[fairydustgirl]

I just have to vent

I've got two 2 year old chocolate labs, they've been acting out like crazy the last 3 days, chewing up stuff...they destroyed my bridal bouquet yesterday that I've had for 30 years...to be honest, I think it is the male doing this. Today one of them chewed up a CFL light bulb!!!! (the curly kind) I was so freaked out because not only was there tubing everywhere, I couldn't find the plug end of it (I did finally I was afraid one of them had swallowed it)...I looked it up online and apparently a LOT of dogs do this, and they should be ok with a bulked up diet, I gave them both a peanut butter sandwich and will give them some pumpkin soon...omg I am ready to get rid of these animals, they have cost me SO much money this past year with vet bills. I have had to be out of the house a bit the last few days but they have NEVER been this destructive in all the time I have had them. Time to break out the crates.

[Nammu]

I think crates sounds like an excellent idea.

[gayleggg]

Crate training is a must with bad behavior in dogs. Sounds like anxiety.

[Quarter life]

My Jack Russells love chewing & destroying stuff too. I solved this by buying numerous soft stuffed toys from the Good Will...(Running them all through a wash cycle and hanging them out to dry first). They are often scattered throughout the house...but at least it is safe clean mess.

[Fresia]

I have hunting dogs now, one is a 2 year old, and used to have labs. I can relate to the chewing and eating of everything, literally everything if she or they could. I am so very sorry that you lost your wedding bouquet and hope they will be alright.

Crating really is a safe thing to do if they cannot be monitored.

Exercise really is the key; if they have a a safe place to release that pent up energy, they are less likely to be destructive. I know the more I exercise them they are too tired to chew everything and too tired to get into things. They are MUCH less destructive or interested in things other than their own stuff.

However, that said, hunting dogs in particular like labs do love to mouth everything. Appropriate things to give them is important to redirect them. If you don't have some already, I highly recommend large kong toys but not to just fill them when you leave the house but stuff them with treats like small/medium milk bones or biscuits AND peanut butter or cheese (to act as the glue) but the key is to FREEZE them overnight to leave them to work on during the days. It takes them longer to work on them, keeps them occupied longer, not as messy. Then with some other appropriate chews, flavored nylabones, and toys all over the floor or in their crates and not put away so they turn to those first and do not look elsewhere for things to get into. Change them up daily so they are not the same ones all the time helps too, keeps them from being bored.

There are also these balls or rings that you can hide kibble in, I can't think what they are called, but they have to roll them to get the food out; they have to think about it and can keep them stimulated and occupied. This can be life saver too when you are gone or need to do things.

Their food will need to be adjusted and cut back some though to accommodate the extra calories throughout the day but worth keeping them occupied.

Hope this helps some. Good luck!

[fairydustgirl]

Thanks! I do have the kongs and nylabones toys for them, I had a puzzle ball but the female ate the outer rubber part of it so I had to throw it out. a dog trainer friend of mine suggested getting some cheap stuffed/nonstuffed dog toys to chase and throw around, like going after prey. they had those before but I threw them away after the male had apparently eaten about a 3x4 inch piece of one (he threw it up)...so I got them some and I thought I had supervised them with them, I took them away when I went to bed. well, apparently the male ate the tail off one of them, I didn't notice it earlier...so he threw that up last night. I guess thank goodness he manages to throw them up or we'd be having surgery about now I think. and the weird thing is, he still eats and drinks and plays like he's fine.

so, taking the stuffed animal type toys away, again. I will see about stuffing the kongs and seeing if they will take to those again, they aren't too fond of them otherwise unless I am throwing them. I did bring out their crates and they seem happy enough to go in them.

The dogs and I just moved into a house about 3 weeks ago, we lived in an apt before that and they NEVER touched anything that didn't belong to them and I rarely crated them. So this is new behavior and pretty sure it is the male that is doing it. My female doesn't seem to be doing it although in some cases I am sure she helped.