Labrador retriever puppy chewing and chewing

[lonegirl]

My budget is going to nil with our 6 month old lab that is obsessed with chewing. I have tried rawhides (I know they are not good for him)--he inhales them, bully sticks are also inhaled, nylabone that has lasted the longest, just bought an antler today (for $15) that will hopefully keep him satisfied for a while. Any suggestions for my power chewer? I also had to buy him a toy that I put his meals into and it dispenses as he rolls it around, since he has been known to wolf down his food in less than a minute, and that cannot be good. Help!

 

[DSNY4ever]

You can cut up an old towel (or use old wash rags), get them wet, squeeze the water out, tie it in a know and stick them in the freezer. Dogs like to chew on these when teething especially if it's hot.

Make sure you are taking them on lots of walks too to help tire him out and he'll be less likely to want to chew all day. You could freeze some treats in a bowl of water too and then pop it out and throw it outside and let him go to town licking and chewing (you can put a toy in there too). Our dogs like that in the summer. Good luck!

 

[I Believe n Fairies]

Patience... That's about all I can offer. My oldest lab just turned 14. She went thru her chewing phase on my first house... base boards, kitchen table, cabinet, etc. We tried lots and never found the perfect solution. Our 2nd lab (mix breed) was 1 1/2 when we got her, so we haven't had much trouble, but she has been known to destroy a book or two.

The Kong is a great toy. My dogs also love rope bones. I have found that they chew often because they're bored and labbies tend to be puppies longer than normal. I would make sure your dog is getting plenty of exercise, crate train when you're not at home, and keep reinforcing what toys can be played with. Also, when our oldest was a puppy, we did get the Bitter Apple Spray (from pet stores) and when she would chew on something she wasn't supposed to chew, we would give her a spray. It did help. Good luck! I love labbies. Best dogs ever.. if you can make it thru the puppy stage.

 

[21yankees]

Our lab is almost 3 and he went through that chewing everything in sight phase. I second the cut up towel idea (mentioned above). Rawhides are a very quick fix. We also buy the bones from Pet Smart (about $10).

It does get better, he still has his moments (mostly when we're not home) but for the most part he not chewing things he isn't supposed to (like cornes of walls, base boards, furniture, carpet, etc).

 

[EllenFrasier]

Sounds like you've been offered some clever ideas. I would also like to put out there that if you cannot watch the dog and what he's chewing on, you should crate him. It's kind of like a baby and a playpen. Keeping him safe from hurting himself by ingesting socks, etc. and save your shoes from being eaten!

 

[lonegirl]

We walk 1.5 miles in the morning, go out to throw the ball a couple of times a day, then gets another mile walk at night. He is crate trained, and I admit, he is bored throughout day, but we're home with him (I'm SAHM) and he's only crated at night and when I leave the house.

 

[Eeyore18]

Yea- that's a lab for you! Our first lab (who lived to be 14) chewed a hole in our drywall when he was a puppy. We now have another lab-who is the biggest trouble maker! He just turned 2 and continues to think he is a puppy in a 90 lb. body. I can't even list all the stuff he has chewed or eaten.
There is a great forum just for labs. I believe it's www.lab-retriever.net
Labs are challenging as pups-but they are the best!

 

[momto2inKC]

Our puppy is a chewer and the best thing we've found for her is a Kong. She gets various snacks in it. Her favorite is frozen yogurt. It takes quite some time for her to empty it. She has yet to destroy it, they're very durable!

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

When we had pups "teething" the best thing we found for them were the cow hooves. (I think that's what they are, LONG time since we had a pup!) They stunk pretty good but the pups loved them. I've also heard about stuffing a kong with peanut butter or yogurt or whatever and freezing it. Doesn't work so well for an adult dog, she got the stuff out in no time, but a pup may work better.

 

[fakereadhed]

Our puppy is a chewer and the best thing we've found for her is a Kong. She gets various snacks in it. Her favorite is frozen yogurt. It takes quite some time for her to empty it. She has yet to destroy it, they're very durable!

This!
Try freezing it with peanut butter inside too.

My lab/chow mix ate my baseboards, a dining chair, and our buffet if that makes you feel any better. He is a hardwood fan, apparently! He is nearly two now and always has a ball in his mouth, but has stopped eating the woodwork.

 

[justbishop]

Just MHO as a former pro dog trainer, but I would never give a chewer things like towels or rope bones. When they tear stings and stringy bits off and ingest them, those pieces can actually get tangled in the intestine and cause life threatening blockages that need surgery to remove.

The Kong with frozen whatever inside is a great choice, and I've never had any of my client come back and tell me that the Galileo bone didn't work for them.

Other than that, the suggestions of excersize, wise usage of the crate, and patience are great ones! Good luck!

 

[ceecee]

I've got two labs and they outgrow the destructive chewing but still love to chew. I agree with the previous posts...Kongs with frozen peanut butter or kibble or just about anything. The only thing our oldest lab has not destroyed. She goes thru toys in minutes! I have given them knuckle bones before but you have to watch them. They love to carry toys around so I get them the stuffing free plush and they last a little longer (once they dig the squeaker out).
We have a Brake Fast bowl because they both inhaled their food and this slows them down also adding a little water will slow them down some. Labs can get bloat easily so you have to try and slow them down if possible.
LOTS of exercise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Order66]

I second everything the PP said. As a vet tech who's assisted in too many surgeries to count and the owner of a dog that died from a foreign body by towel.......a chewer can and will swallow fabric than can cause a fatal blockage. For the record, I did not give the dogs these things, rather she was a high drive escape artist that ripped apart a kennel one day and got into the laundry.

Exercise, exercise, exercise! While your dog is chewing because he is teething, he is also chewing because he's got too much energy and not enough outlet. Labs are very active dogs. Try a training class or get some books/videos and do it yourself. Work him several times a day in obedience. One of the best activities for my dogs was learning to track. A a good hour spend in the park......and my dogs would come home exhausted.

regards

 

[mab2010]

You did get a lab puppy...we like to call our lab "razor lips"! You just have to keep them busy with stuff - swimming, walks, fetching - wears them out.

A good chew trick is to get a Kong and stuff a treat in it or smear peanut butter inside. That keeps them busy for a while.

If you fetch them with a tennis ball then they'll put some attention on that ball many times throughout the day packing it around, etc... - keeps them occupied other than chewing.

Enjoy your lab - wonderful friends!

 

[gardengalB4]

We tried the kong toys & found they do last...but our dog lost interest.
We bought a TireBiter Tire from Petsmart-she really likes to play with it & it has held up very well

 

[TinkOhio]

Our lab chewed for quite a while. He's 7 and is still very active. He LOVES to retrieve. By about 1 year, he knew not to touch anything that wasn't his. Now sure if you lab has chewed anything expensive, but ours started chewing on our oak molding and wooden chair legs! The vet said to spray bitter apple spray on such things, and it worked like a charm.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

We walk 1.5 miles in the morning, go out to throw the ball a couple of times a day, then gets another mile walk at night. He is crate trained, and I admit, he is bored throughout day, but we're home with him (I'm SAHM) and he's only crated at night and when I leave the house.

We have a 3 1/2 year old lab puppy who is finally outgrowing the chewing. It's wonderful that you are taking your pup on long walks, but we always refer to walks as "reading the newspaper" for labs. They like to go out and sniff and check out which other dogs have been by since the last time they visited, but it is not really exercise for them. Our lab runs beside DH when he bikes, or he will run around the block with the kids. He will fetch until he loses interest, then we will chase him around to keep him (and us!) moving. Labs have boundless energy. Another idea is to look into some playtime for him at a boarding place. The place where we board our dog has two long play sessions each day, both for boarders and for day "campers". Our dog will sleep for days after he has been boarded.

If you have a power chewer, I agree with the PPs who said not to give a towel or rope toy. Our pup loves to play tag with a rope toy, but if he is left unattended, he will shred it quickly.

We like the JW toys (available at Petco and probably Petsmart) - he has several that he has not destroyed. Kongs are also good, although our dog did eat one. One of the Kongs (maybe the blue one?) is visible on an x-ray, just in case (don't ask how we know that).

The white Nylabones have held up well - better than the off-white ones.

If your pup is chewing his bedding, you might check out a Kuranda bed. They are advertised to be chew-proof, and our dog has not destroyed his yet!

 

[jillbur]

We don't have a lab, but we do have an Austalian Cattle dog who is not high energy, she is extreme energy (and had separation anxiety for the first 8 months after we rescued her from a kill shelter)! When we went to puppy classes, the trainer also suggested a Kong (we got the black heavy duty one). She suggested stuffing it with peanut butter or wetting dog food and stuffing it inside and freezing it. The frozen dog food was great. She eventually grew out of the chewing (after we found out we have beautiful hardwoods under the carpet in our living room with a foot square now missing after she chewed through the plastic bottom in her crate and kept going through the carpet and padding to the hardwoods~oh and broke off a couple metal bars of her crate in the process). I also agree not to give the dogs towels or ropes. They are dangerous for their teeth and bellies! Good luck and hang in there~I think most dogs outgrow chewing as they get out of the puppy phase.

 

[kacaju]

http://www.whitedogbone.com/merrick-commander-chew.html

try these. My dogs love them. I stock up on them when White Bone is at a local dog show, thedogs love them and they don't smell or get gunky so they can stay in the house

 

[SYLVESTER7577]

Sounds like you've been offered some clever ideas. I would also like to put out there that if you cannot watch the dog and what he's chewing on, you should crate him. It's kind of like a baby and a playpen. Keeping him safe from hurting himself by ingesting socks, etc. and save your shoes from being eaten!

I also recomend this. It is not a punishment either. It, as mentioned, is a safe guard of your lab and belongings. My yellow lab (Daisy) is eight and Hunter is 2 1/2 and we left our large crate up with the door always open. They now take turns sleeping in it. It is even funnier to see both of the in it trying to figure out what to do now. A word of caution, if left un attended you could come home to half a couch. It took me a few labs and years to figure out the crate. Good luck as they will love you for ever.