Hi All, we just got our Timber last Saturday (4/29 and he is just shy of 8 weeks). He is a chewer. We have tried Kongs, Kongs filled with treats, a Kong tug of war toy and Nylabones. It seems he rather chew on us, the couch, a door stop, anything but his toys. We have even tried to redirect the chewing with his toys. He does go out quite often to potty and we never leave him alone while he is awake, so I don't think he is bored. He just seems to prefer to chew on anything but his toys. Can anyone recommend something that may help?
My puppy at 8 weeks was a chewer of anything she could get her mouth round - we applied bitter apple spray to things we didn't want her to chew.
We gave George bully sticks at this stage -- although some people have qualms about those because they can have strange bacteria in them, so make sure you get a high-quality one. His teeth were so small that it would take him ages to get through one (now they don't last long!). He will also stay interested in himalayan chews for quite a while. Never leave them alone with either of these things, though, as pieces can break off. And make sure to take them away when they get small enough to fit in the puppy's mouth. If Timber likes fabric-y things like the couch - have you tried a big toy rope? Although, I think 8 week old puppies just don't have the attention span to sit and chew on anything for long periods by themselves. Whatever the chew toy or treat is, they'll get bored after a few minutes and go for something else, like a chair leg (which is why they're so exhausting!!!). Good luck!
We gave Sacha cardboard boxes (no staples etc), this stopped her chewing the furniture etc, but what a mess to clean up! Aren`t puppies a delight I wish I could amuse myself so easily.
What have you tried putting in the Kongs? When Charlie was 8 weeks, she'd get Kongs filled with wet and dry dog food mixed together, unfrozen. That usually kept her occupied until all of the food was gone. Now, she's 15 weeks and LOVES Kongs! She's gets 3 each day, filled with dry food, occasional wet food, and chopped up carrots, apples, or bananas. Then, we put water in them and freeze them. It usually takes her 30 minutes to get through them but it's great when we need a few free minutes to accomplish something around the house. At first, I tried freezing the Kong when she was 8-9 weeks old, and it was too hard for her to figure out. So, I suggest trying the Kong again but make it easy for your dog to get the food out and make it a high value food. Then, over time, you can reduce the value of the food you put in the Kong. I'm telling you, they're LIFESAVERS. Charlie also likes Bully Sticks and she LOVES the Kong Barnyard Cruncheez toy because it rattles. She destroyed the first one after 2-3 weeks, so we're on our second one now But, she will play with it for a long time before she gets bored.
It really does depend on the dog. I have sent favourite chew toys with pups to school - bought another just the same and the next pup turned their nose up at the same toy. I find it's trial and error with each and every pup. I agree with akc, nothing lasts long with tiny pups. I put a little mushy food in Kongs for them when they are little to get them used to the idea, but it isn't until they start teething that they enjoy the frozen Kongs in earnest.
Oh - and rice bones, all of mine have rice bones until they start to demolish them in seconds. Hedgehog chews are also great but two of my pups have had funny tummies on hedgehog chews so that's a little hit and miss too. .
Thank you for the replies. We've tried the Kong treats for puppies with some other treats stuffed in there too, but he doesn't seem to like them much. We haven't tried the frozen Kong yet, but will have to give it a try. The bully sticks sound like an option and we will look into those also. Sounds like we need to just keep trying to find something he will like.
Haven't heard of these - what are they? Do they have another name. Anco roots might be another thing to try. Lilly didn't much go for them - they are better/less harsh on the teeth than things like antler which was another thing we experimented with.
Does he get soft stuffed toys. Our dogs still like to dissect stuffed toys. We never had much problem with furniture, but Cooper still picks up scraps of wood from the yard or shop and shreds them. When she was younger she destroyed a number of books and some nick knacks. We have always used rawhide bones (rolled or knotted) as well as bully sticks and Nylabones. Neither of our dogs will chew on a Kong, but they will take the treats out of it.
Red is chewing away on her antler bone as I type. She also has an anco root. She is always supervised with these. Neither interested her when she was little but she is now teething so they are getting a good gnaw
Biscuit also chewed on anything and everything when she first came home. Our puppy school trainer suggested getting toys with a variety of different textures - some plush, some rubbery, some hard, and so on, so that she has a lot of options. It took a lot of redirection at the beginning, and some Citronella spray on the skirting boards, but she's pretty good now (except for my Crocs, but we've reached an understanding that she's welcome to them as long as they are not on my feet ). The pet shops here in South Africa also stock a variety of chews made from every possible part of the animal which she loves. Ostrich tendon or cow trachea anyone?
Bramble loved these, a godsend. We got the largest size from Green and Wilds. When she was in her crate, she would get a bit huffy at times...then find her root in her crate, hold it between 2 paws, just chew then doze off..
We've had success with keeping all toys (chewing and soft) in a box. Each day we bring out 2 and put yesertday's back in the box. He seems very enthusiastic about seeing something new (even if he has seen if 3 days earlier). If he chews on something that we don't want him to chew, we give distract him and give his chew toy. When he chews hands too hard, we shout, "zip", stand up and turn our back on him for 30-60 seconds. After a few days of this he has stopped chewing hands.
They're hard chewy blocks made from cured/dried yak milk (weird, I know). So sometimes they are just called yak milk chews. They're good because they don't splinter (but they can crumble as your pup's jaw gets stronger!). As long as your dog is okay with dairy I think they're a good option!
We prefer the Nylabone Sheds to the real ones. Real Sheds (antlers) are really hard, and also expensive. The Nylabone sheds have some ground antler in them, and the dogs seem to like them.
