I Can Get My Grey To Stop Chewing Things! Please Help

[Guest JoJoeJan]

We have been having a continuous problem with her stealing things and then chewing them up. In peticular SHOES! She will grab them and then take them outside which is really weird! She seems to only be doing it when we leave. She gets really upset when we leave her. We have almost had her a year now and have not had these problems until recently. Is their any suggestions! Thanks

[LaFlaca]

Put your shoes (and other belongings) where she can't get them. Baby-gate (or otherwise confine) her in a safe area.

[seeh2o]

Carl used to be notorious for coming in my room in the morning and taking one of my shoes to his bed (no chewing, though). I've had him 2.5 years and he hasn't done it in a very long time. Maybe they just grow out of it. I agree with the other poster, you need to limit access to your shoes by closing a door or putting up a barrier.

 

Claire had a habit of taking her toys out to the yard! After I did some yard work that she apparently didn't like, she stopped doing it.

 

My non-grey was known for getting into the dirty laundry and taking underpants out in the yard. She didn't chew them, just took them outside with her. Thankfully she outgrew that (after I made sure the hamper was closed all the time!).

Edited January 15, 2010 by ckruzan

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Muzzle when you leave. It will be very difficult for her to pick up a shoe, let alone chew it up.

[Guest Swifthounds]

A few suggestions:

 

1) Block her access to areas with shoes (ie babygate the bedroom/closet) when you aren't there to supervise

 

2) muzzle her

 

3)Work on training her that she is not to take items from the house outside - Sounds silly but it works. When I had 4 young toy-obsessed greyhounds, they all knew that when they exited through the door into the yard, they had to deposit their toys at the threshhold. It sometimes led to quite the toy pile by the door, but it's much better than having one's things strewn about the yard.

 

4) train her not to pick up shoes. Allow her to have access to shoe areas. When you catch her with a shoe, correct her and "trade" her some toy for the shoe.

[Guest sheila]

Dogs like to chew on things. I would suggest getting her some appropriate things that she can chew on. Kongs are a good idea, check the toy aisle of the pet store for many chew toys. Raw bones are a big hit around here.

[silverfish]

While I understand how annoying it is to have things taken and chewed by greyhounds, I also feel for your girl. She is almost certainly anxious and this is a displacement activity. Dogs use chewing as a way of self-calming, so that's what she's doing, trying to comfort herself. They'll often choose things which smell of their people, because ... well, they want their people.

 

I think she needs something that she IS allowed to chew. We give ours smoked bones, but you need to buy a really top quality one, because the cheap ones splinter and bits can be swallowed. When we lost both Renie and Jack last year, I threw away the smoked bone we'd bought for Renie - she was a wall chewer when she was stressed, and the bone helped her enormously. That bone was lightly nibbled away at the ends and it was several years old, and used regularly. A good smoked bone is very very hard.

 

I would suggest that you get her something tough to chew, like a smoked bone, and work on her separation anxiety. You need to put in some work to desensitise her to your leaving her, you'll find some good advise if you do a search on her for 'alone training'. You can also plug in a DAP diffuser, and you can spray the things she likes to chew with a non-toxic bitter tasting chew-deterrent spray.

 

We did all those things for Renie, and she did well, only returning to a little light dry-wall nibbling when she was really stressed or unwell, and the bitter spray had worn off.

 

We've recently been through the 'alone training' with Sid, who had never been left alone till he came here. Took us a while, but now he doesn't even bother to get to his feet when we come home after being out.

 

Good luck!