I have a 1-yr-old (today!) schnauzer/jack russell terrier mix dog who I've had since he was about 8 weeks old. He's always been a chewer, but lately it has gotten really bad. Using bitter apple spray has helped on the door frames and wood furniture, but he's also eating shoes, his bed and his toys, and chewing on the couch pillows, my blankets and his blanket. He has a ton of toys, but he tends to eat them, not play with them. Everytime I'm going to be gone for more than a couple of hours I leave a bone for him. He always has a few nuggets of food in his bowl to chew on. What's the problem, do you think? The vet says he is fine, medically. Last night he ate one of my sandals, which he then threw up this morning. He grabbed a couch blanket that a friend gave me and took off with it. He's so fast that I can't catch him - and now there's a big hole in it. He even chewed through the material of his bed and ate (and spit out) the foam material that makes up the structure of it. I've taken everything away from him now, but he just finds something new to chew. Any advice? Thanks in advance.
This can be very dangerous. They can get obstructions that can cause serious illness. (I had a friend who's dog got really sick, they ended up finding a whole pair of mens underwear in his intestines!!) I dont have any great advice on the chewing but I would recommend using a crate while you can not be watching him. Especially while you are not home. Crate training can be a wonderful thing if done correctly. My adult dog still goes in his crate when he feels like being alone etc... it is his safe and comfy place. Good luck, I hope someone comes along with some great advice for you!!
Try Cesar Milan!!! Seriously though, the dog sounds bored, by taking your blanket, etc, he's probably trying to get you to "play" . But there are other more experienced folk on here who will probably give you better advice than mine, but it's a thought.
Simple answer, he is part JRT - they are notorious chewers as i have had to learn since our newest addition to our family. i have talked to the vet, pet shop owners, and JRT owners and they all say the same thing - they are gonna chew until they are about 3yo. My little JRT turned one year on Sept 30, so i guess we are sorta in the same boat. When she is in the house with me i have to keep my eye on her constantly unless she is in her crate and when she plays in the backyard if i am not watching her she chews everything in site. i have to replace 3 boogie boards, 2 lounge chair cushions, 3 chair cushions, wiring to the speakers outside on the deck, hot tub cover, wheels on the grill and i could go on and on. i guess it is just something we have to live with till they grow out of it. My precious Mayan was a chewer her first couple years but she grew out of it and was the best friend ever so i have good hopes for little Graci too:-D
Your dog is bored. Walk him or put him outside (fenced) so he can get some exercise. AND your dog does not respect you.
OMG Harley, you know my little Gracie is not bored and it has nothing to do with respect - some breeds are just chewers until they grow out of it. Gracie has the full run of the fenced in back yard - toys out the yingyang, 2 ferrets to play with, and total attention since i am home now during the day. Honestly, i have spoken to Dr. Debbie, who used to house sit a couple of JRTs and she said it is just their nature and there really is not a whole lot you can do about it until they grow out of it.
Anyrate, you have to be FIRM and CONSISTANT with any breed. Whether it's chewing, barking, nipping people, getting out of the yard, whatever it is... you are the owner. It's OK to show affection BUT you HAVE to for the dogs sake, smack that *** when it needs it! The family has to be the "pack leader" NOT the dog. Watch or DVR Cesar Milan, you'll catch on bostonredhead. I would NEVER have a dog chew up my shoes, furniture, other pets, etc.... Just wouldn't happen. Comes down to training, respect and being in control. Shelby chewed up one pair of my black high heels for work as a puppy and she never did it again. Nor did she chew anything else that she wasn't supposed to. bostonredhead, you may need to get someone (a professional) involved if you can't get the results you want by watching Cesar or reading a book about JRT's.
Agree. But do remember that dogs do not and will not exercise themselves, at least none of mine ever have. Run, Run, Run and Fetch, Fetch, Fetch and Tug-a-War, Tug-a-War, although I've heard some people don't advise the tug-a-war play, never seemed to give my dogs a negative, agressive attitude, guess it depends on the dog, but after about 30-45 minutes of some really good play in morning and evening mine are good and relaxed. I have large breed dogs so I'm not sure about the little guys, heard they have more energy.
I would have addressed this sooner, but have been busy working - and when online have messed around way too much with webbies Bouncing Balls game Here we go - excuse typos - have a boo boo on my finger and it keeps hitting two keys at a time, so will likely miss something I mess up. A 1 year old small breed dog is STILL considered a puppy. My advice - When you are not around- CRATE your dog. Before they go in their crate exercise them - with a JRT mix or otherwise, you need to tire this pooch out. A simple walk is NOT going to do the trick here. These dogs need a job, or they create one - in your pups case, they gave themselves the job of chewing. Chewing is a natural behavior for a dog - however - what humans allow their dogs to chew on from a young age more or less determines how that dog perceives what is acceptable to chew. For instance - NEVER give your dog an old sock, shoe, or any other personal item to chew on. WHY? Because the dog can't know that you've decided to discard this item and therefore ANY article with human scent is seen by the dog as a chew thing. Provide your dog with a SAFE bone to chew on - an UNCOOKED bone that will not splinter and choke them, a KONG filled with treats - and pack that thing fairly tight so ther dog has to work on it. Get a bone that might look a little too big for your dog - ditto with the KONG (a little too big, not a lot) so that it is more of a workout for them to deal with. An active breed will take this on - an inactive one - needs to stick to bones and kongs their own size) ROTATE what you give your dog to chew - a KONG one day, a bone the next and so on. . . ROTATE all of their toys - take the other ones up and out of sight when not in use - the basket with the toys in view are not stimulating to some active dogs, but for others, may over stimulates them, they get overwhelmed with too many choices and get destructive - Remember chewing can be done out of boredom OR anxiety and when you determine which it is that's causing your problem, you also have to deal with the fact that this behavior has now become a HABIT - so it will take a bit of persistence to solve the problem. YOU MUST puppy proof your home! If the dog can reach those sandals and chews them - take a newspaper, roll it up real tight and strong and smack yourself real hard with it for leaving those sandals out, or anything else your dog manages to chew (other than what isn't nailed down). As far as the woodwork and furniture - if the dog is crated when you arent there to supervise, he can't chew it. When you are around, close off areas you can't sere - if he attempts to chew, make a loud noise, like the 'wrong' buzzer on a game show. Divert his attention - give him something acceptable to chew and keep doing it - they will get the hint - IF you keep up on it. This breed needs discipline - they must keep their minds occupied - teach your dog tricks - fun for you and them - make them learn things and make sure they get some mental work - like trick training at least 15 minutes each day. ---sit - down (as in lay down), stay, shake (paw), sit up (beg), high-five, wave, back up, roll over - are all easy enough to teach your dog. If you need advice on how to teach tricks, pm me and I'll help you out. Run this dog at least twice a day. If you don't have a fenced in yard, this could be tough - some inside running may work, but it isn't the same. This pooch needs to seriously run. Contrary to what some people think, dogs do not chew your stuff out of spite. . .they can be very smart, but they don't reason like humans. As far as tug-of-war - I usually will not play tug with a dog who brings me the toy to tug. I wait till they drop it and forget it for a minute or so and then I pick up the tug rope and initiate play. Who initiates play is the one with the Alpha role in the dog's eyes. Humans must assume the Alpha role - PERIOD I do not play tug with socks - or other personal stuff - as mentioned above - only ropes and tug toys. . .I do not play tug with aggressive breeds. . .it - IMHO can stimulate a bit too much biting action and well - that's just me. CRATE - W/BONE-KONG - rotate EXERCISE TRAINING ROTATE TOYS DOG PROOF ENVIRONMENT CORRECT - when you see them chew Be patient, and consistent - Good luck!
BTW - I saw the clarification that this only happens when you are home - still - crate train this breed/mix - they need a den of their own - a safe place - something that is all theirs. Close off those rooms you aren't in. Provide bones and Kongs when you are home - just like when you go out. This dog needs to be kept busy.
My little JRT is crated when we are not at home and never chews anything if we are around - when she is out in the fenced in yard by herself is when she looks for anything and everything to chew:lol: Granted, she has plenty of chew toys, none of our personal things, lots of entertainment including another dog to play with but she still has her times of chewing. Having raised many many dogs over the years and believing totally in discipline, i still have to believe what i have heard that some breeds are just chewers:lol: Granted you can curb it which we have done but to totally cancel it out, that i would be amazed to see in a JRT puppy:-D So, yes, i may loose a few material objects but i am gaining a lifelong friend:-D
I know a lot of JRT's (at least a dozen) - pure breed. None of them are 'chewers' - as in destructive, since puppyhood. Most are super active, digging is the biggest beef with their owners - however these dogs were bred to tunnel - thus the Earth-dog trials, so popular today. JRT's are pretty nifty at agility because of that limitless supply of energy. Some can tend to be vocal. . .but being notorious for being a chewer? It's all about how they are trained. All puppies of every breed chew - it starts because they are cutting teeth. Dogs continue to enjoy chewing because it's something to do, like us humans having a passtime we can do while kicking back. Training the dog - no matter what the breed, and providing them with something acceptable to chew, is what discourages destructive chewing. A vet using the excuse that their breed is the reason and oh well. . .some of your stuff might get destroyed. . .that's a cop out. Some older dogs start to chew because their teeth or gums are going bad and hurt - that's when a vet might help. This is a breed that NEEDS exercise and if you don't exercise this breed, they'll get destructive. No way around it.
Aw come on Zoo, you know how much i love my pets - they are my children and now that i am not working they get more attention than they need - granted little Gracie has not tore anything up lately other that the boogie boards my grandkids left laying out, i still stand by the belief that some dogs are chewers and some are not. i know you have a lot more professional training than me, i have only been raising dogs personally for 40 years and it is not a college trained thing but like i said before, puppies will be puppies just like all my babies were babies, after raising 3 children, i pretty much raise my animals the same way - you just have to stick through the tough times and love em even more:-D
I totally agree with you on this. The person I DO NOT AGREE with is your vet. If they want to say that JRT's can occasionally be suseptable to patellar luxation (kneecap pops out of place) as well as some eye problems - glaucoma, and lens. . .fine its a medical thing - they went to vet school. Unless a vet breeds JRT's or works extensively with a specific breed, they are unwarranted in telling the owner of a patient that the chewing is a breed-thing. Vets go to school to learn veterinary medicine. While I honestly am in awe of the tremendous amount they have to learn to work on different species of animals who cant vocalize their condition as a human - and MD's only need to learn their own species. . .a vet - unless they have taken it upon themselves to take additional courses after vet school, are not generally experts in animal nutrition, or animal behavior. Your average MD knows very little about human nutrition (unless they are a pediatrician or gastrointestinalist) or psychology.This is why there are behaviorists, shrinks and nutritionists. Sorry but it bugs me when answers to behavior questions are met with "its their breed" rather than seek out the advice of a trainer or behaviorist. Chewing the wrong thing could land a precious pup in an urn/grave. Getting off my soapbox. JRT owners should check out http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/jackrussellterriers.html Everything you always wanted to know about JRT's and were afraid to ask.
The advice i got did not just come from my vet (who actually was a petsitter for several JRT's before becoming a ver and did not quote vet learned info, but personal experience info), but it came from a lot of JRT owners on several websites i poked in on when we first got Gracie and several JRT sites i found during my research on the breed. But like i said before, i am a strict tough love mama and she is a totally intelligent dog and she has come a long way in the 10 months we have had her but i still stick by my belief that every breed is different and you need to know their characteristics and know what to expect before bringing them in as a member of your family and if you are willing to accept their downfalls as well as their great attributes, then you will make a great parent:-D Not all animals are alike and not all animals respond to the same disciplines, just like children.
THANK YOU!! Thank you so much to everyone for your information and advice. Charlie was a pound puppy and we knew his mom was a schnauzer but the jack russell side was a surprise - I knew nothing about the breed.... He seems pretty happy most of the time, so I'm hoping it's a lack of enough exercise issue - I'm going to work on that first and see what happens. I'm saving up to take him to training classes, so I hope that will help too. Along those lines, does anyone have a trainer you recommend? Inexpensive but quality.... THANKS AGAIN!!!
I'm all for the crate, it's a great thing..both my pugs go in theirs on their own, and only at night do I crate them. During the day they are both out. But, they aren't chewers and they don't make messes...My cats make bigger messes then the dogs lol. Sheri
Personally I don't believe you need a trainer, do it yourself. This just takes time/commitment on your behalf and you'll do just fine. So many trainers have different techniques which boils down to picking whatever method you feel easily fits for you and the dog, the main ingredient is consistency, consistency, consistency for whatever method you choose to work with. If puppy is just going to be a family pet just go to the local bookstore and pick out the book that describes methods that you agree with and are easily described, nothing fancy is needed. There's all kinds of training tools and methods but once again whatever you choose the key is consistency, consistency and consistency. Everyone in the home uses the same commands/corrections, unlike my husband that can't quite understand why I get on to him when he looks at our 1yr. old pup and says "you know you can't do that, now stop it okay", WHAT KIND OF COMMAND IS THAT. My husband doesn't understand the one word thingy, he a very verbal person. I'm sure you'll do just fine with your pup, good luck.
