Chewing

[abby&ziggy]

Please help! We resently adopted a 11 month old Jack Russell Terrier we named Ziggy, and we are having an awful problem with him chewing everything including my kitchen cupboards. He has chewed through 3 dog pillows and is starting on my rugs. Help! I have a female JRT that is 11 yrs old, she never had this problem, however, we adopted her when she was 5yrs old. First time with a puppy!

We have given him many chew toys including a nyla-bone (which he doesn't seem to care for). We also walk him and play fetch and supply rawhide chews, which he goes though in a day. When he is chewing on something that he shouldn't we stop he by clapping and saying a load NO, and giving him one of his toys. When he takes it we tell him he is a good boy. But, as soon as we are not looking he is back at it. He even started chewing on some cardboard boxes while I am typing right now. I stop and redirect him to a rope toy he chews and as soon as I stop playing and go back to what I am doing, he stops and starts to chew on the box again. I feel he is doing it for attention. I think he is training me! believe me, he gets lots of attention.

Thank goodness he has his crate when we are not home!

Any advice? He is a great dog, wonderful with kids and other pets.

[KOPcaroline]

Hey abby,

Sounds like you're doing your best with giving him appropriate chew things when you catch him in the act.

11 months old seems a bit old for this, but do you know if he's lost all his puppy teeth? Might be worth checking.

Alternatively, you could try taking him to your vet for a dental checkup. If hes got inflamed gums or something between his teeth, it might provoke more chewing. Your vet can check this out for you, and at the same time offer some ideas for getting a handle on the chewing.

Are there particular substrates Ziggy likes to chew? Cardboard/plastic? Is it household items and furniture or random things lying around? If its something you dont mind spraying, you can try putting lemon juice on whatever it is Ziggy is into chewing. Or try citrus candles around furniture if thats what he goes for.

Crate training him while you're not home might a good idea, at least that way hes not loose in the house tearing things to shreds! It might also help him by indirectly training him on what are his toys and playthings - the toys in the crate. You can also block his access to rooms if all of his bad chew things are in one room. Train him to stay off the furniture, that sort of things. Prevention might be best with Ziggy if its not a dental issue.

When you do tell him off for chewing, make sure its super stern, and maybe instead of leaving him where he is, put him in the laundry room or some sort of time out area for a while after, so that he knows he's being reprimanded. When you let him out, then give him an appropriate chew toy. If he drops it and goes for something inappropriate, put him straight back into time out, and so on.

I hope this helps, let us know how Ziggy goes!