Pupppy Shredding

[KDB]

Have a 6 month old lab that shreds everything in site.  I've been had labs for 30 years in this new guy is far worse than any of my previous dogs.  Any suggestions on how control this bad habit?

[ghosthunter]

Seems like they are go through it. Give him something to work on. And watch around the stuff you don't want him to chew.

The ones I have had out grew it.

[jackelope]

He's bored.

[irishevox]

He is bored.   I give my dog a big bone that takes him a while and he loves it and never shreds.... secondly, i don;t leave paper where he can reach it
also they make these bogo things i fill it with peanut butter and a treat... keep both dogs busy for hours.

[bracer40]

This makes me laugh remembering all the times I would return home to find my Brittany (my first, 20 years ago) with a guilty look on his face surrounded by anywhere from 2-6 inches of shredded newspaper, toilet paper, dirty diapers, feminine products, you name it......Fortunately my current dog hasn't had a penchant to shred. However, I probably keep this one more "entertained."

[Happy Gilmore]

confinement with chew toys. Out to play, back into the kennel for down time or whenever you are not doing something constructive with the pup. Up the amount of time out of the kennel as the pup becomes more responsible. Makes a mistake, back to the kennel until you are going to do something with the pup. Pup starts ignoring you during constructive time, back to the kennel. This can go on all day long for months until pup is understanding of what is included as "his" and what is "yours".

[jackmaster]

my black lab is that way, i come home and she meets me at the door with a guilty as sin look, i know that the garbage can didnt get put up then  she always feels so bad and will lay on the ground and ask for her belly to be rubbed. i ask her if you feel so bad why do you keep getting in the garbage, i swear she can smile and give that look that she is trying boss, but it is a hard habbit to break  she really like my daughters crocs  i like that peanut butter idea, where do you get one of those things at 

[YellowDog]

I have a 9 year old lab that would get separation anxiety while I was at work and about every 4 days she would decide to chew something.  It used to be t.v. remotes but after keeping those out of reach it turned to mostly newspaper or magazines (she also loves to chew the corner of pillows).  I just started confining her to my bedroom during the day with a pet gate accross my bedroom door and kept everything she liked to chew picked up and things were fine.  I now have a 5 month old lab added to the mix and my older dog has been left out with the run of the house and she has completely stopped chewing stuff.

The new pup looked like he would be a shredder too when he was just 8-10 weeks old.  Constant correction and sticking toys in his mouth when he started to chew something helped.  The other thing that I think has been a huge help is to give him a shed antler.  If you can't supervise all the time then a big hunk of elk antler with no sharp points and it will keep them entertained for hours on end, curb their desire to chew...when they are tired of chewing the antler they are TIRED of chewing period.  I was told by the lady at the pet store that antler is the best thing for puppies and teething pups because the pieces they get off are so tiny and they are also easily digestable. 

I keep my pup confined to an exercise pen in the living room during the day.  I had put a piece of vinyl flooring I had left over from a bathroom remodel down in case he had an accident.  I have a neighbor kid come by after 6 hours and let him out to go outside and play for a half hour or so and he hasn't had any accidents at all.  One day I came home and he had gotten a hold of an empty plastic bag from pellets for my pellet stove and shredded the hell out of that bag but had not seemed to have eaten any of it.  The next day he had gotten the edge of the vinyl flooring remnant and he shredded the hell out of that too.  No more floor and no bags around the kennel and he has been just fine.  He loves to grab crap he isn't allowed to have but he doesn't chew any of it.  The deer antler has been a blessing in my opinion.

[dallygirl]

Our lab pup is 7 months old and is a major chewer/shredder as well.  We are diligent about managing her free time in the house - at this age they are still learning what is appropriate and what is not.   We have found antler sheds are amazing chewiies and keep her busier longer than anything else.  We have cut some up into easier pieces to handle but she will happily pack around her "half rack" too.  Lol.

She also loves stuffed kongs layered with various "treats".  I make up a few and pop them in the freezer.  The frozen kong seems to feel good on teething puppy gums plus she has to really work at getting the various layers.  For layers I use things like cheese cubes, apples bits, cream cheese, peanut butter, any leftover meat chopped into chunks, carrots...she loves anything food wise so I just go through the fridge.   She loves these so much that i will find her sitting by the freezer door willing it to open with her sad puppy eyes ....

[Duffer]

Wife's terrier mix puppy



All shoes put up. TV remote put up. Never walk away from my cup of coffee. kennel/fencing around the Christmas tree. He has a zillion toys but still goes outside & fetches fir cones or fir bows, brings them in and turns them to kindlin.

That's why we call him Chew-barka