Hi all please help. My dog is fantastic and there is no way of me ever giving up on him. He's started chewing shoes!!!! For the past couple of weeks he's been taking shoes up the garden and leaving them or just taking 1 of a pair and chewing it to pieces! I don't know what to do! We've moved all the shoes out of the room where he is so he can't get to them. He's never touched them while we're in the house (except tonight) he always waits till we're either upstairs or out all together! I don't know what to do! Please help!

How old is he Geerarffe? Is he teething? If so then he needs something to chew. Kongs are fantastic and you can buy them online and also large pet stores sell them or ebay.

Why shoes? well your shoes have a strong smell of you on them sounds disgusting but it is a sweat thing and he may be seeking comfort from them in your absense ie when you are out or at bedtime.

Have you got a shoerack? If he's pulling them off a shoe rack perhaps try a shoe cupboard (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8758031.htm)?

Unfortunately with a situation like this, the best thing you can do is to manage it - that is, remove all shoes from his reach. Everytime he gets hold of a shoe and chews it, he's reinforcing the idea that shoes are good to chew on. It doesn't matter that you tell him off, he just learns they're most rewarding when you're not around.

My only little pearls of wisdom would be:
1. Don't chase him for shoes if you can help it. Distract him instead, ask him to do something and reward him, while someone goes and gets the discarded shoe - the more you chase, the more rewarding it becomes.

2. No point in telling him off, he'll do it when you're not there instead - it's not malice, it's just the link that says 'chewing shoes around mum = not rewarding, chewing shoes when everyone's out = very rewarding.'

3. Very important - make sure he has LOADS to occupy him when you're out, stuffed kongs and marrowbones are great. If you're not going to be out for long perhaps you could crate train him? If he's chewing shoes because of anxiety that you're not there, you can always put an old jumper that smells of you in with him in a crate with some chew toys.

4. Finally, make sure you get lots of play in when you are there, tug games are great for destructive dogs - a tired dog is less destructive! Tug games are also a really good bonding exercise and I find Takara to be better behaved when we have at least one session of scent discovery and tug a day (when I say one session this consists of at least 10 finds and tugs!)

HTH :)

Totally agree with Lotti's n Gemima's advice and would add, it might be worth investing in a bottle of Bitter Apple or similar foul tasting stuff you spray onto items your dog is known to target, as this may deter your pet from chewing (I say MAY because it is known to work but occasionally some dogs continue to chew). We used it on Ailsa leads- she never chewed in the house but she used to grab at her own lead and try to drag us along- the bitter bite soon stopped that -she hated the taste.

I think it's available from Pets at Home and other pet stores

Katkin, bitter apple and similar never worked for us (stubborn git she is) so, geerarrffe I'd suggest trying white vinegar first :D Much cheaper and it may work with no need to go out and buy bitter apple/bite. Having said that, it does reek.

Good luck!

HI,

My labs would have chewed through a brick wall when they were younger, in fact they still chew on odd occasions now.

We tried all the sprays, creams, cleaners you can think of and nothing worked.

The best thing we did and still so is what has been mentioned above, move things out of their reach that they aren't allowed to chew. Only leave the things they are allowed.

:)

We had a shoe chewing problem with Guinness a while ago, he found out how much he liked to chew my shoes not the OH's, and it was mainly my most expensive stiletto's too... He would go to great lengths to get them, I started to keep them in a storage box but he found a way of digging them out to chew them, even though he always has loads of different rawhide chews and toys to keep him entertained too. The only solution I found was keeping all my shoes on top of the wardrobe and out of sight.

We lock all the shoes away in the living room out of his way. He's got a stuffed kong, tug toy, loads of squeekies and balls but if he gets the chance he goes straight for shoes! He doesn't do it at night while we're asleep just if we go up stairs to do say the ironing or to get changed. He did it while my dad was sat in the room next to him last night which was a first and my dad's not that observant so he had chance to take the insoles out of my shoes to the top of the garden, one of my dads shoes went with them and was quite happily chewing on the heel of my boot before dad realise.

Gemima he's 15 months.

I've thought about the spray but having never had this problem was unsure wich to use and if they were any good.

I've got back from work today and he has torn his bed to pieces! Most of the stuffing is all over the dining room floor!

15 months old, sounds like he is becoming a stroppy toddler, he could be doing it to get your attention, especially if you said he has chewed his bed. However the main reason mine do it I have to admit is boredom. When I used to go to work they would do it for example. Some dogs are just naughty though, but cute with it :)

Our 8 month old staffy loves shoes and has chewed loads of mine including a new pair of them leaving just the heels!He has kongs pull toys bones etc and goes out for plenty of fun time at the park so I wouldn't say it's boredom.I am hoping he will grow out of it soon:hihi:

Oh heck - Takara did that with the bed... very occasionally she still does it but only because it gets a rise out of me! (I've been the one sitting there sewing it back together). She used to hump it too although she hasn't since she's been spayed - amazing! :lol:

What do you feed him geerarrffe? Seems an odd question but do you think it's perhaps that he has too much energy? Maybe a lower protein food would help?

I don't know about the food lotti. We switched him from a high protein collie feed to one with a lower protein content and that seems to be around when the trouble started. I'm thinking of putting him back on the higher protein one to see how he goes. If he stops I'll keep him on that! He can be a little sod, but you gotta love him! :roll:

I know the feeling :lol: