JackTheLad

I don't think it's typical of the breed. We have a springer here (Jock) and one in the UK (Jack). Neither of them has been obedience-trained. However they don't chew things other than what we give to them. In fact I can't remember either of them having ever damaged any furniture or things in the house. Well apart from occasionally wetting themselves on the carpet or tiled flooring...

The only thing I'm sure of the springers is that they're all very stupid. Well, the two I know anyway!

Mrs JTL

stevemich

We have a Cocker Spaniel and she chewed for Britain in the first few months whilst teething.Skirting boards, furniture, speaker cables :scared:

She likes to make us think she is stupid, but I get a sneaking suspicion she covers up her cunning to get what she wants i.e. continual cuddles on the sofa

Rudi

OOOOO me too!!! I just love Beags!!! I have finally got my hubby to say yes!! I want to get one in the New Year as we are off to the UK for 3 weeks over Xmas.

Have you contacted the NSW Beag soc to find a breeder?

We got out first dog from the Sydney Dogs home. She's competely bonkers but we love her to bits!!

Rudi

iPom

Yes i located a breeder in NSW although I am currently trying to get a rescue beagle. If my landlord says 'yes' then hopefully she's mine unless someone else gets in there first. If I can't get her then I'll rethink it.

Rudi

I hope this doesn't mean bad news, but when I clicked on the link it did say "deposit taken" at the top. She was sooooo cute!

Rudi

iPom

Yes, they've put that there because I'm waiting for the landlord to say yay or nay. They're very nice people. We haven't actually paid anything yet ... I await the landlord's decision.

Rudi

PHEW!!!! I'm glad the "deposit" is for you. Really good luck in getting her.

Rudi

geordie mandy

Benji likes his cuddles too he often sneaks on the bed when im asleep, but gives himself away by snoring.LOL
So far Benji has chewed the wood surrounding the top of the stairs numerous kids toys, 3 pairs of my slippers (i even hid one pair inside the box), my MIL 's bra(off the washing line) while we were staying with them, he stole a defrosting joint of beef (i did get cross).
Apart from his bad habit he is so lovable and great with the kids
My vet could offer no advice.
Mandy

iPom

A muzzle?



Seriously, it should be entirely possible to wean him off chewing things through training. He's chewing because it gets him lots of attention and therefore when you are angry with him, he gets lots of attention, even though it's bad attention - he doesn't mind.

When he goes for something to chew, you immediately get up, say 'Ah Ah!' (very loud, commanding tone which startles him)and leave the room immediately. This sort of behaviour from you signals that you are disinterested in what he's doing and he should immediately stop what he's doing and follow you out of the room ...as what you're doing is obviously much more interesting.
When he comes with you, ignore him, and immediately turn around and go back into the room you and him were in, and continue what you were doing, but give him lots of attention for stopping his chewing.
By doing this, you're telling him that you have no interest in what he's doing and he won't be rewarded for it, but he will be rewarded for leaving or stopping. You may have to repeat this a few times for him to get the message.

If you see him with something in his mouth that he shouldn't have, link the behaviour by saying 'AH AH!' (very loud and strongly in a disapproving tone - don't say 'No' because he already knows this one), remove the object from his mouth and leave the room. He's just going to get the message that you're not interested.

Leave slippers and things for him when you're in the room so you can give him the right message that it's not to be done. Reward with some small treat or praise.

He's a bright dog I gather so give him a couple of days of this. Dogs don't like loud sudden noises and they're distracted by it. Use it as a technique to distract him and signal your lack of interest. I bet he'll get it in a couple of days or a week at the most. You'll have to get everyone in the house to do this with him.
Essentially, chewing is a 'baby' behaviour that he's linked to attention... Maybe when he was a puppy people let him chew on them and rewarded him for it. Time for you to reverse that behaviour.

geordie mandy

Thanks i have been trying with the firm no command with a little success, we did try a muzzle but ended up with a swollen eye from trying to rub it off.
He will be 2 in September and we have had him exactly a year now.
When OH got him he was a cowering wreck who was frightened of his own shadow. The breeder said he was the runt of the litter and was going to have him destroyed as no one wanted him. We got him for nothing but had to have him shipped over from Ireland via friends.
He is very bright and is loyal to me. when i take him for a very long walk he runs round like a loony but as soon as anyone approaches he is by my side straight away.
I shall try and be stricter with him when i do catch him with things in his mouth. He never drops it so i end up getting it out of his mouth, i suppose i should not do that.
Mandy

miss piggy

Re National Parks - I'm afraid this is true in NSW as well. Came as a shock to us too ( & one we only discovered AFTER we'd got the dog !) However - State Forests are OK with dogs - & there are quite a few of them. Somewhere there is a State Forest website with details - can't remember the address I'm afraid but you should be able to Google it.

YoSemite

Bailey was a bit of a pain as a pup. she used to steal socks and knickers and chew on them... didn't matter where they were she'd find them and chew them (even managed to nudge a washer door open to get some!). Now she just takes the odd tshirt to lay on if she get's left and she's in a bad mood (bl00dy dogs!)

brogan was/is a NIGHTMARE! in the UK she chewed shoes, underwear, clothes toys, the doors, the skirting boards, table legs, the sofa, phone cables, the toilet seat.... anything she could get her sticky little paws on. we got her a cage and slowly worked her up to being kept in the cage for a couple of hours if we went out (tho any more than 3/4 hours during the day isn't really ideal)

since coming to aus she has sucessfully ripped up 7 bits of lino from the floor in the laundry (yes we're in rented acc. no we've not told the landlord!!!). She's a bright cookie because she does it out of pure badness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if we closed the door and left the dogs in there whilst having dinner the floor would get pulled up, if we kept her inside and put bailey outside, she'd do it. the bloomin floor is glued down so I've got no sodding idea how she managed it!

now that our fence has been springer-proofed (i.e. extended to 6ft tall!) the dogs are outside all day.... happily running in circles chasing imaginary ducks (i think!)


i guess what's got brogan out of it is just loads and loads of exercise. a 1/2 hour at the doggy park at night, but about another hour of constant ball chasing in the back yard (nutter) and she's knackered!

Have tried all the other usual tricks (as suggested above) but none of them worked! I've had 6 other dogs (2 workers on a farm) and never had any bit of bother with the rest of them....



anyone want a springer? free to a good home!!!! (joke)

JackTheLad

Thats a Shetland Collie right? As a kid I always hankered after a classic Lassie Collie, but my folks first talked me down to a Shetland Collie, and then gave me lots of articles about Shetland Collies saying the were a nervous yappie excitable breed, and eventually talked me out of the idea altogether .

We ended up getting a Tibetan terrier who was the most excictable yappie nervous aggressive bitey snarly bad tempered ball of fluff I've ever owned. Should have got the Collie

iPom

Thanks MP. I will have a look.

I do so want a dog.

iPom

It's fairly recommended by dog trainers that you don't use 'no' as a command. Dogs hear it too often and it really doesn't have the 'startle' effect that the 'Ah AH!' command does. If you practice you'll see your dog is quite surprised by it and will usually just leave what he's doing to investigate.
I wouldn't enter into a tug of war game with him. It's just more attention. Trainers recommend that you do like you would with a child - really praise the good behaviour a lot and ignore the bad. Dogs essentially do what works for them, so if you reward their poor behaviour, you will get what you've always got!
The best way to teach him to perform an action is to catch him in the act of doing it and reward him, so if he's chewing a dog toy, then reward that.

There are lots of tips on training dogs not to chew. If you google for 'Dog training chewing' you'll get lots of tips to help you.