Chemical to stop dog chewing.

Fian

I have two labs, one is 2years 6 months, the other about 18 months. Older lab is the calmest, most patient and well behaved dog you could imagine. Youngest is a different story. Probably partly she is less disciplined - if we give out to her she just stares us down with tail wagging while the older lab slinks around with her tail between her legs looking guilty for something the younger one did. That probably made us more reluctant to give out to younger lab than we should have been.

Anyway the younger one is fond of finding anything with our scent on it and either snuggling into it or chewing it up, depending on whether it is chewy or not i guess. She has destroyed two bicycle helmets of mine. I try to keep them out of her reach but sooner or later kids move them or leave her access to our bedroom or something to give her access.

Anyway I am looking for a back-up plan for my next cycling helmet. Is there a non-toxic but foul/bitter tasting chemical i can spray on the helmet to discourage her from chewing on it? It would need to be weather/rain/sweat proof to be useful really.

Grateful for any suggestions as to a spray or any other techniques to dissuade her from destroying the next one. Most recent helmet (which is in the post) cost me €140 so willing to spend on a spray even if it is a bit expensive.

Nody

How about a nice juicy raw bone instead to give her something she can chew on to redirect the behaviour? Also you say you give out to her but when exactly do you do this? Because a dog has about a 10s window from action to reaction understanding so if you give out any time short of catching her in the act you're wasting your time and giving your dog confusing signals.

deadlybuzzman

Following on from what the previous poster said, give the dog better options like a bone or worse options like a boring old helmet.
A guy that was afraid of his bulldog chewing electric wires put mustard on them so a tiny touch of something like that plus something much nicer might work

Graces7

Learned the hard way to keep things out of the reach of the dogs.. eg hang the helmet up high enough so they cannot get it?

aonb

I agree with Graces7 - for a €140 helmet, I would be putting a hook for it, up high so that children cant reach, and making it my business to religiously keep it there and no where else!

leex

Have a similar issue with our 11mth old Golden Retriever pulling up potted plants outside. Is there any safe solution I can spray on them? I have not been able to catch her in the act.

Fian

aonb wrote: »

I agree with Graces7 - for a €140 helmet, I would be putting a hook for it, up high so that children cant reach, and making it my business to religiously keep it there and no where else!

Unfortunately two of my children are 6'2" and 6'4". I do put the helmet out of reach, I just figure inevitably sooner or later I will let my guard down or someone will knock it down etc. and the dog will pounce - hence i would like a chemical solution. I am cycling to and from work daily so the helmet is being used frequently, with a consequent increased opportunity to let my guard down.

From google there are many bitter sprays but it doesn't appear there are any on the market that would last for a prolonged period with weather etc.

Hopefully she will grow out of this habit before the helmet gets left within reach again.

tk123

Why not teach her the leave it/take it commands so she knows what she can and can't have?

Meeeee79

I have a similar problem with my 2 dogs. They are 2 and almost 1. I cant even count on one hand how many things they have chewed and destroyed. There main thing is taking things off the kitchen counters so its not even that things are left in the eye line or view that might catch their eye, its pure divilment. I now leave nothing in their reach when I leave the house. The counters have to be cleared away every time I leave. Very annoying but I figure they're young and its something they will eventually grow out of. I have obviously tried to teach them it is not acceptable behaviour and have given them chew toys etc to divert their attention but no matter what is given to them whatever is on the counter is always more attractive to them. So OP I can understand when you say you know at some stage no matter where you try and keep the helmet its inevitable that they will get it again. I've tried bitter apple spray which is available in most pet stores. Its quite good for short term but would need top be sprayed probably every time you come home and take the helmet off for it to remain effective. My 2 cant stand it though when its freshly sprayed so worth a shot.

tk123

tk123 wrote: »

Why not teach her the leave it/take it commands so she knows what she can and can't have?

Yeah I recommend this. One of my dogs had serious problems with controlling her impulses. If she saw something she wanted whether it was an inanimate object or a kitten there was almost no stopping her.

I taught her leave it/take it commands and now she always looks to me when there's something she desperately wants and if i say leave it she knows it's out of bounds.

Like silly example but i have this lovely stuffed owl doorstop. I don't keep stuffed toys except dogs toys so I knew she'd naturally assume it was for her and want it. So I left it on the floor and when she went to take it I simply told her to leave it. Had to tell her about 4 times over the next few hours because she desperately wanted it and kept walking towards it. After that she never paid any attention to it again. She knows it's not for her.

aonb

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah I recommend this. One of my dogs had serious problems with controlling her impulses. If she saw something she wanted whether it was an inanimate object or a kitten there was almost no stopping her.

I taught her leave it/take it commands and now she always looks to me when there's something she desperately wants and if i say leave it she knows it's out of bounds.

Like silly example but i have this lovely stuffed owl doorstop. I don't keep stuffed toys except dogs toys so I knew she'd naturally assume it was for her and want it. So I left it on the floor and when she went to take it I simply told her to leave it. Had to tell her about 4 times over the next few hours because she desperately wanted it and kept walking towards it. After that she never paid any attention to it again. She knows it's not for her.

This has worked also for me. I have a hen doorstop - LOVE it - it came from my very special 97 year old neighbour who also keeps hens.
My dogs are nutters for ripping stuffed toys apart - I buy them for 50c in charity shop for them. Its like a stuffed toy graveyard in this house. But none of them have ever touched that hen doorstop because they've been TOLD to LEAVE IT! Now its like, if we dont even look at it, we dont loose face!! The dogs know whats out of bounds.

Time to get serious with your girl OP - sit down on the floor with her, have the helmet in your lap. Every time she goes to sniff/touch/take say in a very stern voice LEAVE IT! over and over til she accepts that its out of bounds. Treats when she doesnt touch it when its sitting on your lap. Really cross voice and LEAVE IT! if she goes to take it...Put it on a chair with you hovering, if she goes near it LEAVE IT! If she does leave it, a treat and lots of praise! Do this over and over. If nothing else she will get sick of you giving out to her about the helmet, and will give up on it!!! Do this with other things that she considers high value - the interaction with you, and the mental stimulation will be good for her too. Good luck!

tk123

I'd go with a leave it take it approach - so leave the treats in this hand but you can take the ones in this hand... so leaving something is good... Rather than just telling them leave it over and over and them not getting anything in return - people in the park see me telling my two to leave stuff and just shout leave it to their dogs thinking it'll work.. The dog looks at them like 'ya WHAT??!' and doesn't know what they're on about lol!

Just a few mins a day is all it takes OP... then you can get more ambitious and have a party piece of treats balanced along her paws or tipping a jar of treats (or in your case the valuables that she'd wreck before lol ) and her leaving them alone.

AryaStark

aonb wrote: »

This has worked also for me. I have a hen doorstop - LOVE it - it came from my very special 97 year old neighbour who also keeps hens.
My dogs are nutters for ripping stuffed toys apart - I buy them for 50c in charity shop for them. Its like a stuffed toy graveyard in this house. But none of them have ever touched that hen doorstop because they've been TOLD to LEAVE IT! Now its like, if we dont even look at it, we dont loose face!! The dogs know whats out of bounds.

Time to get serious with your girl OP - sit down on the floor with her, have the helmet in your lap. Every time she goes to sniff/touch/take say in a very stern voice LEAVE IT! over and over til she accepts that its out of bounds. Treats when she doesnt touch it when its sitting on your lap. Really cross voice and LEAVE IT! if she goes to take it...Put it on a chair with you hovering, if she goes near it LEAVE IT! If she does leave it, a treat and lots of praise! Do this over and over. If nothing else she will get sick of you giving out to her about the helmet, and will give up on it!!! Do this with other things that she considers high value - the interaction with you, and the mental stimulation will be good for her too. Good luck!

This is great advise. I had to go through this with my girl. She was never too bad but she has the run of the house and I wanted to make sure she didn't destroy anything.
I think that you have to have ownership over stuff. Nymeria looks at new stuff and if I tell her 'Thats mine' she will never touch it. The leave it command works with everything except mice that she catches in the garden or road kill when we are out walking. She will ignore me then.