Chewing/Biting problems... - YorkieTalk.com Forums

happy888 · 02-02-2009, 05:50 PM

My dog is 16 months old. He is very smart, was potty trained very early on and knows quite a few dog tricks. However, he has discovered the underside of our sofas and chews and bites at the corners and tries to pull out the filling. He has plenty of toys and goes out for walks 2-3 times a day. When we tell him to stop chewing the sofa or if we block him off, he barks at us while wagging his tail (a slow wag). Also, bitter apple doesn't keep him away.

How can we train him to stop? Suggestions?

Guccimom · 02-03-2009, 10:06 AM

How often are you applying bitter apple? Usually spraying an item once it's enough, however for persistent dogs it is recommended to spray the area 2-3 times a day!
Here are some tips I got off the web which worked for me.
I never crated Gucci though however I spent alot of time with him as a puppy.
Hope this helps.

1. Give your dog lots of exercise, both physical and mental (games, obedience training).

2. Provide your dog with a few tasty dog chews. Don't overload your dog with dozens of chew toys, just a couple of good one's. Make it clear to your dog that if he wants to chew, it must be on his toys.

3. The best way to stop dog chewing is to catch it before it becomes a habit. This requires you to not leave your dog in a situation where he can chew something that you don't want him to. If your dog chews when you are away from home, keep your dog in a crate or kennel run. Once your dog is old enough and can be trusted, you can give him a free run of the place.

4. If your dog has a particular liking for a certain object like a furniture leg you can try this method. Coat the object with a foul tasting substance (non toxic) such as bitter apple, cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce. This method can be effective but because it doesn't actually teach your dog to stop chewing, it may mean that your dog just chews on a different object. Of course, if you put some tasty treats in the area, the chewing behavior will hopefully shift straight over to these.

5. If you catch your dog in the act of chewing, give a firm "No!" and replace the inappropriate chewing object with a tasty chew toy. Give your dog praise when he starts chewing the toy. Never ever reprimand your dog if you don't actually catch him in the act of chewing. If you don't issue your correction within about two seconds of his chewing behavior, he won't have a clue what you are disciplining him for.

6. A good solution to stop dog chewing and any other behavioral problem is to apply some obedience training. This establishes you as the pack leader in your owner-dog relationship. It will also help to build a strong bond with your dog, based on trust and respect.

newproudmom · 02-03-2009, 11:10 AM

same thing is happening to my charlie. He is 4 months old. He is chewing on things like crazy. When we go outside to potty he will take forever b/c he will chew on everything first...he is also into shoes now. He will run away with a pair of shoes and chew on it away from people. He will want to sit on my lap and chew on my clothes. When I say "no biting" and move him away, he will try to jump on me again and do it again..so I learned to just stand up and walk away from him with no eye contact or words from me. He is also a licker and licks everything off the floor. I called him "my little vaccum cleaner". His tongue is never in his mouth always out vaccuming the house.

02-02-2009, 05:50 PM	#1
happy888 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: United States Posts: 3	Chewing/Biting problems... My dog is 16 months old. He is very smart, was potty trained very early on and knows quite a few dog tricks. However, he has discovered the underside of our sofas and chews and bites at the corners and tries to pull out the filling. He has plenty of toys and goes out for walks 2-3 times a day. When we tell him to stop chewing the sofa or if we block him off, he barks at us while wagging his tail (a slow wag). Also, bitter apple doesn't keep him away. How can we train him to stop? Suggestions?

02-03-2009, 10:06 AM	#2
Guccimom Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: St. Maarten, Neth. Ant. Posts: 64	How often are you applying bitter apple? Usually spraying an item once it's enough, however for persistent dogs it is recommended to spray the area 2-3 times a day! Here are some tips I got off the web which worked for me. I never crated Gucci though however I spent alot of time with him as a puppy. Hope this helps. 1. Give your dog lots of exercise, both physical and mental (games, obedience training). 2. Provide your dog with a few tasty dog chews. Don't overload your dog with dozens of chew toys, just a couple of good one's. Make it clear to your dog that if he wants to chew, it must be on his toys. 3. The best way to stop dog chewing is to catch it before it becomes a habit. This requires you to not leave your dog in a situation where he can chew something that you don't want him to. If your dog chews when you are away from home, keep your dog in a crate or kennel run. Once your dog is old enough and can be trusted, you can give him a free run of the place. 4. If your dog has a particular liking for a certain object like a furniture leg you can try this method. Coat the object with a foul tasting substance (non toxic) such as bitter apple, cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce. This method can be effective but because it doesn't actually teach your dog to stop chewing, it may mean that your dog just chews on a different object. Of course, if you put some tasty treats in the area, the chewing behavior will hopefully shift straight over to these. 5. If you catch your dog in the act of chewing, give a firm "No!" and replace the inappropriate chewing object with a tasty chew toy. Give your dog praise when he starts chewing the toy. Never ever reprimand your dog if you don't actually catch him in the act of chewing. If you don't issue your correction within about two seconds of his chewing behavior, he won't have a clue what you are disciplining him for. 6. A good solution to stop dog chewing and any other behavioral problem is to apply some obedience training. This establishes you as the pack leader in your owner-dog relationship. It will also help to build a strong bond with your dog, based on trust and respect. Last edited by Guccimom; 02-03-2009 at 10:08 AM.

02-03-2009, 11:10 AM	#3
newproudmom YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: banning, ca Posts: 435	same thing is happening to my charlie. He is 4 months old. He is chewing on things like crazy. When we go outside to potty he will take forever b/c he will chew on everything first...he is also into shoes now. He will run away with a pair of shoes and chew on it away from people. He will want to sit on my lap and chew on my clothes. When I say "no biting" and move him away, he will try to jump on me again and do it again..so I learned to just stand up and walk away from him with no eye contact or words from me. He is also a licker and licks everything off the floor. I called him "my little vaccum cleaner". His tongue is never in his mouth always out vaccuming the house.