I am a little leery of posting in this forum because half the stuff I see I
don't know whether to believe or not. But I have questions about my lab,
and this question is only the beginning if I can gain some worthy advise.
So... go easy on me

My 3 yr old black lab, Mollie, was given to us a little over a year ago.
Her first family went through marital problems so they gave her up. We
considered her only a puppy then, so when she chewed things up we thought we
would wait to let her outgrow the behavior. Now she is 3 and chews less.
Once in a while she will find things but she hasn't wasted a cell phone or a
pair of eye glasses in a while.

She still has a taste for dirty socks and underwear. The thing is, she
swallows them whole. They come back up maybe a day later. We worry they
will get locked in her intestines. I have seen one sock pass all the way
through one time. I found a perfectly twisted and pointed sock in the back
yard.

We have tried to keep the house clear of anything she can chew, but this lab
knows how to sniff out anything. Closed Doors, hampers, and countertops,
are all fair game.

Any help would be appreciated.

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 13:35:49 GMT, "CooSer" ,
clicked their heels and said:


She still has a taste for dirty socks and underwear. The thing is, she
swallows them whole. They come back up maybe a day later. We worry they
will get locked in her intestines. I have seen one sock pass all the way
through one time. I found a perfectly twisted and pointed sock in the back
yard.

Although some here don't quite get it (they're killfiled by most
though), this is a *complusion* which I have yet to find a solution
for. Things that CAN HELP but are no guarantees - increased exercise,
including mental exercise, good management, aversion training,
general obedience training (I didn't read anything about that, but
perhaps you are doing something with her?).

You are right to be worried about blockage. BTDT.

We have tried to keep the house clear of anything she can chew, but this lab
knows how to sniff out anything. Closed Doors, hampers, and countertops,
are all fair game.

Standard hampers are useless. She can go through closed doors? Are
they destroyed? If not, someone isn't shutting them properly! I
use hanging hampers - guarantees a lot more inaccesibility.

I also flood the dog - sorting laundry, both clean and dirty, right
next to/on him. He doesn't even blink at it when I do this, yet he
will still undoubtedly swallow a sock if available (dirty or clean of
no consequence). I won't risk it by leaving any accessible at any
rate.

You keep dirty socks and underwear on your countertops? Counter
cruising can be effectively dealt with by: not leaving food items
available - too self-rewarding; setting up booby-traps - everything
from towers of cans to mousetraps (safely under paper) to scat-mats,
to duct tape (only when you're home) or upside-down plastic carpet
runner. And please, keep the dirty underwear and socks off the
counter - ewwwww.

If this dog steals things in general, working on THAT (and general
obedience) may solve the problem. I've seen genetic links to this
issue though and will never feel that it's cured - one place where
training is implemented but followed up with good management.


--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album

Janet B said in
rec.pets.dogs.breeds:

She can go through closed doors? Are
they destroyed? If not, someone isn't shutting them properly!

Or they have those dog-friendly levers as handles instead of
round doorknobs.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

Rocky wrote in
:

Janet B said in
rec.pets.dogs.breeds:

She can go through closed doors? Are
they destroyed? If not, someone isn't shutting them properly!

Or they have those dog-friendly levers as handles instead of
round doorknobs.


I used to have those -- before I met Queenie.

--
Catherine
& Zoe the cockerchow
& Queenie the black gold retriever
& Rosalie the calico

On 9 Jan 2006 17:13:52 GMT, Rocky , clicked their
heels and said:


Or they have those dog-friendly levers as handles instead of
round doorknobs.

didn't consider those - but then, i choose a lot of home items with
dogs in mind.


--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album

my laundry basket as a big wooden cube with a heavy lift off lid.
look to things that will entertain her mind,i like puzzle balls and
cubes.

"CooSer" wrote in message
...
I am a little leery of posting in this forum because half the stuff I see I
don't know whether to believe or not. But I have questions about my lab,
and this question is only the beginning if I can gain some worthy advise.
So... go easy on me

My 3 yr old black lab, Mollie, was given to us a little over a year ago.
Her first family went through marital problems so they gave her up. We
considered her only a puppy then, so when she chewed things up we thought
we would wait to let her outgrow the behavior. Now she is 3 and chews
less. Once in a while she will find things but she hasn't wasted a cell
phone or a pair of eye glasses in a while.

She still has a taste for dirty socks and underwear. The thing is, she
swallows them whole. They come back up maybe a day later. We worry they
will get locked in her intestines. I have seen one sock pass all the way
through one time. I found a perfectly twisted and pointed sock in the
back yard.

We have tried to keep the house clear of anything she can chew, but this
lab knows how to sniff out anything. Closed Doors, hampers, and
countertops, are all fair game.

Any help would be appreciated.


Does this chewing of items happen when you are not home? If so, you are
going to have to lock the dog up be it in a kennel or a room with no access
to anything. Now if the dog is chewing/stealing stuff while you are at home
you are going to have follow the dog around anytime it gets up and wanders
around. The dog can never be allowed to go snooping around for stuff.