I'm getting to my wits end with Daisy (7 month) chewing timber outside. Here's the background: she goes to dog day care on the 2 days I work. On another 2 days I'm out of the house 3-4 hours. Those days she goes in an outside enclosure that has some grass, dirt sand concrete, trees and a kennel. She is always walked 30-40 mins twice per day on non dog day care days. She has always had a walk before being put in enclosure. We always leave 2 large frozen kongs, a cardboard box to destroy (her favorite), a sterile bone and a large rope toy. Anything else I would be concerned she would injest. Despite all this she is destroying the timber kennel!! She is shredding the edges so I'm coming back to less kennel and a pile of splinters. I've tried 3 different no chew sprays on kennel to no avail Do we: A) remove kennel from enclosure. This leaves her exposed to weather (roof eaves provide a tiny bit of shelter as do trees but it could be cold and wet - Melbourne winter). I'm also concerned she might turn her chewing attention to the timber window ledges B) go back to crating her inside for these periods. C) let her gradually destroy kennel. So far she's had no splinters in mouth and does not seem to have injested any of it (or is this just good luck?) Or none of the above if anyone has suggestions to satisfy her chewing urge which seems to be increasing. We do give her raw hide bones etc but only under supervision so in evenings. Any advice greatly appreciated!!
I probably wouldn't keep her and the kennel together. Mainly because of what she might be swallowing and also because of the potential for splinters in the mouth. I think that being in a pen is better than being in a crate for that period of time, just because the larger area will let her move around more. A bit of activity and movement is better for joints. Having said that, I do not think there'd be anything wrong with having her indoors in the crate on days when rain is likely (OK, that is most days, it's Melbourne ) or if it's hot. So maybe use each area as the weather dictates?
Thanks Oberon Yes I think that might be best. Surveying the damage its hard to see how she hasn't got splinters in her mouth
Have you tried hot sauce rather than the no-chew sprays? we employed this tactic and found that it would never even touch her mouth, the strong hot pepper smell was enough to keep her away when her nose got close.
Cooper chews up wood, both branches and scraps all the time, but splinters don't seem to be a problem. She can always find a tree branch on our lot, and If she gets in the wood shop she will come up with a wood scrap. She doesn't eat them, just shreds them.
That seems to be what Daisy does. I've been watching her like a hawk since she shredded the kennel and no splinter seems to have caused an issue. For some reason chewing on wood is more appealing to her than toys
Hi no I haven't tried hot sauce. Might give it a go. All the other sprays are bitter rather than hot- and they don't bother her at all. We removed the kennel from her enclosure. Feel bad as its cold in Melbourne at the moment but she has shelter
