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Preventing the dog from eating the house

prplchknz

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he's not my dog, he's my room mates. and he is really cute and sweet it's just that he eats everything. He ate a ps3 controller yesterday and it's 40 to replace does the bitter apple spray work? I can yell at him when I'm here. the only solution I have now is put everything that I don't want destroyed away from him, but I'm scattered brained. He's eaten walls. He has toys. I'm worried about him eating cords to electronics that are plugged in. And he will eat dvds
 

kyuuei

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You have to crate dogs that chew like that, at least until you can break them of the habit, but sometimes they never do. $40-50 will easily buy you a crate that will be spacious enough to put him in when you're not there, but crates are the best.

Other things that can help:
- He might be hyperactive and need to go outside to play everyday. Sending him walking or running on his own at a dog park might do him a lot of good. My buddy takes hers everyday while she reads and he goes bananas and then is fine the whole afternoon.
- Cayenne pepper spray on important items. This also works if you have a neighbor's fence dog. It sucks for them but it's not harmful.
- Buying him a chew toy he actually likes. You can take him to a pet store to let him choose one out.

Usually though it's an anxiety thing (unless he's a puppy and then you might be able to grow him out of it) and crating can serve as the purpose for that. Just don't use it as punishment--it ought to just become the routine that when you leave, he goes in the crate, and when you come back, he gets out.
 

prplchknz

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You have to crate dogs that chew like that, at least until you can break them of the habit, but sometimes they never do. $40-50 will easily buy you a crate that will be spacious enough to put him in when you're not there, but crates are the best.

Other things that can help:
- He might be hyperactive and need to go outside to play everyday. Sending him walking or running on his own at a dog park might do him a lot of good. My buddy takes hers everyday while she reads and he goes bananas and then is fine the whole afternoon.
- Cayenne pepper spray on important items. This also works if you have a neighbor's fence dog. It sucks for them but it's not harmful.
- Buying him a chew toy he actually likes. You can take him to a pet store to let him choose one out.

Usually though it's an anxiety thing (unless he's a puppy and then you might be able to grow him out of it) and crating can serve as the purpose for that. Just don't use it as punishment--it ought to just become the routine that when you leave, he goes in the crate, and when you come back, he gets out.

yeah he gets anxious when left alone, and it's not like we can be here 24/7. and he goes to the park everyday.
 

kyuuei

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yeah he gets anxious when left alone, and it's not like we can be here 24/7. and he goes to the park everyday.

I'd highly recommend crating. most of the time the dogs will calm down with the crate, and with a chew toy and something soft to lay on they're generally less anxious and more protected feeling when left alone in a crate vs in a whole house.
 

prplchknz

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my room mate is apprehensive about crating him, and he's her dog. before she got him the previous owner would keep him in a crate for 16 hours a day. my brother said point out the safety issues: ie electrical equipment that's plugged in. and spin it as a safety issue and that he'd be fine if we don't leave him in there longer than 4-6 hours and have a chew toy. I think he'd be fine he goes in there on his own though never reach in because he will bite it out of fear.
 

prplchknz

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No...

How do you discipline him?
it's my room mate's dog and I've been told to smack him, but I can't so I yell at him in a stern dominate forceful voice. But she does most of the disciplining as it's her dog

he also just turned a year a month ago
 
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