Scourge
Who would have guessed that tiny puppy who whimpered so piteously would turn into a 90 pound heathen with a fetish for leather and expensive rugs?
Iko has chewed the heavy cording of all three pieces of my leather furniture suite, and snacked on three oriental rugs, two comforters and countless pillowcases. I don't even want to discuss what he did to my entire season's worth of 8 week old seedlings. I'm still in therapy for that.
He is profoundly sorry when he's committed these crimes and will lay his head on my shoulder or offer me his paw.
But he has no long term memory. When I show him the shreds of my rug, his eyes widen in abject horror. "Who me? No. No. It had to be someone else. I've never seen that rug before in my life."
I've raised dogs well over 35 years and I have NEVER met so chewie a beast. But the more I study him, the more I doubt it's deliberate.
When I catch him, it's like he's exercising his jaws. He likes things that give him a challenge, and he needs variety because he switches from leather, to wool, to his giant Kong toy.
Someday, I'll have to post a picture of his 'rock collection'. That dog will go out and FIND rocks to chew whenever I've forbidden him leather furniture.
Someday, I'll have to post a picture of his 'rock collection'. That dog will go out and FIND rocks to chew whenever I've forbidden him leather furniture.
Rawhide bones occupy him for less than an hour. The average dog toy is an insult to his mandibles of death. And his crate is a common companion when he's been bad. I have spent HUNDREDS of dollars in chewies, Kongs and cookies. More play time with him seems to bring out his cravings rather than lessen them. (I think it's the excitement.)
That dog may be only part rottweiler, but his teeth are definitely the rottie half. He once sawed through a solid leather leash in less than three seconds.
It's getting better. He doesn't chew as often as before, but I can never let my guard down. He's like a nicotine fiend. He gets cravings. Doggie school has helped in that he's so tired when he gets home, he has no desire to do anything but sleep. (Me too.)
He knows to sit at the door until I'm ready to let him out. He knows not to chase chickens--though I can see the lust in his eyes. And of course, he knows all the basic commands. In short, as long as someone's with him--he's perfect.
But he's still a chewer. In a month or so I'll be getting new furniture and that dog will have to spend the rest of his life at my feet. Not a bad life sentence, but what about poor Tank? He's going to think I love 'Buzzsaw' more than him. Poor Tank.
Misery loves company. So I'm opening this up to the floor. Have you ever had a misbehaving pet--or child? What's the worst tragedy he's ever committed?
Years from now, I might think on Iko fondly, but today he's still my penance on earth. Whatever my sins, surely I must have paid for them by now.
Comments
We don't have anything that can chew up our household, but let's just say that three spilled glasses of milk bc of my kids all in one day can make me scream pretty loudly.
I'm glad his chewing has lessened, but boy, he's tested my patience getting to this point.
My other rotties grew out of their chewie stage when they were still little guys. Iko seems a bit more determined.
And the rock thing? The rottie next door to us had to be operated on twice to remove rocks she'd eaten. :-)
Ref: a box, a bag and a table
Oh, wow! Do you think your pup is a distant relation to Iko?
Ref: rocks
So far, knock on wood, he doesn't swallow. The first command I teach all my dogs is 'Drop It', so at least I can control that much.
Do you know what the other breed in Iko is? That might explain his behavior. To me, he looks like he could be part border collie. I have a border collie mix and here’s a few things about them:
Very smart. Will learn a new command within minutes.
They can jump very high.
Barks, a lot.
When bored, or left all alone, will chew through the house.
Needs constant attention. If you’re watching TV or something, he needs to be on the couch with you or else he will run around and bark none stop.
When still a puppy, sometimes they try to herd their owners. (Mine finally stopped trying to do that.)
Fearless.
Our 0.5 dog chews a lot. We reduced his food a little and started giving him raw lamb bones every other day, or small elk/llama bones daily. Chewing stopped and he doesn't need dental cleanings now, thus saving us $700.
WARNING: It must be RAW. Do NOT give cooked bones!! NO COOKED BONES!!! Death. Crossbones. Evil. DO NOT DO IT.
It's interesting that you asked about his crossed breed. I was talking to the trainer a few weeks ago and she mentioned that his chewing could come from whatever other breed he was crossed with.
I tell people he's mixed with Tazmanian devil, but more likely it's terrier. (which is almost as bad!)
Very smart observation, Lia!
Ref: bones
Other than those giant twisted rawhide bones, I try never to give my dogs bones. Back when I used to work as a vet tech, we had to do surgery on a beautiful dobie who got a steak bone lodged in her throat. Poor baby. She came out of it all right though. Thank God.
Ref: llama bones
Hmm...my neighbor has llamas. I wonder if he'd notice if one went missing. LOL.
We give raw ones, cut to size for dogs :) When we get our annual pig, we get the bones cut for "soup" size, and give to the dog.
Yes, it's best to count the llamas if the chewing stops all of a sudden ;)
Re: cat -- the cat will soon find the chewing annoying, discover they have this thing called "claws" and dog will behave better than you ever could teach him for at least an hour ;)
We have GOT TO get together someday!
Have you tried antlers? I get mine from petexpertise online.
I grew up in rural Newfoundland, where we grew up hard. Until I was 11, we didn't even have central heating (this is a place that got several feet of snow). Even our central heating was a wood stove, and I'd have to help cut and pack wood. I think kids today are weak and spoiled. In fact, I think most people today are weak and spoiled :)
Ref: antlers
You mean to gore him with? ;-) I've never seen antlers sold out here.
And yes, he wuvs me, but he's making me turn gray overnight.
Ref:soft
Every generation gets softer than the one before it. It's a byproduct of technology and 'progress'. That said, I've cleared woods with a machete. A tractor is a heck of a lot easier. There's no point in killing myself sooner than later. :)
re: antlers and bones
Until you get the hang of it, you can find them at the holistic pet food stores. A bag of skinny llama bones (for smaller dogs) is about $11 here for 14 bones. Lamb bones are 3 x $9, but take 0.5 dog 2 days to eat (1.0 dog takes an afternoon).
There are also these frigging huge elk bones, seriously the size of my thigh. They're like $10 each, but last several days. Only meant for giant dogs, though. lol
I laugh because it sounds like something I would say.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Don't ask the kids that, though. Ask the dogs. They give a much more favourable answer.
re: bones - If you go with trying a raw bone and doggy isn't quite sure what to do with it. Rub a little peanut butter on it. He'll figure out that it's food then.
It's really cute the first few times, when the dog starts growling at the bone because he can't figure out how to chew on it. Dog 0.5 growled at it, barked, and did a little charge the first time he got one.
I've never had a chewer like that though our lab mix came close, LOL. But one thing we found works wonders with the larger breeds are good old fashioned bones from the butcher -- joints, knuckles, etc. -- the large ball joint bones were our shepherd's favorite.
Like Krista says...raw!! Matching the size of the bone to the dog is important too.
I hope he's doing better since his recent surgery. We need an update! How is that cutie?
Their jaws hurt the first few times when they get used to it. Also, white poop is normal - and they poop less and it's less smelly. These are bonuses when discussing 0.5 dog.
(Yes, the dogs are numbered).
He might not know what to do with the live llama....
I had a rottie/doberman who ate the better part of a couch. Not just chewed and left it. Ate it. The soft bits anyway : ) And even heavy duty rubber toys meant for large dogs/vigorous chewers were little match for him.
Be careful with his rock chewing. There was a gallon jar on display in one of our vet's offices about half filled with the rocks she removed from a dog's tummy. He liked to toss them in the air and catch them. Unfortunately, some slipped by!
We haven't used the twisted rawhide since one dog got impatient and tried to swallow the thing lengthwise. Scary situation! Now, we use Nylabones. With our recent mutts, we didn't try natural bones (a moose bone would be perfect, too!) because of their sensitive tummies and the unpleasant results of same :P
Good luck with Iko! Our rottie/doberman grew out of his destructo phase. Eventually : )
Good luck with Iko.
Cathy: How long did it take your rottie/doberman to give up leather? My vet keeps telling me to be patient. But then it's not his furniture. What does he care?
At least you're giving me hope, Cathy. Thanks.
Kimber: I keep threatening to open the door and let him run away--but I know he'd only find his way back. Where else is he going to get three square leather meals a day?
Big dogs can be high maintenance, especially when it comes to surgeries, meds or kenneling.
ref: bones in the house
Only after the dog has worked it down to a nub, LOL.
Don't want a that raw, left over from the buter, stuff in the house but once that's gone it's no worse than any other chew toy. Better than those rawhide things, that's for sure. My heeler loved cow hooves but her gas sent us running so no more of them!
But I hear you on gas. That's why I supplement them with yogurt. LOL!
Pepper was also a loose woman (known in the family as Pepper the Slut) but that's another story.
You know those prison bars on cribs? my toddler broke 3 of them when he was 11 months old and crawled out of the hole he made. Next stop is the Strongman Contest
Anyway, your pup is soooo cute and looks just like the dog I had as a child. Hmmm....do dogs have 9 lives? Good luck!
The only pets I've ever had were tropical fish, so they don't really count as chewers. Except for the one Siamese fighting fish which always tried to bite my fingers with his tiny little mouth.
We have got to meet one day and trade stories.
Ref: Pepper the slut.
Yeah we had one of those. We also had Chiefy, the Gigolo.
Can't you just imagine what he'll do as he grows up? First the bars on his crib and then who knows. You might want to up your insurance. :)
Hmm...I wonder if our insurance covers Iko destruction.
I'm so glad your dog doesn't know mine. They'd be unstoppable.
Sneaky girl, checking out the counters.
Ref: She did get better after she turned 3,...
Oh, no. I don't know if I can make it that long.
I'll admit he is a sweetie even if he does have jaws of steel.
Ref: Siamese fighting fish
I didn't know they'd bite. We used to have Oscars and they let us hand feed them. They never bit me, but maybe because they'd know I'd turn them into dinner. ;-)
My sister has the same problem, but with two dogs. They've chewed their way through two sofas so far. Applying repellent only gets an appreciative lick. So if it makes you feel any better, you're not alone. And if you have any tips, my sister would love to hear them, lol
I can't stay mad at him. He is so remorseful when I catch him that it tears your heart out.
Repellent hasn't worked for me either, though it stopped him from eating the walls. Oy! I forgot about the walls. At least he got over that.
I don't have any advice short of pulling his teeth out---which sometimes crosses my mind. LOL. Good luck to your sister.
Ann
Then I had a shepard/wolf cross who decided that I belonged to him and became so aggressive to anyone who dared to come near me, even the kids, that we had to give him away to someone without kids. He's happy there but I miss the big snarly beast.
Now I have a Boston Terrier who is a nightmare. He poops in closets (only closets), chews toys, pees on the Barbie Dream House (and only the dream house) and chews Kurt's pant legs (and only Kurt's). You give him trouble and he sasses at first, thinking it might be a game. Then he realizes you're serious and those big googly eyes beg for forgiveness.
We also have a black Lab named Bear. Bear is neurotic. He's so nervous and OCD that he's literally chewed the hair from his hind end. It grows in eventually but he's rather patchy looking. Grass scares him, snakes scare him, and he loves to be vacuumed. Bear just likes to chew. Everything he can get his teeth around.
Kids? Yeah, I have some misbehaving kids too. But they don't poop in closets or chew the toys, so they're not so bad.
Ref: rawhide
I've never been particularly fond of rawhides, but we never give it to them unless they're supervised. We had one dog a long time ago who was not good at eating them so we had to stop feeding them to her altogether.