# Help! Cuba chews on EVERYTHING



## Esperanita (Jul 12, 2008)

Cuba is just shy of four months old and he chews on EVERYTHING! Is this normal? I've never had a pet before so I am a bit in the dark. He chews on fingers, toes, the carpet, the couch and anything else he can get in his mouth. When I catch him, I tell him no and he stops for about five seconds and then goes back to chewing on it. I have already removed everything I can and now I am looking for help. I spray bitter apple on things that I can, and it helps, but I can't spray it on the entire couch. When I catch him, I usually hold him or put him in his room by himself with all his toys. Any advice?:frusty:


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Has Cuba been hanging out with other dogs? The more he gets to play with others - that is where he will learn to control his biting. As for chewing everything - for inanimate objects, you need to replace the wrong things with the right things. When you catch him chewing the sofa, pull him away and put another approved item in his mouth. Chew toys of all textures, flavours, are needed. When he is 6 mos he can start to chew on greenies and other long lasting chewable items like bully sticks and flossies. Now you can get him small kongs, and stuff them with yummy things like peanut butter, yogurt, cream cheese, treats. Freeze them for even longer lasting joy. It is about directing him to the right things.

Others have tried putting vaseline and hot pepper on their sofa legs, if the bitter apple doesn't work.

What you will find is that they need full time - 100% - monitoring attention while they are puppies. Unless they are in the expen or crate, so you can take a shower!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Yes, it's normal you have to teach him what is okay to chew and what isn't. When he chews on your fingers/toes, yelp or whine like it hurt and then stop playing with him. He will catch on eventually. As for inanimate objects, you need to make sure to have LOTS of chew toys available to him. Whenever I would catch Kubrick chewing on this chest I have (the only thing he ever chewed), I would say No, pick up a toy and give it to him and praise him for biting on it. Eventually he figured out that chewing on his toys was good, chewing on my furniture was NOT good. And keep using the bitter apple, it does help!

Good luck!


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## Maxmom (Jul 22, 2008)

Right on, Anne! Max also chewed on everything. In fact, he still does; but because I was watchful and persistant with removing unacceptable items (especially fingers and toes) and replacing them with acceptable items, now he mostly chews on his toys.

Good luck and enjoy the puppy stage. It doesn't last long!

Janan


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## Esperanita (Jul 12, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. I am not as concerned about the chewing on the toes and the fingers because he is getting better at NOT doing that. However, whenever he seems tired, he seems to forget that he shouldn't chew on my fingers and I have to correct him. As for the chew toys, I have been giving them to him when I catch him chewing other things. However, I haven't praised him for chewing on his chew toy afterward so I will try that. He is definitely a cutie and he knows he is doing something he shouldn't be doing. I will definitely be more consistent in the chew toy praise.

I tried praising him after giving him the chew toy, but he won't let me touch him. He thinks I want to play keep away and runs all over the living room. My problem is not just that Cuba is a chewer, he is also a "puller and yanker". For instance, he takes great pleasure in biting the skirt of my couch or chair and pulling as hard as he can. I know it is just a matter of time before he tears it. Currently I have him in his crate with his toys in the living room next to me and he seems to be chewing on his toys happily enough. I feel bad keeping him in his crate and I would like for him to be able to chose where on the carpet his wants to lay and chew on his toys. Maybe I was moving too fast and he needs to spend time in his crate while I am with him in the living room. I would put him on the couch with me, but he would soon jump off.

Hope


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Hope, make sure he has plenty of acceptable things for chewing right now--he's teething! You can offer bully sticks and flossies, soft toys, kongs stuffed with treats and those hard plastic puppy teethers with different textures for chewing. Try wetting a washrag, then twist and freeze for a soothing chew toy.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

it varies from Puppy to puppy . Asta was a really big chewer and it went on for a long time .. cosmo was not as bad and I started on bite inhibition and acceptable chewing much earlier with him ..
i do not know if you are planning on taking him to puppy class when it is safe to do so but exposure to other litttle puppies who bite does help . They learn from one another sort of like children some things are taught more effectively by their peers ..
also be consistent .. Pick a term - No No bite whatever works and use it when it is necessary ..
i think they are a lot of old threads on biting that have some good information on biting that you might want to refer to as well ..
Good luck .. Remember they are babies and they do teeth ..


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*mini kong*

A mini kong filled with treats is something he CAN chew on. Also a sterilized bone with peanut butter or liver inside.

I am fortunate, I have two havanese that don't chew on anything. Except one time, my $600 mouth guard I wear at night to prevent grinding. My friend's havanese chewed up her sunglasses.

Mine like to chew toilet paper rolls...they still have their puppy toys that they throw. Might be teething.

When mine did "mouth" my finger, I yelped ouch in a high pitched voice like they do with one another when they play. They always stop immediately.

Teaching "leave it" is a good thing too.

Good luck. Puppy time is like having a toddler with the same desire to get what they want when they want it. I kept mine on a long leash always with me until he was six months to prevent potty accidents. I'm glad I did.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

From what I can recall about Henry being a puppy, and what I learned was that you have to kind of startle them when they do something like the chewing the couch skirt , etc.

Like using a different tone or even taking a que from "The Exorcist" movie where you change your voice or tone into something scary or odd for them to take notice.
The key here is for the puppy to think "Wow, she's serious, I DO NOT EVEN WANT TO KNOW WHAT SHE"D DO NEXT-TIME?"

And when I mean scare I mean "take notice seriously". 
Remember Cuba is still exploring his world but like his doggie mommy before you, someone has to help him along the way.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

You can fill a can or small metal box, I use an Altoids tin, with pennies and shake it once or twice quickly when they misbehave. It will startle them and usually they'll forget what they were after. It works with Scooter, except for barking. We're struggling with how to stop that but it did work for biting. Our trainer said it's all about distracting and redirecting so make sure you have something he can bite that you can give as soon as he's distracted. Good luck! I have a few flip flops that have bite marks in them but that's really all he got into before he was caught!


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Everyone is giving wonderful advice . You just have to find which best for you and your dog ..


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## Perugina (May 28, 2008)

I try and do long sessions of tug with Sophie, she loves it! Well, that and fetch with her squeaky toys....good luck!


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## JAEwton (Aug 7, 2007)

If you find an answer please share it with me. My Titan is over a year old and still eat's anything not nailed down. My poor sofa has so many throw's on it now to hide all the wholes in it. My human son's say he get's away will way more then they ever did when they were young. Difference is they didn't eat the sofa or shoes and Titan does.


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## Esperanita (Jul 12, 2008)

One thing I did today was to cut off one of his escape routes in the living room so I can catch him when he knows he was chewing on something he shouldn't be and runs away. I then have been looking him in the eye and saying no or I put him in his room for a short time. After all the responses, I'm encouraged that he will grow out of it.

One question, what are flossies? I thought someone else here said that puppies shouldn't have bones until they are six months. Is this true?


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Flossies are not bones, they are beef tendons. I gave them to Kubrick (under supervision) after about 4.5 months of age. My vet didn't say anything about waiting until he was older and I'm sure I could have given them to him earlier if I'd known about them. He loves them. Make sure you ONLY get the Merrick brand ones, however. They are the only ones that do not smell.


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## isshinryu_mom (Mar 23, 2008)

Getting Roxie's attention with a shaker can (small peanut can filled with coins) is what is most effective with Roxie. She'll almost always listen when the can comes out! And the one thing I learned from our PetSmart training sessions that has proven most useful was the "leave it" command. It took a while... but now she will (almost ) always stop and leave what she is mouthing alone. You could probably look up how to teach it online or enroll in a class yourself. Good luck... Cub is a cutie and sounds like he has a fun personality!


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## Perugina (May 28, 2008)

isshinryu_mom said:


> Getting Roxie's attention with a shaker can (small peanut can filled with coins) is what is most effective with Roxie. She'll almost always listen when the can comes out! And the one thing I learned from our PetSmart training sessions that has proven most useful was the "leave it" command. It took a while... but now she will (almost ) always stop and leave what she is mouthing alone. You could probably look up how to teach it online or enroll in a class yourself. Good luck... Cub is a cutie and sounds like he has a fun personality!


Yes! We learned the "Leave It" command at Petsmart. Works most of the time...when we catch her.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Esperanita said:


> One question, what are flossies? I thought someone else here said that puppies shouldn't have bones until they are six months. Is this true?


Flossies are beef tendon and are a lifesaver! Your Cuba would love them and it would be the perfect answer for something good he can chew on. He can have them now, you just need to watch when it's chewed down to a nub that he doesn't choke on it. I usually take it away when it gets really small and give a fresh one. Scroll down to the second row center http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/dog_treats_tendons.php

Merrick makes lots of great treats and chews for dogs.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Once you try a Flossie and figure out if he likes them you can buy them online from Amazon and it's much cheaper! I ordered 25 at once.


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## Esperanita (Jul 12, 2008)

Thanks for the help. I'll definitely try the flossies. Today he got to my blinds and a lamp I had in his room. Hopefully this will work.


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## Esperanita (Jul 12, 2008)

Well, I bought some flossies today and Cuba loved it. The only thing is I got the regular size and he finished it in 2 hours. Is that normal? I thought it would last longer...


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

LOL, Scooter did that the first time he had one too! Now they last a few days, he'll chew on it and then get distracted and move on to something else. Order them online, they're cheaper that way.


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