Muzzle for chewing?

[Dot, Maggie and KoKo]

I am really loosing patience with this chewing. This morning it was a nice hole in my down comforter. We have feathers flying everywhere. Yesterday while she was out in the yard, she chewed through the cable for the satellite system knocking out the TVs. I have a technician coming on Sunday to repair the system and put us back into operation.

She may have to pay a visit to the dentist for removal of all her teeth....just kidding.

Seriously though, has anyone ever used a muzzle to get beyond this stage?

Rosie has chewed so many things and seems to be getting worse. She's seven months old and generally a delight if we can just get beyond this stage. We are supposed to get another Doodle this Spring but I'm not sure I could do this again.

[Paul & Michele]

Hello!!
Let me know if you have any luck in finding a cure for her chewing. I have a black goodendoodle who is going to turn one in about a week. She was going to be an inside dog but likes it alot better outside with our 2 labs. She thinks she is a beaver!!!!!! My husband has threatened to detooth her too!! She has chewed our wooden patio chairs to where they could be used as firewood now, my husband built really nice big kennel for the dogs it's the size of a shed and has a little wooden patio ect., ect. she is chewing the wood around the doorways in it and the lattice he put on the sides. I had someone suggest to give her bones (not rawhide) I bought her hartz ribeye bones at walmart she likes those and I haven't noticed her chewing what's left of the chairs lately. I tired buying her all kinds of toys too most of them were destuffed in minutes and the back yard looked like it had snowed. If you find a cure for this bad habit please let me know. Molly is almost 1 yr old so I'm praying she grows out of it. I am going to enroll her in dog obedience class at the end of this month at Petco, we'll see how that works out. She seems very smart aside from the chewing..

P.S. Molly chewed the cables for our direct tv also and they had to come back out and rewire it. They had left the cables hanging down and didn't tuck them under the siding so luckily we didn't have to pay for it. She was about 6 months old then.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

The only thing that is working for us is a nice long walk. It works! We are healthier and the dog is TIRED!

[Valerie]

No muzzle, please. I agree that she needs close supervision until this stage is over. I agree with confining her to an area when you cannot be watchful. At this age, she can be much like a toddler. You need to watch out for her safety as you do for a toddler. One of mine liked to chew on an ice cube, at that age. She loved stuffed Kongs and that kept her busy. This too shall pass.

[Adina P]

Please remember that chewing is not a bad habit in the dog world. It's very very normal. They need to chew. That said, it's important that they have appropriate things to chew on at all times. Stuffed animals are not supposed to be chew toys... It's very rare that dogs just mouth the stuffed animals without chewing them up...they are soft and fluffy easy to destroy and FUN to disembowel to get that squeeker. So your dog is perfectly normal, just happens to be on the higher end of chewing needs.

To keep your stuff from being destroyed here are some things to think about:

-- is your dog getting enough stimulating exercise? A dog that is bored because of pent up energy tends to chew and destroy more. Doodles have hunting dogs in their ancestry and hunting dogs need work and a job. Some doodles have more of this energy than others... She may need a combination of activities: fetch in the yard, a couple walks a day, trip to the dog park (super tiring!).

-- anytime you cannot keep both eyes on your goldendoodle Rosie... She needs to be confined so that she cannot get into trouble and practice the bad house manners. Confining you can do in several ways:
1) crate (that's my preference and I have no problem crating a dog)
2) sectioned off in a safe room via baby gate or something like that
3) exercise pen -- great if your pup is already housetrained...it's MUCH bigger than a crate and has no top.
4) tethered to you--which means you put your belt through the handle loop of a leash and then leash Rosie so that she is literally attached to you by a leash... This way she will at least stay within six feet or so and will be within your eyesight. She is not ready for the freedom of run of the house... Giving her the freedom will only allow her to get into trouble and not only destroy your property but possibly endanger herself in case she swallows something that could block her GI tract.
5) Also supervise her in the backyard.

-- she needs excellent chew toys! Try treat dispensing balls, Kongs, the super hard Nylabones, sterilized REAL bones, and other tough chewies that are meant for chewing (not stuffed animals). You need to make these chew toys available to her frequently throughout the day. Check our "Reviews" page for tips and ideas on good toys.

-- obedience training is a must! I'm not talking about training her to NOT chew... But working general obedience until she's super good at responding to commands just about anywhere you go with her. Not only will you have an excellently behaved dog that you'll be proud of wherever you go, but the bond and trust and respect that goes both ways grows tremendously through obedience training. And that often affects things like bad habits without you actually doing things about the bad habits.

Between keeping her confined when you can't watch her, giving her lots of exercise, providing her chew toys that she is supposed to chew...and spending time on obedience...You should be able to control and manage the situation quite well until she has passed her chewing phase...which may be a few months or a couple of years.

[Stella]

We used an exercise pen for our dog when he was youger as we wanted him to have a bigger area to move around in than a crate, but our labradoodle became an escape artist and began climbing out. We tried putting a roof on it, and he still managed to get out!! The best thing you can do is try to make sure the dog is tired before you go out, provide plenty of strong chew toys, and make use of lots of Bitter Apple!!

[Cindy S.]

Ditto, ditto, ditto! Please, no muzzle. When I talked to my dog trainer about issues I had with my two, she always looked at me and said, poor management and blames me! I now know what she meant. They are dogs, they really don't know any better. Both of mine were crated until they went through this phase, but Suzie Q. the youngest still can find things to destroy. I find lots of exercise and continued obedience classes have made such a difference, especially the obedience classes. Working with her one on one has created a terrific bond, and she looks to me for everything.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I have another stupid idea but it worked for me for years. I tend to have a lot of cardboard boxes left over from grocery shopping. After they are empty, I throw them into our dogs play area. They stomp on them, chew them for hours, make dens out of them when upside down. The bigger the box, the better they enjoy. Of course they make a mess but it is less expensive then toys they don't use or items that are dangerous.
I also buy rawhide bones in bulk!!! They are everywhere; in my car, the backyard, the living room, my nightstand, coffee table and this morning one somehow made it to the bathtub. Of course I am sick of looking and stepping on them, but they are always handy when I need to deter them from things I don't want them chewing on. My dogs have never been perfect---I have lost many shoes and curtains but if at all possible I never take my eyes off them. If I am busy they go into their crates with, of course, a chew. Good Luck. I sympathize with your frustration.

[GBK]

Not stupid at all! What a great idea, I'm gonna try the boxes. We give ours the paper bags from grocery shopping :) They will grab them by the handle and tear through the house, go in and out of the dog door teasing each other with the bags then shred them. Cheap thrills! They do the same with the cardboard paper towell rolls.

[The Berry Oaks Doodle Ranch]

No,it is most definitely not stupid.Our doodle is 4months old and when ever I hav a small bx empty we throw it to Ginneuss.He loves to tear it up...this helps at dinner time also,he's busy while we enjoy dinner!!! lol

[Ginny Nightingale]

I agree with all that has been said, but no one mentioned cow hooves--my Mattie loves to chew them and they really provide a tough chewing experience--she breaks them up and chews on all the pieces--they last quite a while. I have seen no problem with them so far. I have been advised to NEVER give my dog rawhide by my breeder. My sister-in-law's dog just got very very sick from too much rawhide. I don't know exactly what he had, but it was serious.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

hmmm I will look into alternative chews. I think I have read this somewhere else about the dangers of too much rawhide. Thanks for the advice.

[JBAdorableDoodles]

Cow hooves are great when used inside under supervised chewing. Otherwise when then chew them down into sharp pieces, they can be very dangerous.I think Rosie spends a lot of time outside, these might not be the best for her to chew.