 2010-03-05, 18:41:32

The bitter apple spray works pretty good. My 9 month old dog has decided to chew on things all of a sudden and I'm telling you, it's getting old reaaaaally fast. Like you, we've given him plenty of appropriate things to chew on AND he gets plenty of excercise and attention. Still, I get distracted for 5 minutes and I look over and he has a shoe or some random piece of wood or plastic. I don't even know where he is getting it from. The other day he walked out from the other room with a book from my bookshelf in his mouth. Stay strong. Keep giving her good things to chew on. Hopefully as she gets older it will stop. She is still in the puppy stage and she might grow out of it.

Posted by: steve on 2010-03-05, 18:42:21

Discipline her when she does bad and compliment her when she does good,play with her and show her right and wrong. also in most pet stores you can get a product called bitter apple, which you spray on items you wish her not to chew on. she is only a baby and needs you to show her proper habits although it is natural for puppies to chew because they are teething. just watch her and be patient and constant.

Posted by: Bella on 2010-03-05, 18:47:07

Hi Well you could try buying those toys that you put treats for them to try and figure out to get them out. she would work on that for hours if you put in her favourite treat or food like my dogs LOVE 'Smackos' But if she didn't get any discipline then she would continue when she she is an adult. Im not saying she is a very badly behaved dog! I understand she is like that and very inquisitive and doesn't understand her place and what right and wrong Try doing thing she doesn't like, like pointing your finger at her and use a low voice and say "No______ " which alpha pack dogs would use a low growl or something like that. Smacking isn't a thing i would believe to do only if she is doing something or has done something really bad but even then not hard if you use you voice. Thats all i can say right now i have to go Good luck!! ps try asking tips from your local vet maybe or try a dog trainer :)

Posted by: Nicole on 2010-03-05, 18:50:14

NEVER lock your dog in a room, even with a baby gate. dogs love attention.. they'll get depressed. all you need to do is take the time to train your dog.. And the apple spray works really well.

Posted by: The Dog Lady on 2010-03-05, 19:04:27

Dog trainer 30 plus years - To Keep a Pup From Chewing Up Everything: First realize that pup’s teeth just like children. They have a wild desire to chew everything because in so doing they can release smells that you and I cannot smell. They know who wore the shoe, who brushed by the shoe, where the shoe has gone - in the grass, down the hall at school - they can virtually smell everything that has come into contact with that shoe. It sets them on a high - like a two year old set loose in a candy store...they want it and they want it now. How to put this problem to rest: Try for a while to keep things in a closet, shut the doors to rooms you don’t want your pup, puppy proof for a few weeks. When the dog starts to chew anything (even if you don’t mind) other than one of his/ her toys...state sternly but not loudly, “no,no,no - here’s your toy� and hand them something they can chew. If your pup is small enough to lift and move, move him/ her at least 5 feet from whatever it is they are not to get into. Remember, when training a puppy...they are just that, a puppy. If you keep a level head they will listen and learn. If you yell, they will react to the yelling instead of learning. Remember when teaching a pup not to chew...This will not last forever. They are teething and they do need to chew something. Love them, have fun with them...appreciate their ability to explore - they can teach us a lot about how to loosen up and “play� no matter how old we are!