Chewing Labs, how do we stop it !!!

[emmysophie96]

We have two 11 month old black lab sisters who have all but eaten our house and the contents. We have three large holes in the plaster of our kitchen, through the plaster completely. The've also scratched and chewed new kitchen units. They've shredded beds, quilts, towels and now started on the sofa which was the final straw that prompted the kennel purchase. They are seriously destructive and seem to be getting worse instead of better. We've just had a large kennel and dog run built outside and before we have even locked them in one has chewed the wood significantly, literally taking out about an inch of wood within a few minutes of being outside. I've just sprayed a load of anti chew stuff but I'm not convinced that it will stop them. Any suggestions will be gratefully received before we hit the poverty line

 

[katie_southwest]

Oh I do feel for you, I once looked after a lab puppy for my friend and within a few hours my mums new kitchen table leg was chewed!!!
We now have a little westie puppy and can honestly say shes never chewed anything apart from her toys (and my feet)!

Cant offer much advice sorry

 

[ihatework]

What a nightmare! I'm so lucky mine didn't chew hardly at all.
How much exercise are they getting?
Lots of bones, toys and mental stimulation is all I can suggest I'm afraid

 

[LynneB]

lol this is labs I'm afraid. I once came home to a whole ground floor full of stuff my lab boy had chewed through. I am not kidding, he had every house plant, his beanbag, every toilet roll, piece of kitchen paper etc and the floor was covered and he stood there as if to say "hey mum look I was good and kept myself busy while you were gone!"

You cannot stop them from chewing I'm afraid especially if you are out for periods of time. The only thing you can do is direct them to something they can chew. I really do recommend the giant sized kong, make sure you stuff lots in it that will take them forever to get out. Nice juicy things. A huge chunk of cheese completely wedged in will keep them busy for ages. I have two rotties now who I have to say are not chewers but I do still give them kongs if I am out - and often actually when I am in. The look on their faces of sheer bliss when they are licking that cheese is wonderful!!

They say a chihuahua can chew a hole in a table leg while you are out, a rottie can eat the whole table, I would say the same goes for a labrador!

I would recommend not telling them off if you come home to carnage, but give them chewies when you are there (kongs etc) and then really praise them when they chew on them. Get them started while you are around and they should get the message when you are out. A lot of labs get separation anxiety too and are not being naughty when chewing, merely upset that you are gone. Another reason not to tell them off when you get back. Refocus them and good luck

ps the only way I could solve my boy's separation problem was to take him to work with me. I parked him in the building's post bay and he lay there happy as larry all day (with walks at lunch time) you wouldn't have seen a more content dog. Certainly was happier than being left alone at home and had a lot of company from other workers too!

 

[showjumpinglover]

most labs chew constanly til they are at least 2- some even longer than that.

sorry not what you wanted to hear

 

[GinaB]

Only one of our labs is a chewer. And that's the younger one. Tina and Windsor never chewed. We keep our out the back though so she never gets to destroy anything in the house

 

[CAYLA]

Labs are the most popular breed we rehome through our rescue, with 4 coming in this week alone, all off to the prison service, for the life they where intended to lead

All of the above mentioned dogs have been destructive, they are not typically a breed you can get a way with leaving in their younger years without destruction, they are a working breed and dont do the sleep all day thing

This is why I advise crate training, it's a training aid that enables the start of a routine that you can train a young puppy to be happy in a smaller space, and learn to be left for periods without causing destruction, simply because they cannot, there is nothing within a crate that they can destroy, you choose what you leave to occupy them, in the shape of kongs, stimulating toys and treats, when it's eventually time to discard of the crate, the dog has already been taught to feel secure and comfortable spending periods alone without and gradually introduce a bigger space, using aids such as baby gates e,t,c.
Unfortunelty starting from allowing the dogs complete freedom, to then introducting restricting measures....such as a kennel at a later stage will be difficult and stressfull, and will get worse b4 it improves, this is why as much as some people would shoot me down for even mentioning a crate, I would say they are one of the single most important training aids to train a dog/puppy responsibly to prevent what you are experiencing now

Your dogs are still babies and full of themselves, I would advise you introduce crates, and be very patient with it (can advise on how to tackle this if it's a route you wish to try, or reinforce the kennel with galvanised metal sheets to prevent chewing, and up the physical and mental stimulation. with training, exercise, and stimulating based treats/toys.

 

[Thistle]

Ditto Cala, I crate train all my puppies (not as many as Cala gets through though!!!!) and have never had a problem.

Have you tries painting the kennel with bitter alum(sp?) (from the chemist)

Mum had an english bull terrier that chewed so they painted his heavy wodden bed with bitter alum, heard him drinking and turned round to see him drinking the stuff straight from the pan they were using!

 

[mccarron6769]

Thanks guys (BenjaminB in disguise because I couldn't remember my sign on details when I tried to get in from work

).
CALA would you believe that they were in a crate when they were young up to the point that they got too big and we put an indoor pen around it. I don't have a problem with crates at all, our GSD and old Lab both had them when young and neither chewed.
I think we've been unlucky this time !
We got them an outdoor kennel, 8 ft by 6 ft with an indoor heated area. First day in and they have chewed the inside of the outdoor bit to pieces. The indoor bit we lined with a smooth hard plastic wall at that's worked so that will be our job for the weekend for the outdoor section!
We've given them non destructible toys, all destroyed I'm afraid ! Charlie, who is the one we think does most of the chewing, had an op before she was even six months old because she'd eaten so much rubbish it compacted in her stomach and the vets couldn't get it to pass. When they opened her stomach up there were stones, material, rubber, wood, bones, in fact everything but the kitchen sink.
To be fair, since the dark mornings came in they don't get enough of a run first thing but they get an hour at lunchtime out in fields and again between 5 and 6.
For a while we were able to leave them in the lounge for a couple of hours with our old dog and if we gave them a good walk and left the TV on they just fell asleep but it changed recently.
I don't bother telling them off since they can't associate it with what they've done and TBH the butter wouldn't melt look gets us everytime anyway.
Don't worry CALA, they will never be rehomed, our girls are with us for life.
Will just persevere and hope they eventually grow out of it

Nice to know we're not alone anyway !!!!

 

[CAYLA]

Lol....they are full destructive lab munching machines

I feel your frustration, they will as you suggest grow out of this destructive stage, would it be worth halving the pen, so they can still see each other, but you can leave butchers bones, to keep them occupied longer, without scraps or eating ones another toys.
You could also try putting large crates within the inside of the kennels where u would have more space then in the house, this way u can start again with the crate training, then gradually start leaving crate door open for periods, this is also another way of training them back to to crates, to eventaully stop them chewing the pens, the same way as it would work indoors to stop the house being eaten, hope that makes sense, it does work, if we are overcrowded and we have to put the bigger dogs in kennels in the rescue, we always place the crate in the kennel, one it is more secure feeling for the dog as the dog has already been crate trained when they arrived, so no barking and 2 they dont even begin to chew or try to try andf chew out as they just go back to their crate once they start getting let out for longer periods to chew on their kongs, treats.

 

[heidi123]

Ditto everything above

My lab was slightly destructive when he was younger, we used sprays to deter him from bins and kitchen units etc, worked well!
Just toys, chews, bones, kongs, to keep them distracted

Best of luckx