Help!

[star]

Kaiser is 6 months, I know he is teething but how do I stop him chewing everything in sight?! Trying to get a uni assignment done atm and he has just chewed through my internet cable, he chewed through my speaker cable the other day and the hoover flex the day before that. Came down this morning to find a roll of cotton wool shredded and shoes with chew marks left dotted about the place. Basically anything and everything he finds he chews or destroys. He has lots of toys, I'm constantly taking things off him while telling him no then giving him his own toy and praising him so he can make a distinction between what is right and what is wrong to chew. He has shredded most of his 'tough and durable' toys, currently has a soft rubber ball, couple of teddies and a teething kong that are somewhat intact. What makes it worse is he is chewing through the cables only when he is playing with another toy, he leaves it, goes to chew through then goes back to the toy. His kong is currently filled with strawberry jam, which he loves. His treat ball is in bits as when it was empty he ripped it apart. I've even soaked his tug rope in water and frozen it. Trying it with gravy now. He will quieten down after a walk for an hour at the very most and then is off again.
I've had him for 12 days now so it is a little bit of a learning curve for me as he is my first dog (not including family dogs). He started obedience class last week and is quick to pick up on stuff, done a bit of training with him during the week as well.
Also, I don't mind him on the sofa or on the bed when I give him permission. He is doing fairly well with that and gets off when told 8 times out of 10. He is getting used to only climbing on furniture when told to as well but the last couple of days he has decided that he will get on when he wants and when I try get him off he starts barking at me and chewing my hands. He never wins but is this a problem I will always have or will he pick it up over time? Also, any other tips not relevant to what I have mentioned would be very much appreciated!! I have just put him on puppy mix so I don't know if that is the cause of his sudden delinquency or not. The first week I had him I was giving him what his previous owner had given me (a terrible mismatch of everything) before trying to stabilise his diet onto something more suitable.

[LOVEGSD]

You can only keep doing as you were, giving him things he can chew and praising him when he's chewing the right thing. I personally would ensure all cables are away from him, the need to be tucked behind things to stop him chewing them. He could be trying to get your attention, he probably wants you to hold his toy so he can chew.....

As for the sofa and bed, I wouldn't allow him up if he doesn't get down without a fuss.

What are you now feeding him?

[LindaM]

Hi, that is sounding quite hard for you.

I don't think I could have managed Lukey without his crate. I was at home most of the time but i knew I could leave him safely (and I have to say very contentedly) in there but he was used to it.

If ever he started chewing anything that wasn't his I could 'collar him'

Also I think be careful over the sofa - i think these dogs 'easily take over' if you don't get what you want them to do 'every time'.

What about a raw marrow bone or a stag bar (I've just sent for my shep one as they are clean apparently and good for indoors).

Good luck, he is still a baby, trouble is they are big, strong babies.

Linda

[star]

The cables are generally out of the way he just happens to find them. Will make a bigger effort to hide them. He is currently on half a webbox a day and 400g of hero puppy mix. The vet gave me some hills science plan large breed puppy food so for the past two days he has been having 200g of that with 200g asda hero and half a webbox but since he has been having the hills he has been so naughty and hyperactive.
He has a few bones to chew on but they don't hold his attention for long sounds like I will have to make a change with the sofa though if he carries on. Thanks

[LOVEGSD]

I would not feed any dog of mine Hills......I would get him off that and onto something else, I've not heard any good things about this food, hyperactivity being one of them. There are some great dry foods out there that he could have, Orijen, JWB, Burns, Arden Grange, Wainwrights (PAH own brand) and many more. I think you'll see a difference once he's off Hills.

Have you tried smearing his bones in something tasty?
xx

[star]

He does seem to be naughtier since being on Hills. No more I think! I'll have a look at the rest, is Dr. John's any good? Someone at dog training mentioned it and it is a decent price at the local kennels, £10 for 15kg! I gave him his tug rope soaked in chicken gravy but it couldn't hold his attention, I haven't tried anything on the bones though, will need to go shopping to find some tasty stuff! Any recommendations? He likes jam, will get him some peanut butter too (although he will have to fight me for it...) but not sure what else.

[Moobli]

It sounds like Kaiser is really pushing his boundaries at the moment, as well as teething.

I would ensure he is tired before you sit down to do anything as important as your uni work. As he is only six months you can't run or walk him to exhaustion but a good walk in the morning with plenty of interaction from you (hiding his toy/treats) play hide and seek, fun recall training - anything that he enjoys and that gets his brain cells working I would also start crate training him - feed him in it, give him treats in it etc - don't close the door initially, and never use it as a punishment. Create good associations with it for him. Then I would stuff a kong, get a raw marrowbone and also freeze tuggy chewy type toys and give him these in his crate while you are concentrating on something else and can't watch him. The frozen tugs will help ease his gums too.

Another walk in the afternoon, and one in the evening (never long walks at this young age - but make them as interactive and exciting as you can) should also see him tired.

If he does insist on chewing things he shouldn't then try to keep anything that isn't chewable out of his way (as far as possible) and if he is chewing, say, furniture or cables etc then a sharp "no" and then replace it with one of his toys.

I would also change his diet to a better quality one if you can afford it - Arden Grange, James Wellbeloved or Burns are all good quality dry foods.

As far as his going on the furniture is concerned, personally I would just make them out of bounds and not let him on at all, and then there is no confusion in his mind about when he can or can't get up.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by star

He does seem to be naughtier since being on Hills. No more I think! I'll have a look at the rest, is Dr. John's any good? Someone at dog training mentioned it and it is a decent price at the local kennels, £10 for 15kg! I gave him his tug rope soaked in chicken gravy but it couldn't hold his attention, I haven't tried anything on the bones though, will need to go shopping to find some tasty stuff! Any recommendations? He likes jam, will get him some peanut butter too (although he will have to fight me for it...) but not sure what else.

I would avoid high sugar foods if you can, imagine giving a 5 year old lots of sugar, and then trying to get them to concentrate... its the same thing...

[evabrook]

id also say NO JAM OR PEANUT BUTTER will make him hyper.i think he is attention seeking so keep all valuables away from him he as to learn there is a time for him and a time for you i know its hard my pup is only 10 months and gets seperation anxiety but we are working on it so good luck

[star]

I just read the ingredients for the food the vet gave me, TEN e numbers!!!!! I didn't think to check them as the vet recommended it, silly me. No more Hills and more interaction before I settle down to work then. Thanks for all the tips