Rickiesmom Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 When Jaynie first arrived in 2009 she chewed things, mostly she emptied the wastebasket I use as a staging area for recycling, so she'd chew cardboard and yoghurt containers, that sort of thing. This behaviour went away pretty quickly as she settled in. After we lost Arlie at the end of October, it started again - slippers, cardboard, whatever was within reach. It seemed to be stopping but today I discovered she chewed through one of the handles on my purse, and the last couple of days she has gone back to the recycling. I don't want to leave her with a kong - first the content would be tricky because she's on a kidney-restricted diet, also, she and Rickie share the downstairs during the day and I don't want any issues over food. Before you all suggest it, I know the answer is another greyhound, but that isn't going to happen for awhile for a bunch of reasons. I feel so bad for her. She has Rickie for company but clearly she is really feeling the loss of Arlie. She's going to camp soon for a couple of weeks which will do her a world of good, and when she comes back I am going to try increasing her exercise. Any other suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Poor Jaynie. Very sorry for your loss of Arlie. I think the trick here is to catch her in the act. In obedience training, we worked on "drop it" and replaced the "bad" item with something good. Hopefully with her special diet, there are things she's allowed to chew on. Nylabone, compressed rawhide, even a stuffie would be a good alternative to your purse strap. When you see her chewing on something she shouldn't be, give a command (I like "drop it") and offer her the good item. People asked, "Why would you give them a treat? Isn't that rewarding bad behavior?" The answer is no- it's clarifying the items she's allowed to have in her mouth. If she continually goes back to a particular thing, especially when you're not home, you may want to try bitter apple or a chew deterrent. Also, try to do everything possible to make her feel more comfortable with the stressful loss of her friend. You might like this article. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 muzzle her when you are not around to supervise her. She can eat and drink with the muzzle on if you are worried about her drinking water during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest goofydog Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 No advice Mary, just for you and for Jaynie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BiancasMom Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Maybe you could stuff her Kong with some canned kidney diet? It should freeze well too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest verthib Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Get two kongs, then each can have one. Sounds like she is bored and needs something to keep her busy. She needs stimulation. Remove the recycle bin and all other things you don't want her to chew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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