How to entertain a puppy(GSD) that is obsessed with chewing!

Dogbetty141

Dogbetty141

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Hi Guys

Me again! I am proud of my little lexi as she seems to be growing out of bitting but now she has started to chew the carpet Today chewed a big hole in the lino in the kitchen

Obviously I have to leave for a little while through the day but didnt want to crate her as she is in it at night

Has anyone got any suggestions!

Thanks

Liz
 
I know you say you don't want to but I think you would be best crating her. As long as she has plenty of time out of the crate when you are at home she will be fine. I still crate Evie (at nearly 3) when I go out in the evening, not so much because she will chew but because I don't want her mithering my old girl. I do feel a bit guilty because she is also crated overnight, so usually end up staying up for half an hour or so when I come in so she isn't straight back in her crate. Having said that she usually lies in her crate during this time so suspect I am being a mug.:p
 
How long is she left for? I would crate her with a kong or something to keep her occupied...
I'd wait for the experienced folk to reply though as I have a tendancey to get things very wrong lol :p
 
Frozen kong, in crate. I'm too paranoid to leave them unsupervised with bones! Bear will happily put himself in the crate although they aren't locked in there anymore.
 
Another alternative to the kongs would be to get her an antler. There are a few companies that sell them cleaned and ready for dogs to chew on.

Their natural and very long lasting. They are pretty cheap so no harm giving her a few things to preoccupy her when she is in the crate. :)

Link to two companies who sell them :
http://www.puredog.co.uk/our-products.php
http://www.bigdogworld.co.uk/product/Antler_Dog_Chew_-_extra_large_tst002

If she is teething frozen rope toys and frozen carrots are meant to be good for them as it cools down and numbs their gums :)
 
Hi =Guys

Thanks for the reply she is four months didnt think she would be teeting yet! I have to be careful with what she eats as it seems to upset her tummy if she has anything protein wise like red meat bones etc! Not sure why but tend to stay away from them!

What could I put in the kong at the minute she has one but we put biscuits in it but it comes out straigth away! I was thinking cheese spread as she seems to be able to handle cheese! was thinking about paste but worried meat wise, she had a piece of cooked chicken the other day which gave her the runs! She is alone for about 6 hours with my oh going to see her for an hr in the middle so 5 really, he is trying to get back on nights but struggling at the minute but hopefully soon she really wont be left that much!

Thanks

Liz
 
My trainer was advising a client this weekend on teething, she said you can get special chews that you put in water then freeze, and as the puppy then chews them, they soothe their gums. Might be worth looking into, although not sure if they would be safe for unsupervised use?
 
Hi

There are still things you can stuff a Kong with even if she has a sensitive stomach. You just need to know what she can/can not eat & have some imagination. I freeze most of mine so that they last much longer & they have to use their brains a bit.

How is she with fish? You could try tinned tuna.

If she is fed kibble then you could wet some with hot water to make a mash & use this.

You could force carrots in so that they are wedged & don't come out too easily.

Plain cooked rice is another one.

I also found that very cold large carrots or parsnips worked well when teething. They seemed to sooth the gums & help with the need to chew, without adding too many calories!

Chewing can be a sign of stress rather than teething. Maybe she is stressed being left alone. Is she making a mess while you are away? Do you have neighbours you can ask if she is barking?
 
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She is not barking the neighbours say they never hear her! Once my OH has a job on nights she shouldnt be lfet alone as much but until then I need to keep her entertained.
I will try adding a bit of tuna into her food tonight and see how she is with it!

Thanks
Liz
 
It probably is down to a combination of teething and boredom. It is difficult when they are not old enough to have much exercise, otherwise you could tire her out before you leave. Perhaps you could do a few hide and seek games and similar before you leave her, using their brains tires them out as much as hard exercise.
I wouldn't worry about her hind legs, that looks like simple puppy looseness to me, she has to build up muscle and learn to control her hindquarters. I worried myself stupid about Evie when she was young as her hind legs were all over the place, but she had a good low hip score.
 
What MM says! Puppies that are a bit more 'drivey' or bored will also chew, like she says, try mental exercise like hide and seek, teach her lots of little tricks, sit, down, watch me, heel, recall in the house when you have time.

Lots of GSD puppies are loose behind, it's a matter of careful exercise, they change so much between 0-18 months, you could have driven a train through my fella's back legs at six months and now he is actually very close behind - but still all legs :p don't over exercise her before a year, that will be worse for her long-term!

When she is a bit older this will improve and then after 12 months, you can do road work, jogging, cycling, swimming etc to firm her up.
 
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