Puppy chewing wrecking my budget!

[leahjade]

Anyone recommend any toys to keep him away from furniture? Links please! Thanks so much

 

[wiigirl]

I would suggest something scented....worked for us.

 

[ShelliRenee]

They have some stuff called scented apple spray that tastes nasty! It worked on our dog. (We got some after he chewed up a coffee table)

 

[leahjade]

Any toys I can buy for him to chew that last long and are proven to be liked by your puppy?

 

[Candace]

Any toys I can buy for him to chew that last long and are proven to be liked by your puppy?

Does he have rawhide chew toys? Mine always loved those (and still does).

 

[of2dbeach]

Get him a good raw hide bone but stay near him when he eats it. some times they bite off small pieces or they get sharp. We have a 5 year old lab and labs are very "chewy" keep him busy basicly wear him out, make him run and play. toss him a ball and play fetch. My dog loves frisbies. crate training works also. a tried pup is a happy pup. you can also use Right Guard spray we used that when I had a bunny to keep him from chewing things. Kong toys are good and strong. We used them with my Great Dane.

 

[ChrisinNJ]

Get a Kong and stuff it with treats. I use peanut butter, kibble, more peanut butter, then stuff the opening with a biscuit. She works on it for hours!

Bitter apple spray always helped too.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I've found that my dogs are like people in that they each have different preferences to what textures they like to chew. Both of my dogs agree on squeaky toys and this is my German Shepherd's absolute favorite: http://www.amazon.com/KONG-Squeezz-...=1365694751&sr=8-10&keywords=kong+squeeze+toy . Also this: http://www.amazon.com/KONG-Puppy-Bi...TF8&qid=1365694857&sr=1-1&keywords=kong+binky

These are the only toys that we have had since Christmas that has not broken in any way. The second one you put treats in which encourages them to chew that instead of furniture.

Nylabone has also held up well to both of my dogs, my other dog is part lab and has a very strong bite and they hold up to her, too, but they don't hold their interest unless they squeak or have treats in them.

You might want to change up their toys every once in awhile, too, put one away for awhile and take out a different one so they don't get bored with them.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Get him a good raw hide bone but stay near him when he eats it. some times they bite off small pieces or they get sharp. We have a 5 year old lab and labs are very "chewy" keep him busy basicly wear him out, make him run and play. toss him a ball and play fetch. My dog loves frisbies. crate training works also. a tried pup is a happy pup. you can also use Right Guard spray we used that when I had a bunny to keep him from chewing things. Kong toys are good and strong. We used them with my Great Dane.

This is great advice, too, wear him out! Bored puppies chew more.

 

[wilkeliza]

A Kong is your best friend. Kongs are even safe to leave with him when you aren't there.

When I worked for the ASPCA we had levels of Kong. The company sells 3 type baby, regular, and a super chewer one. For strong chewers get the one that is all black. It is their strongest one.

At first put really easy treats in it to get him interested. I love liver treats in them because they have a good strong sent that will keep the pups interested.

If he gets the treats out too easily mix them into wet food and add some kibble and treats into the paste like substance and put that in the kong. If you don't want to use wet food then peanut butter or cream cheese are two great options as well.

The last level is for super super chewers. We called them Kong Pops. What you do is make up the paste mixture. Then before putting it in the long out a whole treat in the top. Fill it with the paste you made and then put it in the freezer. A few hours later you have a hard treat Kong that they really have to work at. The pitties and other big dogs at the ASPCA loved their Kong Pops.

Another great toy is a tug a jug. They are made according to dog size and are jugs you out treats. There is a rope they have to pull on to get the treats out. If you don't want to let your dog have a rope toy then you can take the rope out and put a ball in its place. Now instead of having to pull a rope they have to shake the jug to get the ball to move and let some treats through.

 

[Ariel484]

Get a Kong and stuff it with treats. I use peanut butter, kibble, more peanut butter, then stuff the opening with a biscuit. She works on it for hours!

Bitter apple spray always helped too.

+1 for the Kong. Back when we first got our dog (not a puppy, but he's a "powerful chewer") we'd put peanut butter in it and then stick it in the freezer. It took him even longer to get the peanut butter out that way, and I have read that chewing on something cold feels good to the dog on their gums. Kongs can be pricey, but certain kinds can last a long time (example - he ripped the ones with the tennis ball-like coating and the Wubbas - which are coated in fabric - to pieces in minutes, but we still have this one after almost 3 years and he still likes to chew on it, with or without peanut butter).

Here are some other good ones we've found...buying toys for our pup has been quite a process. He's on the smaller size (25 pounds) but he can destroy toys in minutes - or seconds! - unless they are borderline rock-hard, which I think is similar to how a puppy chews. So that means lots of Nylabone toys in our house:

http://www.petco.com/product/2566/Nylabone-Galileo-Bone.aspx
http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/by-brand/puppy-teething-ringstrade.htm --> his favorite by far, unfortunately our Petco doesn't seem to carry them anymore.
http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/by-brand/dura-chew-plus-textured-tug.htm
http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/by-brand/dura-chew-plus-bone-bacon.htm
http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/by-brand/durachew-double-bone-bacon.htm

I like to try to look for a variety of shapes/textures to keep it interesting for him. I also try to rotate the toys in and out...if he loses interest after a few days I'll put the toy away for awhile, give him a different one, then pull out the original toy a few weeks later and he acts like it's a new toy.

Good luck, and have fun with your puppy!

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Like others said, spray bitter apple on surfaces you don't want them to chew.

Stuffed Kongs and Nylabones are great. Not a fan of rawhides because they are very fatty and sometimes they can stain carpet and my dogs sometimes throw up after they chew them.

 

[minnierocks]

Nylabones and the rope bones are the only things that my puppy/dog will chew...they will not touch the kong. Even our past dogs did not like the kong for some reason. We also have lots of the soft stuffed squeaker toys and small bits of material on the floor for her to run around with. Watching the puppy closely is key...when she starts to chew on shoes or my rugs, I say no and replace it with something that she can chew. Unsupervised puppies can be destructive and they grow into destructive dogs.

 

[pklein09]

Owner of 2 long haired, standard dachshunds here....there is only one thing they don't through in 5 minutes: elk antlers. I buy the ones that are solid and not cut in half. I also second getting something like Bitter Apple to deter the chewing of furniture. We had that problem with a cattle dog/shepherd mix and it worked very well.

 

[danielle79]

We have two English Mastiffs and the new one is a puppy and she likes rope (very thick tightly woven) Kong toy, if I am leaving her for a bit I put peanut butter and kibble inside it, and nylabone, she is currently eating the ends off of them but it has been 5 months. We also like to buy a couple new toys every 6 months so they don't get bored. The puppy has never chewed furniture but she did ruin a couple shoes! I also agree with keeping the pup tired and mind active, bored dogs will chew.

 

[pocomom]

Anyone recommend any toys to keep him away from furniture? Links please! Thanks so much

We had real chewers too. First just realize this is a stage and will pass. Putting up things that are tempting and confining your pup to safe zones are great ideaa. Supervision is key. My puppies were a year old before they ever came upstairs. They were very destructive chewers (one would even eat the walls, doors, molding etc. ) Now they are 2 and although they tend to be naughtier than my other dog was, they don't destroy any part of the house anymore (will occassionally get one of the kid's toys)
I tried hard to keep the pups off chewing the coffee table but in hindsight I should have just moved it to the basement for a few months. Cherry bitter spray worked better than the apple for us.
Tuckering him out is also great advice, also mental stimulation. We like to make toys for them to save a little. We make crinkle toys by pulling an old sock over a water bottle and tying it. If they chew up a stufffed animal I just sew it up even if it doesn't look like much they don't care. You can buy replacement squeekers on amazon or at pet smart. A messy toy that keeps them entertained is a treat in an old cardboard box, inside another box, etc. Let them figure out how to get it open. If your pup is teething you can knot up an old washrag and chill it and let them have it.
We also have a variety of toys that you can hide treats in and they have to work to get them out. http://www.amazon.com/Kong-Wobbler-...=UTF8&qid=1365703417&sr=1-12&keywords=dog+toy This is one of them.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Owner of 2 long haired, standard dachshunds here....there is only one thing they don't through in 5 minutes: elk antlers. I buy the ones that are solid and not cut in half.

+1 for the Elk Antlers. I forgot about those. Our pups like Elk and Deer antlers. You can get them at the pet store...we've gotten them a bit cheaper on Amazon. Our pups will really go to town on the split ones, but the full antlers last longer.

 

[writersblock42]

Crate training-put the dog in a crate when you cannot supervise him. Also wear him out with a dog park or long walks.

 

[csharpwv]

No one has suggested it, but if this dog is wrecking your budget.... a muzzle won't.

They aren't inhumane - it allows free movement, and prevents them from destroying valuables.

 

[britfish]

Crate training-put the dog in a crate when you cannot supervise him. Also wear him out with a dog park or long walks.

I second this, if you can watch the puppy, it should be in the crate. If the puppy is chewing your furniture it is because you are not keeping an eye on him. Also, watch giving him too many toys, sometimes less is better for puppies.