CHEWING!!!

[Jill and Molly]

Well my sweet little Molly graduated from school tonight. She learned all her commands and does them quite well. However, we have one little issue right now, CHEWING FURNITURE< YIKES! Tonight at class I asked the teacher for advice and her comment was I wasn't supervising my Molly enough. I will NOT lie, I was rather irritated by that comment. I just today sat on the floor with her for over a half hour playing ball. Then I started to cook dinner a bit afterwards, and she was calm and there she went right up to the slider door and started to chew. I of course said no. And then offered her a toy and when she took it I told her good girl. I also have to say the teacher said to me well maybe it is overwhelming to you because this is your first dog, WRONG. I had a Cockapoo for 13 years who also went to school, but that teacher offered advice NOT cut down people.Another family asked how to keep her dog off leather couches. To which teacher said put aluminum foil on the couches. The family said how long do i need to do that for? teacher replied for a week. And then said if that fails to put mouse traps on the couch. When I told her my Molly is surfing the counter, she told me to put mouse traps on there. Well I did, but I put paper plates on them so if they sprung she wouldn't get hurt. She yelled at me for that and i really don't care I don't want my dog getting hurt. Then I asked her how long do they need to sty up there to which she replied for as long as it takes. OK if you can't tell I was quite upset with this trainer! Her disposition was so unprofessional.

So I guess if i understand correctly now my dog chews because i don't supervise her well enough. I am a stay at home mom. My son is in school all so I am with Molly quite a bit. We take walks, e play, and to be honest if I am with her anymore I might be sleeping in her crate...

To all my friends out there any suggestions for chewing and for her constantly jumping on counters and tables???

Thanks again...and if you read my earlier posts, we have come along way. Some of my frustrations in earlier posts, might've been caused from I had to have a lot of surgical procedures, and the stress and the healing were interfering with day to day life. All is doing well now, yeah, and Molly and I are becoming the best of buddies. But my MINI is 17 weeks and weighs 25 pounds, not gonna be a MINI and she is shedding...but we love her :-)

[Willow and J]

Have you tried Bitterapple spray? It was effective for Willow. Whenever I saw her getting to things that I didn't want her to chew on, I stopped her chewing immediately, then proceeded with Bitterapple spray, and the combination of seeing me upset, her being scared of sprays in general, and the taste of Bitterapple seemed to have done the trick.

I do think your trainer is ... weird, to say the least. 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

All my dogs past and present, small and large dogs went thru chewing stages but they all passed that stage as well.  All the chewing was always in the first year, as  a correction I did exactly what you did, stop them and offer a toy and I made sure that there were always good chew toys all around the house.  The chewing eventually stopped after all their teeth came in and they matured.

 

As for counter surfing.... Sasha is a big time counter surfer and she is just a little over two years of age.  Oliver has no need to counter surf, he is tall enough where he just puts his nose on the counter but he shows no interest on jumping up on the counter or has any desire to know whats up there.  I guess because he can see whats up there.  Sasha is my miss little nosey and this has been a very hard habit for me to break with her.  I would in no way ever use mouse traps, a dog could really get hurt that way.  I could not think of how much that would hurt their nose or paws getting caught in a mouse trap !!!  I hear of putting metal cookie sheets on the edge of the counter to startle them when they fall and that would deter them.  I have not done that either because Sasha is kind of skidish to begin with and I don't want frighten her or cause her any more fear.  So I just deal with it and correct her when she does do it.  When you are preparing food you may want to just block Molly out of the kitchen or work on training her to sit and stay at the door way with treats. 

 

I really think Molly will pass this stage because she is only 17 weeks and just a very young puppy.  Be consistent with the correcting and offering chew toys and once her adult teeth are in this is likely to stop.  My Oliver is a very agressive chewer but only chews on his toys and I have tons of different, safe toys around for him to chew on.  Good luck with Molly :)

 

 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

In addition to what others have added, I would ask if Molly is getting enough exercise.  By this I mean do you have a fenced yard (or dog park)  where she is getting to be outdoors to run and run and run.  Playing ball in the house or going for a couple of walks a day isn't going to do it.  When they are puppies they have so much energy.  If it isn't released, they are going to be bored and they are going to get into trouble.  As for the counter surfing, i've heard things like stacking some cookie sheets/cake pans with some treats on them on the counters.  When she surfs to get the treats, the noise of the falling pans is going to scare her and should break the habit.  Also, find a new trainer that you like and continue with the training classes.  Keep up the good work.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

when cooper was little (the first week we had her) she tried to counter surf by jumping up at the counter. She knocked down a plate and a cookie sheet. it scared her terribly and she hasnt done it since. The cookie sheet is noisy, but wont hurt her.

id guess your puppy will be around 50lb (double the weight at 4 months plus or minus 10lb)

[Elizabeth & Cosmo]

Goodness gracious! I think you definitely need a new trainer for Molly's next class!

Yes, dogs do chew out of boredom and when they are not supervised. But puppies also chew because they are teething. We watched Cosmo very closely, and kept him confined in the kitchen behind a baby gate when we were busy elsewhere or not at home. But I still have puppy teeth marks on my great-grandmother's drop-leaf table legs! This is _not_ your fault.

But, I agree that Grannick's Bitter Apple is essential. We sprayed all the furniture legs and anything else Cosmo tried to chew, and it worked! In a house full of chewable antique furniture, the drop leaf table is the only casualty. I was told that only Grannick's will do--not any other brand.

I don't have anything to offer on the counter-surfing. Cosmo only did it once, because he had seen me cut him a small piece of cheese from a block I left on the counter. So he helped himself to the rest. I blame myself for that, because I prepared something for him in the same location where I prepare people food. And I left something smelly and yummy out on the counter! He did get a big lecture for that, and was told he was a bad dog. He hasn't done it since.

Molly is still very young, and she is still learning what is acceptable behavior and what is not. I think your instincts are very good, and continued working with her (reviewing her training, etc.) will increase the bond between you--so that she will be more attuned to what you want her to do.

Best of luck as you continue to help Molly grow into a wonderful dog!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

My advice-go somewhere else for further training. My husband had some similar issues with our trainer. We refuse her class next time.

Mouse traps! No way! Bitterapple can help with some dogs but Chloe liked the stuff! LOL!

We just sprayed vinegar and water on our apron of the couch because recently Myla (she's 4) decided that if we leave she's going to chew on that. She's NEVER chewed on anything but toys but our schedules have changed and I'm guessing she's not liking it.

I think the corrections you are making are good ones. good luck

[BG and Gavin]

Sorry but I had to giggle at the image of you going into the crate with her! 

Your trainer is the one that should be crated IMO. No way to the mouse traps - that is crazy and dangerous.  I would suggest that you tether her to you and go about your normal routine.  If she starts to chew on something you can issue a leash correction and say "no."  This will teach her boundaries and she will learn to pay attention to you.  It also exercises her mind helps her to learn leash manners and will wear her out.  It really is invaluable and I wish I had started it earlier.  For the times that tethering is not practical (you gotta take a shower at some point) put her in the crate.  When you are relaxing during TV time, redirect with something good to chew on.  Remember she is teething right now and chewing provides relief.  The best thing for us was a cotton tube sock dampened and tied in knots then placed in the freezer.

Good luck!

[Heather Martinez]

Up until he was about 10 months old Teddy literally did have to be supervised at ALL times when he was awake. It did not matter how much we played with him, walked him, exercised him, when he had the chance to get into trouble, he eventually would. Teddy always had to be tethered if we weren't playing with him or directly supervising him. So we would play with him and then we would tether him in a safe place within sight of us, with a bed and plenty of toys available. If I was in the kitchen making dinner he would be tethered in the dining room where he could see me, but he wouldn't get underfoot or start running around the house chewing things. He just couldn't handle the independence at that age. He gradually learned independence from 10-12 months old and now he has free reign of the house, and he'll run around and play with his toys while I'm busy in the kitchen. Having things to chew on or eat like a bully stick or frozen kong really helped keep him busy when he was tethered as well. Being tethered and not able to run around was also essential for him to be able to relax and nap, even after he became more independent. If he was able to run around it was just too much excitement and he couldn't go to sleep.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Find a new trainer.  You are doing just fine with Molly.  Puppies chew.  You could tie her near you when you have to cook, etc so that she will be easier to supervise, but she is still going to chew. Try saving her favorite chew toy just for that time of day.

 

Dinner time at my time has always been called the "children's hour" for kids and for puppies.  It is their crankiest, antsiest, time of day and also the time of day when everyone seems to have something that needs to get done. I have always thought that the smell of food seems to make puppies need to chew more.  Maybe it's just because my tummy is getting hungry and I want to dhew something!

Countersurfing is a very tough habit to curb.  Some dogs are much harder than others to keep off the counters.  One delicious stolen morsel is enough for some dogs to just keep trying even if you construct towers of pans to fall at a touch, acres of aluminum foil, bells, squirt guns and the smoke detector going off

I agree with you, I would never mouse trap my counter to stop my dog counter surfing. 

 

Just keep on training and teaching your puppy, but please find a new trainer.