My dog loves towels. He had one that he drags around with him. We try to just keep it in his crate because when he has it outside of his crate, he chews on it and then starts eating the treads. Yesterday I noticed him chewing on it in his crate, so I took it away from him. I don't want him to eat part of it. Any time there is a towel or blanket around, he wants it. How can I try to break this habit. Silly puppies!
Both my puppies chewed towels - Charlie grew out of it, Betsy still chews towels. I don't bother about it. Betsy pulls her mats around too - which I find a bit annoying, but Charlie used to do that and then stopped. In terms of things a puppy could chew, a towel is pretty harmless. I never fuss about them chewing harmless things - not fussing means they are less likely to eat it (so you can't take it off them), and - I think, anyway - less likely for it to become an issue so something that gets them attention, a fuss, whatever and so they are more likely to just stop it.
Willow used to drag her vet bed around. She grew out of it. When they were little, I used to grab a massive towel - a bath sheet - and drag it around the floor. The pups would leap on it and have a fabulous ride around, tumbling around. They'd roll off (entirely intentionally) and have to leap back on again. Great fun!
Towels were always up there with the best toys in my house, too. My first dog's favourite game was to have a huge beach towel tied around his head while he then walked around the house bumping into walls. My dad, who is frankly sometimes a bit TOO creative when it comes to playing with my dogs, figured this game out. But Duncan loved it...the towel would eventually fall off and he'd carry it back to you so you could tie it on his head again. He was a super smart dog, so not sure why he loved running into walls with his head while essentially blindfolded. Mine is not to reason why. Never had any problem with the stringy bits of chewed up towel, but I never had big chewers either. Mainly they just played with and sucked on the towels until they wore out.
Thanks for the stories. My previous labs did not have this love for towels, but i see that it's pretty common. I'll give him his towel back
My puppy's four months old and loves draging towels around the house. Haven't noticed her chewing them, though. I don't mind. She's got her own towels to play with.
Bailey's favourite thing is towels! He loves showers because then its a rub down with a towel - which he will drag around for the rest of the day! As I'm typing this he is curled up at my feet after dragging two towels out of the laundry basket and is sound asleep on top of them (they are his towels from his laundry basket by the way!).
Pongo's first and favourite toy/chew/cuddle/enemy was his towel. This is him in his first week with us (aged 10 weeks). The Towel still plays a big part in his life (he is nearly 3 years old) but it is now in three parts. And I heard an ominous ripping sound this evening which makes me think that might have gone up to four....
Harv is a towel chewer too. Started as a puppy and never really grew out of it. He has one in his crate all the time - now and then a new hole appears in the towel or there will be a small piece that has parted company (with Harv's help!) from the rest of the towel. I think we are on our 4th towel in total and Harv is now 3 so I don't think his 'habit' is too bad Pongo, Harvey admires your self-restraint with your towel
I love seeing all of these adorable labs! I gave Hank a beach towel last and within 5 minutes it had a hole in it. He's as his peak chewing, tugging stages - hopefully it decreases in time I don't mind him having the towels, it's super cute. I just don't want him to swallow any of it.
Sorry to say the chewing is likely to increase, not decrease. I would make sure he's supervised with towels. We used to think it was cute the way Tatze used to chew and 'floss' on the Kong wubbas. Then she ate the legs one day. After that she became obsessed with anything made from similar material - like collars and leads, and ate them! Now we are VERY careful where we put her spare collars and leads. She ate a lead once - whole! She ate two harnesses, metal bits and all
Tatze's behaviour is extremely unusual though, it's not at all normal. Goodness knows why she does it, but eating a whole harness is incredible. I certainly do not worry that either of my dogs are going to start eating towels because they chew/chewed on them as puppies.
When I bring out a towel to dry Cooper off when he is wet he enjoys the rub-down BUT he is really looking forward to stealing the towel and ripping it to pieces. So, I just have to make sure he gets a quick dry and towel goes into the washing machine.Don't trust that he wouldn't swallow parts of it!
