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Adult dog - inappropriate chewing
Need some help with overcoming inappropriate chewing. Riley is about 3 years old. We adopted her from a shelter when she was about 1.5 years. She was given up by previous owners as "untrainable", but quickly learned a large number of commands and tricks through clicker training.
She chewed up a couple shoes initially, but we overcame that pretty quickly through crating/chew toys/redirection. She graduated from the crate to a secondary bedroom after about 6 months. She went through a phase about a year ago of chowing down on the window molding in "her" room and a bit in the living room. We used a long piece of wire shelving to block the molding in the bedroom (didn't want to repair until we were sure she's over it). We used spray to no avail, but blocking the areas and keeping a close eye on her seemed to have deterred her.
I've since had suspicion that the living room window looked a tad worse, but there was no obvious increase of damage. Well today I caught her. I was cleaning upstairs and came down to find her standing over the section of molding she had previously chewed in the living room with tail tucked and a remorseful look on her face. Obviously she was either chewing on it or about to. Since she's never alone long I guess she's only gotten a bite or two in before we're coming down the stairs, so the damage hasn't looked much worse over time. I blocked the section today with more shelving remnants and am crossing fingers that doesn't lead her to a new spot.
Tried bitter sprays and spicy concoctions - she licked it up. She has lots of chews that are rotated to keep interest. She's exercised frequently w/ walks, fetch, doggy daycare once a week, dog park visits, and chasing the kitties. She's generally calm and laid back outside play time. She's always put in her room when we leave, and can't chew the wood there since it's blocked. She's not damaged any other items.
Any tips for getting past this behavior? I love my dog and my home and would like to keep both free from harm.
BFP 11.8.12 * EDD 7.17.13 * MC 12.20.12
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over!
Re: Adult dog - inappropriate chewing
Have you tried crate training? There are a ton of great tips in our FAQs and I think it would really help in this situation.
Lots and lots of exercise will also help. A tired dog is a good dog.
She is crate trained, though she now stays in a small spare bedroom during the day. She can not get to the molding in that room and has not attempted to chew anything else, so there is no danger in her being in there. Yesterday's issue was while I was
BFP 11.8.12 * EDD 7.17.13 * MC 12.20.12
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over!