Chewing is Frustrating.

Does your dog chew constantly? Whether you are there or not? If so, there may be several reasons for this frustrating behavior. If you have a puppy, one reason may be teething. If your pup is teething, take one of their rubber toys and put it in the freezer. After an hour or so, take it out and give it to the puppy. This has a calming effect on the pup and has a numbing effect on their gums and teeth.

But, for the adult dog, there is probably an underlying problem. If you have a dog that isn't as active as they should be, boredom is probably the cause of their chewing. Giving your dog something to occupy their time is very important. While you are gone, toys like the Kong are great. Also, the Busy Buddy toys, carried at Just Dogs! Gourmet in the Huntington Mall, Barboursville, WV, are great, too. The Busy Buddy's hold treats and makes the dog work and think of how to get them out of it. Also, leaving a radio or TV on will help with the boredom and can have a calming effect on a stressed dog.

If you notice your dog panting excessively when you return home from work or running errands, he/she is most likely experiencing a panic or anxiety attack. Yes, dogs can experience attacks just like humans. Consulting your vet is your best option if you are afraid your dog is stressing out. There are meds out there, both prescription and natural, to help calm your dog's anxiety. But never administer meds without consulting your vet first.

Does your dog chew your child's toys? If so, they are not being spiteful, but just enjoying the remnants of juice and cookies. Dog's also chew by scent. I know of one incident where a mother dog chewed up the blankets from her whelping box, after they had been washed, because they still had the scent of her puppies on them. Scent is strong and a dog's nose is 100 times more sensitive than ours. There are predictable triggers to chewing. You just have to find out what is triggering your dog to chew. A video camera, if you can afford it, will aid you in finding out what is going on with your dog. If a video camera is not feasible, as it usually isn't, just watching your dog will help you figure out what is going on with them.

Teaching what is right and wrong is the key and a must. I use the command "no chew." Some use the term "leave it." Either is fine and whatever you are comfortable using. If your dog is chewing something they shouldn't, go over and pick up the item, using the dog's name and the command "no chew or leave it." Put the object up. If it is a toy, put it up for 15 min. and ignore your dog. They will do everything in the world to get your attention, but ignore them. After the 15 min. has gone by, get the toy and give it back to them. If they play with it correctly, praise them and give a small tidbit as a treat for respecting their toy. If they are chewing on, say, a couch leg, remove the dog from the area, using the terms I said above and give them a toy they are allowed to have, praising the dog the minute their teeth touch the toy and give a small treat.

Hopefully, some of the things I have said will help if you have a chewer in your midst.

Do You Have A Chewer In Your Midst?

"I'm just a lazy boy...no chewing for me anymore! "

Back in March of '05, I talked my husband into letting me get Chance, my yellow Lab. I already had Kallee, my Aussie Shepherd/Smooth Collie mix, whom had been at my side for 14 yrs. And when I say, "at my side," that is a literal statement. She went to work with me everyday and when home, she was constantly by my side. Chance was about 4 mo. old and a bundle of energy. If you looked out in the yard, he would be hanging onto Kallee's ear as she cruised around. When she got tired of him hanging onto her ear, she would shoo him away with a grump and growl (as I liked to put it). When she passed away on May 15 of that year, Chance was sitting by her head. She had passed away very peacefully in her sleep. He (Chance) had tried to wake her up by doing what he had done for those 2 months he was with her, chewing on her ear.

Little did I know that the chewing was not over. For one solid year, he chewed everything he could get his little teeth on. We had wood lattice work around our porch, he totally destroyed that. Then on to the tire cover on my spare tire. He chewed the bottom completely off it. Then he moved on to the mud flaps on my car. I have 2 Japanese Dwarf Maple trees that he chewed down to stumps. (luckily, they came back). Do you see a pattern emerging. My personal opinion is he was missing Kallee.

Why do dogs practice this behavior? Dogs are very oral. They don't have hands, so they use their mouths to investigate things. They chew for many reasons, really: entertainment, boredom, teeth cleaning and to strengthen their jaw muscles. Labs are notorious chewers the first year of their lives, too. And, they chew on their owners things, such as socks or shirts, because the odor reminds them of their owners.

You have to be very aware if you have a chewer. Swallowing objects is very dangerous. It can cause the blood supply to be cut off from the intestines if the object doesn't move on through them. This in turn means sometimes risky and very invasive and expensive surgery. Here are a few tips: 1. Know your pet. Pay attention to what your pet is particularly interested in chewing. 2. Keep a clean environment. This is self-explanatory. 3. Supervise. Keep a check on the toys to make sure they have not deteriorated, and supervise your puppy when he/she is playing with toys. 4. Train. Dogs sometimes chew due to boredom or anxiety. Certain commands are very useful, such as "drop it," or "leave it."

Here are the signs that might indicate your dog has something lodged in their stomach: diarrhea, drooling, lethargy, persistent vomiting or dry heaving, refusal to eat and restlessness. If your pet is exhibiting any of these behaviors, call your vet immediately.