Advice on chewing?

E

elizat

Member
Sep 21, 2007
9,628
8
#1
Hi all, I have a quick question. I have a puppy that loves to slip his mouth under his collar and chew, chew, and chew until he either breaks a plastic clasp or chews through the leather. He's ruined three collars in his short time of 8 months on this planet (and also gets himself all worked up in the process)! When I am home w/ him, I take it off and when I leave him alone, I do also, but I am really not comfortable w/ that, in case he were to sneak out on me. How the heck do I get him to stop and just wear his collar?

I've basically soaked his newest collar in bitter apple spray. Any advice on what else to do? I've looked online and they all recommend the apple stuff, but that does not seem to cut it alone. Would tabasco hurt him? I had to rub that on drawer pulls to keep the cat from chewing on them and she was fine, just did not like the taste! Other ideas?
 
#2
I am just trying to picture how he is getting his mouth on his collar while it is around his neck:confused1::P Is it not tight enough? Is he chewing it on it from boredom? or because he just don't like it?
 
#3
He hates it! He's a small dog, part poodle, so he has a bit of a long nose, if that helps the visual. He opens his mouth, puts his bottom jaw against his chest and then picks up his collar. I am surprised he can do it as well. He looks like he is doing crazy circus moves when he does it! For room on the collar, he has about 2 flat fingers worth, if that makes sense. It is not snug, but not hanging off. He has lots of toys and chews to pick from also, so I don't think it is boredom.
 
#4
My dog once started chewing the wood built-ins and the crown molding, nothing worked, until I used wasabi paste. One taste of that and he never did it again. It does not harm the animal, but it is nasty to them.
 
#6
Irishgal said:
My dog once started chewing the wood built-ins and the crown molding, nothing worked, until I used wasabi paste. One taste of that and he never did it again. It does not harm the animal, but it is nasty to them.
Click to expand...
Hmmm......I have an insane cockapoo! She has chewed my walls above the baseboards so bad that she can put her whole head in the hole. We have tried everything, but not wasabi.:idea:
 
#7
sarah2808 said:
Hmmm......I have an insane cockapoo! She has chewed my walls above the baseboards so bad that she can put her whole head in the hole. We have tried everything, but not wasabi.:idea:
Click to expand...

Get the paste and it goes on real well, then when the chewing stops it comes off easily. Good luck!
 
#8
elizat said:
He hates it! He's a small dog, part poodle, so he has a bit of a long nose, if that helps the visual. He opens his mouth, puts his bottom jaw against his chest and then picks up his collar. I am surprised he can do it as well. He looks like he is doing crazy circus moves when he does it! For room on the collar, he has about 2 flat fingers worth, if that makes sense. It is not snug, but not hanging off. He has lots of toys and chews to pick from also, so I don't think it is boredom.
Click to expand...

yeah I can see that....I have a bulldog(flat face) so it was hard to visualize.

If you can use a clicker you can train your dog to "accept" the collar. It will take a couple of steps to get to him actually get to that point. First you need to click either with a clicker or simply say "click" and immediately give your dog a treat. Then put the collar on and if he doesn't react negatively, click then treat. The longer he wears it without reacting click and treat. Do this for a few minutes every day, if he starts to chew on it get his attention and then take it off and try again later. Don't take it off while he is chewing, this will only encourage his chewing on it. Try to keep it on longer each time and lots of praise and treats (about the size of a rice crispy).

I wouldn't keep it on him when you weren't home, nor when you are home and not watching, and could be dangerous. You could always try a harness if all else fails.
 
#10
Elphaba still goes after her one harness too. I just say no and pull it out of her mouth. The collar she doesn' go after anymore...she was when I first put the tag on it. so I took the tag off the collar and let her get used to the collar for a couple of weeks and THEN put the tag on. She never goes after the collar anymore....she LOVES chewing on that harness though...
 
#11
wasabi?!?! hahahah that's too funny

When my pup was a baby we would keep her in the bathroom while we were away at work so that she was confined to a small space and wouldn't hurt herself. One day we came home and found that she had chewed her way through a section of a wall :wtf::hysteric: Turns out our faucet was leaking and had made the wall softer but it was quite a sight! Eventually she grew out of that phase - thank goodness!

Good luck with your pup - I haven't found bitter apple spray to deter either of my dogs from anything either
 
#12
Maybe you need the tighten the collar. My dog had that problem of chewing on his collar and the last straw was when he got his $50.00 suede collar stuck in his mouth from chewing on it and I had to cut it. but after that I tighten his new collar to where you can put your fingers around the collar so it will not be too tight around his neck and after that, he has been fine every since.
 
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