Today's critical question: Ember is currently constrained to the kitchen and is being crate trained. However when she's out of the crate, I keep catching her gnawing the floorboards, table, chairs, & island. So what are your top tips to nip this in the bud? So far I've been saying "No" and then giving her a distraction - but then she's gone straight back to it! So wise people of this forum - what else should be done?
Re: Day 4: chewing the floor (and chairs and tables!) Distraction when you can - give her things that she is allowed to chew instead. Try kongs with frozen goodies inside, chew toys, rope toys, ice cubes, tea towels that have been soaked in water and frozen.... For things you don't want her to chew, or when she can't be distracted, get some Grannick's bitter apple spray. I tried three different sprays and only that one worked for us - although I know it varies in effectiveness from dog to dog.
Re: Day 4: chewing the floor (and chairs and tables!) Yep, I'll second that from Fiona. You might want to consider ditching conventional mealtimes and doing all her food in kongs, treat-balls etc so you can give her one each time you bring her out of the crate or when she wakes up from a nap, so she's got lots to keep her busy
Re: Day 4: chewing the floor (and chairs and tables!) Perfect! Thank you. Have Kongs freezing and have been distracting with chew toys, but hadn't thought of ice cubes or frozen tea towls, and Granite Apple a useful recomendation! Am happy to spend my pennies on her but not on replacing furniture or floorboards.
Re: Day 4: chewing the floor (and chairs and tables!) I am with Merla. Give their mouth something to do and they are less likely to chew things that you don't want them too. Molly had nearly all her food in Treatballs, Buster Cubes and Kongs for the first few months. That is when I wasn't using them for training. The added advantage of making them' 'work' for their food is that it tuckers the little darlings out.
Re: Day 4: chewing the floor (and chairs and tables!) I only ever used distraction with Juno and spent lots of time playing on the floor with her. Horror of horrors Juno has has never had a stuffed kong in her life or chewed the furniture, only lots of attention and different toys to play with.
Re: Day 4: chewing the floor (and chairs and tables!) Hang on in there with the suggestions you have had....all sounds relatively normal for day 4 to me xxx
Re: Day 4: chewing the floor (and chairs and tables!) Thanks a lot. With 3 children and work (from home, but still sometimes tied up on phone calls) its super useful to know what things I can give her as alternatives.
