We've been really lucky. Neither of our dogs has been a destructive chewer. I hope I am not shooting myself in the foot by writing this. I hope this doesn't cause a reversal of dog behaviors tomorrow as punishment for this blog entry. When I was volunteering at People to People this week, the woman I was working with told me about her son's dog who is a big chewer and who once ate a sock and later threw it up. On the television show, Dog Whisperer, we have seen stories of dogs who ate door frames and couches. We read about a dog that knocked over a refrigerator and chewed on it. We have never had to deal with anything like that.
We got Rudy when he was three years old and well past his puppy chewing. We did puppy proof the house, however, and moved out of reach anything that a dog might find interesting to chew on. Rudy came to live with us and has never chewed on anything inappropriate except tissues, new or used. Any tissue Rudy see is his and he chews and swallows it. But he has never chewed on a furniture leg, a shoe, an article of clothing, a book, kitchen appliances, the garbage, nothing. He has never chewed a quilt, a stuffed bear, jewelry, knitting, the toilet paper, or a pocketbook. We have been lucky.
When we were anticipating Emme's arrival, we again were aware that we could be dealing with a great deal of chewing. This time, we were getting a puppy that would soon be teething. So again we checked over the house and put tempting things out of reach. Right now at nine months old, Emme should be through teething and so far she has been great. Although she drives us crazy pulling the fur off fluffies and chewing the eyes off her bears, she has done very little other inappropriate chewing. She tried chewing on the handle of one of the Lazy Boy chairs, but we bought some Bitter Apple and sprayed it on the handle. She left it alone. She did chew through a speaker cord wire in the dining room and sometimes tries to chew on the electrical cord to the light in the book case. A command of "Leave it" and a spray of Bitter Apple is all that it has taken to make her leave these things alone. She loves laundry, but it is mostly for smelling and lying on top of. She hasn't been perfect; but she has been really, really good. No chewed up clothing, slippers, computers, magazines, kitchen cabinets, or pillows. No chewed up photographs, DVD's, library books, or briefcases. She, like Rudy, has not chewed on items she shouldn't. Emme and Rudy have marrow bones and chewie toys that they chew vigorously, but they have left our house and possessions alone. We have been very lucky.
We got Rudy when he was three years old and well past his puppy chewing. We did puppy proof the house, however, and moved out of reach anything that a dog might find interesting to chew on. Rudy came to live with us and has never chewed on anything inappropriate except tissues, new or used. Any tissue Rudy see is his and he chews and swallows it. But he has never chewed on a furniture leg, a shoe, an article of clothing, a book, kitchen appliances, the garbage, nothing. He has never chewed a quilt, a stuffed bear, jewelry, knitting, the toilet paper, or a pocketbook. We have been lucky.
When we were anticipating Emme's arrival, we again were aware that we could be dealing with a great deal of chewing. This time, we were getting a puppy that would soon be teething. So again we checked over the house and put tempting things out of reach. Right now at nine months old, Emme should be through teething and so far she has been great. Although she drives us crazy pulling the fur off fluffies and chewing the eyes off her bears, she has done very little other inappropriate chewing. She tried chewing on the handle of one of the Lazy Boy chairs, but we bought some Bitter Apple and sprayed it on the handle. She left it alone. She did chew through a speaker cord wire in the dining room and sometimes tries to chew on the electrical cord to the light in the book case. A command of "Leave it" and a spray of Bitter Apple is all that it has taken to make her leave these things alone. She loves laundry, but it is mostly for smelling and lying on top of. She hasn't been perfect; but she has been really, really good. No chewed up clothing, slippers, computers, magazines, kitchen cabinets, or pillows. No chewed up photographs, DVD's, library books, or briefcases. She, like Rudy, has not chewed on items she shouldn't. Emme and Rudy have marrow bones and chewie toys that they chew vigorously, but they have left our house and possessions alone. We have been very lucky.
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