I have a 13 to 14 month old rescue hound (part Rhodesian Ridgeback, per
the rescue shelter) who chews, chews, chews! I think we're on our fourth
garden hose this year... Shoes, tree logs, pillows, hard items, soft
items, you name it she'll chew'em up.
Of course we've got plenty of dog chew toys around. So what's the trick
to get her to lay off my shoes (oddly never my husband's shoes) along
with everything else?
She is as much an indoor dog as much as outside yet usually only outside
during the daytime and never just left outside for extended periods.
She's an incredible runner and has a large, fenced in and wooded 1/2
acre backyard to explore and play in.

Help would be appreciated!

On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:32:17 -0400, Goomba
wrote:

I have a 13 to 14 month old rescue hound (part Rhodesian Ridgeback, per
the rescue shelter) who chews, chews, chews! I think we're on our fourth
garden hose this year... Shoes, tree logs, pillows, hard items, soft
items, you name it she'll chew'em up.
Of course we've got plenty of dog chew toys around. So what's the trick
to get her to lay off my shoes (oddly never my husband's shoes) along
with everything else?

Supervision. When she picks up an item she's not supposed to chew,
take it from her, tell her "no" and give her a chew toy. Chewing is
normal behavior for dogs, particularly dogs this age, and even dogs
with lots of chew toys will chew desirable items other than their toys
if they're not supervised.

When you can't supervise, manage; put shoes, hoses and other things
out of her reach.

"Goomba" wrote


I have a 13 to 14 month old rescue hound (part Rhodesian Ridgeback, per the
rescue shelter) who chews, chews, chews! I think we're on our fourth garden
hose this year... Shoes, tree logs, pillows, hard items, soft items, you
name it she'll chew'em up.
Of course we've got plenty of dog chew toys around. So what's the trick to
get her to lay off my shoes (oddly never my husband's shoes) along with
everything else?

Grin, seen that one! If I'm not mistaken, the final molars may still be
coming in? Also they have to *estimate* ages with most rescue pets (found
abandoned usually) and they can be off a little.

Cash for example was mis-identified in one of the documents as a 3 year old.
This was because he looks so much like a beagle but is big. In fact, he
wasnt at full growth yet (got an inch taller at the shoulder from the day he
came home to us to now) and was still teething that final set. Daisy-cat
was probably mis-identified as a 2 YO and was actually 3 or 4 makig her now
5/6 years of age (Cash is probably 3-3.5 now).

Checked the back of her mouth? Are they all in yet? If you see gaps, might
not be. I'm no expert at this but my husband noted it right away in the dog
Apple we were looking at and helped the foster mom with why she was chewing
things.

Anyways, what you need is a solution. S&S gives good info and here's my bit
to add. If your chew toys are 'soft' (Apple's all were so she was going
after harder things like shoes) then you should try a few harder ones. If
not mistaken that type of dog you have is pretty strong jawed so you'll need
hard plastic bones with a nubble texture to them, also real bones work well
(need to be just thin enough she can chomp with her back teeth) and rawhide
works well with some.

Don (my dog experienced husband) says 'Goomba, most dogs I've had chewed
things until about 1.5 years of age then after that, it was pretty much only
an issue if they got bored. Usually if we gave them something that suited a
harder chew during that stage, it was easy to get them to use that instead
shoes with minimal training. They *like* to be good boys and girls. Have
a mix of soft and hard toys about.'

Apple BTW fell in love with the plastic nubby one Cash had used when doing
his final teething with us and not touched since. We gifted it to the
foster mom as she left.

"sighthounds & siberians" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:32:17 -0400, Goomba
wrote:

I have a 13 to 14 month old rescue hound (part Rhodesian Ridgeback, per
the rescue shelter) who chews, chews, chews! I think we're on our fourth
garden hose this year... Shoes, tree logs, pillows, hard items, soft
items, you name it she'll chew'em up.
Of course we've got plenty of dog chew toys around. So what's the trick
to get her to lay off my shoes (oddly never my husband's shoes) along
with everything else?

Supervision. When she picks up an item she's not supposed to chew,
take it from her, tell her "no" and give her a chew toy. Chewing is
normal behavior for dogs, particularly dogs this age, and even dogs
with lots of chew toys will chew desirable items other than their toys
if they're not supervised.

When you can't supervise, manage; put shoes, hoses and other things
out of her reach.




My first dog, a sheepdog-lab mix, literally destroyed two picnic benches, a
winter coat, books, and several rugs. That dog could CHEW! Thankfully, and
he did outgrow it, but the best advice is to indeed put away anything she
could possibly get to that she shouldn't. Besides destroying your property,
she could also eat something that really makes her sick, and then you've got
an emergency trip to the vet as well.

cshenk wrote:

Grin, seen that one! If I'm not mistaken, the final molars may still be
coming in? Also they have to *estimate* ages with most rescue pets
(found abandoned usually) and they can be off a little.

No clue about molars.. seems her mouth is pretty full of teeth when I
look but I have no clue what I'm looking at. LOL

I think the age is pretty close as she was a squat lil puppy when we got
her, then she moved into gangly puppy and she lost her baby teeth during
this period, and now she's just big and strong.

Checked the back of her mouth? Are they all in yet? If you see gaps,
might not be. I'm no expert at this but my husband noted it right away
in the dog Apple we were looking at and helped the foster mom with why
she was chewing things.

I'd like to think she's just still teething... cause that ought to end
eventually!

If not mistaken that type of dog you have is pretty strong jawed
so you'll need hard plastic bones with a nubble texture to them, also
real bones work well (need to be just thin enough she can chomp with her
back teeth) and rawhide works well with some.

LOL, everytime we get her a big fat rawhide bone she immediately takes
it outside and buries it. Then much later (months!) it seems to
reappear looking like a soft snakes shed skin or perhaps a wool sock
that's been buried.... she always seems to know where to find them
again. That's a whole 'nuther issue! What's up with this burying things?

Don (my dog experienced husband) says 'Goomba, most dogs I've had chewed
things until about 1.5 years of age then after that, it was pretty much
only an issue if they got bored.

Bored or un-monitored makes sense. Why have a fenced in yard if she
can't go out and play on her own though? Is an hour or two too long
unattended?

Apple BTW fell in love with the plastic nubby one Cash had used when
doing his final teething with us and not touched since. We gifted it to
the foster mom as she left.

Thanks for the input. For the first time today she found one of my
husband's watershoes and trashed it.. about time *he* shared this "fun".
SHe knew she was in trouble and scooted off into her crate when I yelled
at her, so maybe more yelling is the solution...?

On Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:34:18 -0400, Goomba
wrote:

Bored or un-monitored makes sense. Why have a fenced in yard if she
can't go out and play on her own though? Is an hour or two too long
unattended?

It depends on what she's doing. If there's something in the yard that
she's getting into while she's out there unattended, then yes, an hour
or two is too long unattended. By the way, depending on breed, age,
and the individual dog, a single dog may not play on its own for that
long. One thing some bored dogs will do, however, is dig out of the
fence. You're keeping an eye on her while she's outside by herself,
right?

Apple BTW fell in love with the plastic nubby one Cash had used when
doing his final teething with us and not touched since. We gifted it to
the foster mom as she left.

Thanks for the input. For the first time today she found one of my
husband's watershoes and trashed it.. about time *he* shared this "fun".
SHe knew she was in trouble and scooted off into her crate when I yelled
at her, so maybe more yelling is the solution...?

No, more yelling at the dog is not the solution. Dogs are not born
knowing what they're allowed to chew or play with and what's out of
bounds; it's your and your husband's responsibility to teach her that.
You do that by taking the forbidden item away from her, telling her
"no", and immediately giving her one of her chew toys. And yes, you
may have to keep on doing that, because human possessions often seem
more attractive to dogs than their own toys, possibly because our
stuff smells like us. Chewing is something most dogs enjoy because it
exercises their jaws and seems to be a stress reducer - and because
they're dogs. Teething and puppy-type chewing, fortunately, does not
last forever, and it's wise to keep shoes, cell phones, wallets, and
other items you know your dog likes out of her reach.

"Goomba" wrote
cshenk wrote:

Grin, seen that one! If I'm not mistaken, the final molars may still be
coming in? Also they have to *estimate* ages with most rescue pets
(found abandoned usually) and they can be off a little.

No clue about molars.. seems her mouth is pretty full of teeth when I look
but I have no clue what I'm looking at. LOL

Hehe that was me too. Still is. But I remember Don showing me a newly
arrived tooth in Cash's mouth working it's way up. I don't recall the exact
spot but Don said it was the same one Apple was still missing. I'm guessing
'last sorta molar area' (though they don't have molars like we do).

I'd like to think she's just still teething... cause that ought to end
eventually!

Grin, it does. Also, some dogs just are chewers more than others and you'll
have to teach them. Takes time.

If not mistaken that type of dog you have is pretty strong jawed
so you'll need hard plastic bones with a nubble texture to them, also
real bones work well (need to be just thin enough she can chomp with her
back teeth) and rawhide works well with some.

LOL, everytime we get her a big fat rawhide bone she immediately takes it
outside and buries it. Then much later (months!) it seems to reappear
looking like a soft snakes shed skin or perhaps a wool sock that's been
buried.... she always seems to know where to find them again. That's a
whole 'nuther issue! What's up with this burying things?

Oh yeah! Cash liked to bury rawhide sometimes. We don't give him much of
that though. He eats it too fast.

Dogs just do that and yes, they normally remember where.

Don (my dog experienced husband) says 'Goomba, most dogs I've had chewed
things until about 1.5 years of age then after that, it was pretty much
only an issue if they got bored.

Bored or un-monitored makes sense. Why have a fenced in yard if she can't
go out and play on her own though? Is an hour or two too long unattended?

From what I gather, depends on the dog. Don told me among his, he's had
ones happy to just snooze outside for up to 4 hours (not wanting to come in)
and others who'd get into mischief if left alone more than 30 mins.

Age relates too. Think of them like 4 footed furry kids when it somes to
this.

Thanks for the input. For the first time today she found one of my
husband's watershoes and trashed it.. about time *he* shared this "fun".
SHe knew she was in trouble and scooted off into her crate when I yelled
at her, so maybe more yelling is the solution...?

Snicker, spreading the wealth! Oh and yelling doesn't really work. A very
dissapointed voice and a firm 'NO' if you catch them in the act works
better.

[ (Goomba asked)
"I have a 13 to 14 month old rescue hound (part Rhodesian Ridgeback
snip
Of course we've got plenty of dog chew toys around. So what's the trick
to get her to lay off my shoes (oddly never my husband's shoes) along
with everything else?" ]

Answering:
No trick! LOL....just buy more shoes than you can wear. I had the same
sort of problem with one of mine. He always took just the left shoe. He
had an acre to leave it in, so I would simply buy multiples of each shoe
style....I have been known to have to go to the grocery store in TWO
RIGHT SHOES. Once I went in two different colors....but I was overjoyed
that one was a right and one was a left! )

BTW the 10 dogs had so many squeaky-chew toys when they were all puppies
that the mockingbirds began to sound like the squeakers. ;o)

BTW....guess I should have mentioned that none of the shoes any of the
dogs took off were for chewing on. They just took them for their own
reasons that they did not share with us.

The chow mom used to take hubby's shoes before I knew him, years later
after the puppies came (and the hubby was gone) her son took mine ---
just the left one.

Tho I once thought the son might be part Ridgeback I decided he wasn't.
Not sure about Dad, but Mom was the daughter of a small WGSD and red
chow. He and his litter-mate sister were both dark red, he had short
hair, she long hair like a red Golden with a dark muzzle. Precious dogs.
She "rode shot-gun" everyplace I drove for nearly 14 years - until I
lost her to bad dog food. (

On 4/23/2010 10:58 AM, Kterl email wrote:

Not sure about Dad, but Mom was the daughter of a small WGSD and red
chow. He and his litter-mate sister were both dark red, he had short
hair, she long hair like a red Golden with a dark muzzle. Precious dogs.
She "rode shot-gun" everyplace I drove for nearly 14 years - until I
lost her to bad dog food. (


So sorry to hear that.

Char