Constant Chewing Machine

[wendykei]

Hi, this is my first posting. I have a 3 1/2 month old frenchy named Sidney. He's a sweetheart, but loves to chew of course since he's a puppy! He is a stubborn little guy, who does not respond when I yell "No!" when he's biting or chewing on things he shouldn't (fingers, shoes, etc.). I try spraying him with a spray bottle and yelling, "No!" but it doesn't seem to even faze him most of the time. Some times it stops him effectively, and then he tries to chew something else--I give him chew toys at this point to divert his attention and then praise him. Other times it makes him frustrated and even more determined to chew whatever he was trying to chew in the first place.

I've had Sidney for about 3 weeks and as the chewing escalated, I began incorporating the spray bottle about a week ago. Any other ideas? I've tried bitter spray products (including drenching some items in the spray) and they do absolutely nothing!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[franp]

Unless you give your dog something else to chew; he will have no idea what you are yelling at him for.. And by the way;Frenchies really don't take well to being yelled at.

He is a baby.If you tell him he can not do something, you MUST tell him what he can do..If he is chewing on your hands, say no GENTLY and FIRMLY , then put an appropriate item in his mouth.

Ditch the spray bottle.

fran

[wendykei]

Thank you!! I will definitely try to make sure I ALWAYS have a chew toy to give him in place of whatever else is enticing him.
Will keep you posted!

P.S. When I said "yell" I meant saying "no" firmly--but I think Sidney is still learning what that means as well as learning to listen to me over other distractions. That seems to be common for Frenchies???

[cholbrook7]

Stella just got through with obedience class and they suggested the water bottle and spray them and say leave it to whatever they are not suppose to chew or eat but that's mainly for when you have them outside in the grass and they try to eat stuff but Stella is scared of the water bottle , we never use one, some dogs think it's a game.. that's why I wouldn't recommend it! So, I would just replace what they are chewing with there toys and leave whatever you might not want chewed out of their site. We make sure all our shoes and what not are not on the ground and leave her toys out.

[wendykei]

Yes, we keep most everything up high (or if anything does happen to be on the ground, we move it as Sidney approaches), but what he really likes to chew on are the shoes I'm wearing while I'm still wearing them and walking around!! (Actually, shoes, socks, and bare feet--toes, especially--are all really provocative to this guy.)

Went home at lunch a couple hours ago to walk and play with Sidney. He came out of his crate and immediately went for my boots. I tried to get him to chew his toys, but he is stubborn. Said no sternly a few times and put the toy right against his mouth even as he was chewing my boots until he finally started chewing the toy. Lots of praise... I hope this works!!

And it's so hard to get mad at him because he's just too cute. :)

[Beatrice]

Hmmm....when Beatrice went to dog training, in addition to having plenty of chew toys around, he recommended a product called "Bitter Apple". It's a spray that you use on things you don't want chewed. It's supposed to be a taste deterrent. (Has anyone used it yet?) It seems to work for the hard to hide things that Beatrice want to chew on (shoe racks, edges of coffee table, couch legs...) She would try to chew on them and when she encounters the bad taste, she leaves them alone. So far, we haven't been seeing her near the sprayed items.

[wendykei]

How much exercise is Sidney getting bc if he's bored or doesn't have enough exercise he may be displaying this type of behavior. I also suggest you reroute the behavior. As soon as he goes to chew something he shouldn't give him one of his toys or take him out to play or for a walk. A tired pup is a happy pup :D. So increase his activity and I promise you, you will see a big difference.

Judy

Yes, I think that his activity could probably be increased some days and will try to get him to be more active during the day. I've found that this is somewhat problematic because he HATES going outside for a walk. He sprawls out spread eagle when I get him to leave the apartment. (Most of the time I end up carrying him out to avoid dragging him.) When we're outside, I try to get him to run around with me on leash, and some times it works (he *occasionally* likes to run up and down these flights of stairs outside our building), but other times he will just sit there and look at me with this adorable, but definitely condescending expression. He usually only gets excited about being outdoors when it's time to go back inside... or when there are other people, dogs, or birds to say hello to.

So does anyone have any good indoor games for doggies so they can burn off some of that restless energy? I try throwing chew toys for him to chase around my apartment, but it usually only works for one or two throws, then he sees my feet/shoes/toes (or other inappropriate object--desk legs, rugs, bedframes, etc.), stares at them with affection, and then starts to pounce on them.

Since yesterday, however, I've noticed some progress (SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE ADVICE) in that when I say, "No," he will listen about 50% of the time and then take the chew toy. Only a few times was he so adamant about chewing on whatever inappropriate object he had in his clutches that he would not accept the appropriate replacement at all. Usually after a minute or two, he'd try to go back to the forbidden object of his affection, but then I'd repeat the command and give him the correct toy again. He seems to get it, although he was particularly calm last night. When he gets REALLY hyper, it's definitely more difficult to get his attention to correct him.

[wendykei]

Hmmm....when Beatrice went to dog training, in addition to having plenty of chew toys around, he recommended a product called "Bitter Apple".

Thought I included comments on Bitter Apple in a previous post... I have tried the Nature's Miracle bitter spray, but not "Bitter Apple." I may need to try that because Sidney does not seem to be bothered at all by the bitter spray we've been using. I have put the stuff all over the objects Sidney likes to chew on that can't be moved (i.e., my fingers, a corner wall that sticks out, his baby gates, the outside of his crate, desk legs, etc.), even fully drenching some items, but he does not care one bit. I will try to get some "Bitter Apple" and see if it works better than what we've got now!

[Lisa]

[/QUOTE] And by the way;Frenchies really don't take well to being yelled at.

fran[/QUOTE]

BWAAAHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAA
Fran - don't I know it!
I lost my temper last week with Lamont and raised my voice to him.

MISTAKE.

He came straight at me as if to say ... 'Listen you *&#$% - DON'T YOU EVER YELL AT ME AGAIN - I am the puppy of this house and I deserve RESPECT!"

It's SOOOOOOOooooooo true, Frenchies respond so much better to firm, focused commands - (IMO)

P.S. - I' ve NEVER used a spray bottle in my life and never would.
Give him lots to chew - lot's to do and there will be no need for a spray bottle.

[sakirby]

ok, this could be the WORST game ever to teach a dog BUT, i love it and oscar loves it so....

we play chase. i say in a high pitched voice "i'm gonna get you." and i chase him around the apartment. he loves it. now, all i have to do is say it, and he goes crazy. sometimes i will throw his favorite toy for him, and then chase him around. this is what really gets him going in the park too. i just say "i'm gonna get you" and he cruises all around.

you have to be careful with this one though so he doesn't want you to chase him all the time. i have just made sure that if oscar tries to initiate any chasing, i ignore him. we only play the chase game when i want to. so far, it has worked really well and it tires him (and me) out.

also, have you tried throwing empty water bottles around for him? it is a little noisey but, oscar loves it and will bat it around and chase it on his own for quite awhile.

tug of war is a good one to tire him out as well. but, again, some people don't recommend that game either. i guess with those types of games, you just have to be diligent about not letting them initiate it or else they will always be running away from you or pulling at stuff from you. hehe.

:D anyway, those are some of the things i do indoors with oscar to tire him out. good luck!

[miserlou]

So does anyone have any good indoor games for doggies so they can burn off some of that restless energy? I try throwing chew toys for him to chase around my apartment, but it usually only works for one or two throws, then he sees my feet/shoes/toes (or other inappropriate object--desk legs, rugs, bedframes, etc.), stares at them with affection, and then starts to pounce on them.

Actually too much running and chasing tends to cause dogs to act MORE restless, as it fills them with adrenalin. If you want to activate your dog without making him restless, you have to offer him "brain food" instead. ;)

Couple of things you can try: Teach him tricks! My Amstaff was a real handful (energy wise) as a puppy and so she now knows enough tricks to play a role in any sitcom!

Another one: Hide treats for him in your apartment. Nose-work is hundred times more tiring to a dog than any physical exercise. I put my two under command (to sit and stay) in kitchen and then hide e.g. tiny pieces of cheese all over the place. (Anyone trying this with two dogs at the same time have to keep an eye on them so that they don't start fighting over a treat they have both found at the exact same second.) My dogs love this game more than anything else in the world. When I ask them if they want to play "hide-the-treat" my Amstaff answers loud and clear... although otherwise she's a very quiet dog. :)

Ah, and if it's chewing that your puppy wants, use carton boxes (empty juice/milk/cereal - anything goes! Empty toilet paper rolls are Iida's favorites...) to hide treats in! I even use tape on them to offer my dogs more of a challenge! You can also hide the treat box for him to REALLY make him happy - he gets to hunt it down, destroy it AND eat it too! (Not the carton! Just the treat.) YOU get to pick up all the drolly pieces of carton after he's done - unless you teach him to do it! :D (And then tell me how...)

[Chris&Eti]

offer him "brain food" instead. )

great advice, I just recently read about the importance of this and started Eti on some brain teasers-hiding teddy under a blanket ,treats in a box or plastic container. His first response was to do what frenchies do best-a lot of staring- but he's getting pretty good at it now using his paws and even picking up the container and dropping it to get the treats out.

[wendykei]

thank you for the great suggestions!! i do like to get sidney running around a bit so we can make sure he's getting enough exercise...

i love the idea of hiding treats for him. i will see if he goes for that. most of the times, he seems to be too smart for his own good... like, "you really think i'm going to play that game with you?" yesterday i played fetch with him for a good 10 minutes. he was completely excited about a particular toy. this morning, i tried to get him to play fetch with the same toy--but this time he seemed to be content just watching ME throw the toy only to have to fetch it myself. :)

[ginaldo]

Wow, Sidney sounds like Aldo. He is 3 months now, and just started chewing at our feet. I cant even wear my scooby doo slippers cause thats just too much temptation. I haven't been home as much and I think its boredom. And I have the same problem on the leash, yesterday I figured he was bored cause I was gone in the afternoon, and tried to take him for a walk. First, when I grab his harness he runs into his crate, its so cute. Then I run to the door and he meets me and then we go out. But he decided not even 2 minutes into his walk to sit and not move. I picked him up, walked 10 feet, and let him down. He stopped again after like 2 minutes....weird....we never had a problem. I think we need to use more positive reinforcement cause he definately doesnt like to be corrected!! So Wendy, I know what you are going through!!!!! :lol:

[wendykei]

Well, I tried to get Sidney to play some "brain games", but after the first minute or so he seemed indifferent. I don't know if he decided he wasn't up for the challenge and would rather just chew on something easily attainable (i.e., my feet). I showed Sidney a treat and then put it inside an upside down, open clear tupperware. At first he kind of sniffed around for it. Then he pushed the tupperware around on the ground until it was against the wall. Then he kind of gave up, went to lie down about 10 feet away.

The second thing I did was to hide a treat inside an old pair of pajama pants. I held the pants up to him so he could smell them, and then put them back down on the ground. He completely ignored them.

Any other ideas? This dog!!! Will keep trying because I really like the idea and think he'll catch on soon. He also usually ignores Kongs even when I stuff them with peanut butter or other treats, though he generally seems to like treats when I use them to entice him to walk 10 feet or to reward him for doing his business in the correct place...