Dog question.

[The Snark]

Okay, I've web surfed and got all sorts of noise. Thought I'd try the more practical people on AB. Why do dogs chew?

Our new model is munching a particle board and plastic piece of furniture, an old carpet and all sorts of other things. So we buy him 6 different kinds of chew things from a squeaky toy to a massive chunk of rawhide, give him his very own chewable carpet, an old sheet, and old blanket, 4 different style pieces of wood, 10 pairs of shoes-plastic and leather, a 3 pound soup bone and the tire he popped on my bike.
This morning as I puttered around the jeep he contentedly watched me while chewing on the steel running board.

What gives?

 

[Niffarious]

How old is your dog, and what breed? If it's a puppy, it's teething. If it's an adult, it's a behavioural thing or it simply wasn't taught what is appropriate and what is not appropriate to chew on combined with being bored.
Either way some training is needed. Also, make sure it does not have access to things you don't want it to chew on when you can not directly supervise.

 

[Malhavoc's]

If I remember correctly from your other stories, its a Mutt that you adopted that was a nervous wreck and you have since helped it back into shape correct? If so I find chewing to be a nervous habbit of dogs from those situations, like nail biting in humans, infact a few humans can develop chewing issues as well.

Your best bet is to coax him into a security blanket type thing,something he will be happy to drag around and chew on, perhaps when you catch him chewing, try and get him to chew on something else, like a stick, reptition is the key to this eventualy he may turn over to the "hey this is more edible" side.

 

[The Snark]

Thanks much!
Yes, an adopted nervous wreck. Obviously abused by men as the boss has much less trouble with him than I do.
So repetitious training is the key. Would adding a tasty flavor to something help? Like a delicious gravy poured on the chew toys or jeeps tires? (He can chew on those all he wants)

I just checked on him. The new meat still on it monster bone remains untouched in his food dish so it's fears and nerves. (Or he's an alien or loose quite a few nuts and bolts). I'm going to try gentle breaking like we (us native American types) do for spooked or sour horses along with repetition therapy.

Niffarious. No idea of his age but he's got a full set of adult teeth. It looks like Malhavoc's on the right track. Mistreated animals with nervous dispositions often live in a fantasy world all their own.

Any suggestions for specific guidance/training would be most welcome.

 

[Anonymity82]

You may want to give him chew toys that have treats in the center that makes him have to work for it. Get some of that energy out.

Being and adult dog who was most likely abused in his past he's probably always going to be nervous and anxious. Treats can go a long way though taking dogs out of their "own little worlds" if given correct amounts at the right times under the right training techniques.

I would get him something that's going to make him work for the treat. Not something he can figure out in a 5 minutes either.

Where's he at training level wise? Sit, stay, paw? Retrieves etc...

 

[The Snark]

You may want to give him chew toys that have treats in the center that makes him have to work for it. Get some of that energy out.

Being and adult dog who was most likely abused in his past he's probably always going to be nervous and anxious. Treats can go a long way though taking dogs out of their "own little worlds" if given correct amounts at the right times under the right training techniques.

I would get him something that's going to make him work for the treat. Not something he can figure out in a 5 minutes either.

Where's he at training level wise? Sit, stay, paw? Retrieves etc...

From the word go, please accept my apologies if I come off sounding dumb or troll or maybe supercilious. It's apparent I'm going to need training as much as the dog. I'm doing a lot of soul searching here and coming up blank. I am asking for tolerance here as I confront this.

What exactly is training? I've never 'trained' any animal. I've gentled horses but that doesn't fit. My experience, my training in this ... let's establish terminologies.
-There is subservience where the animal does things rote for rewards and approval. Sort of like a sycophant.
-There is oppression or domination where the animal does things out of fear or to gain acceptance.
-There is mutual cooperation, like gentling a horse. You do things together and work out compromises.

His past training:
He cringes and cowers. Example: shoes left on the floor/ground are fair game and are dragged off the second we turn our backs. But put the shoes up on something. A low bench or whatever, he won't touch them.
I spent a half hour sitting on the ground last night trying to give him the big meaty bone which sat in his food bowl all day. He would lick it, nibble at it, but if I put it on the ground or back in his bowl he would dart away and act fearful. Lots of teasing and malicious abuse in the past I guess. Left in the bowl he won't touch it.
His will run around the yard with us. Pick up a stick means he's in for a beating and he backs away. Toss the stick and he will run to it and chew on it but not pick it up.
Of course, any sudden movement in his direction makes him cower. It took 2 weeks to be able to walk passed him in the carport where he wouldn't back away and claim space.
So subservience is way up there. He will emulate doing things just for acceptance but nothing is taken to heart. Oppression-domination is off the scale. Any remote possibility of cooperation gets buried in fright and fear. Try to get him to go back into the yard so he doesn't get splat by a car. He has no understanding of car and splat, only us oppressing him and he will do anything to avoid it.
He will offer a paw readily and repeatedly at any time. Purely being obsequious. He will take chew toys but the moment our backs are turned he drops and leaves them. Only taking them to be obsequious. He has a small pile of things we have given him out in the yard. He takes them out there and leaves them, ignoring them.

Cooperation is nil. To explain what I mean, I refer to the old truism: all animals can read your heart. From that comes mutual respect and cooperation as gentle training. He can't yet. Touching him, not petting but just touches, all over gentle physical contact is being highly resisted. He tolerates it but doesn't comprehend and can't read our hearts. He's a ball of fear and neurosis.

The neurosis became obvious at what Malhavoc's mentioned. He wanted to be near me as I fiddled with the jeep so he chewed on something, the jeeps running board, as a pacifier while being so close to the dreaded human.

So training wise, please tell me.

 

[Formerphobe]

Training... oh, my... there are books upon books upon books on training. They cover every good, bad and mediocre method ever dreamed up by those who know, those who don't and those who think they do. Without disclosing my age too much, over the past few decades of working with animals in general and dogs in particular, the method I have found most effective is positive reinforcement: praise desired behavior, ignore the undesirable. 'Ignoring' also entails removing any negative stimuli from the dogs reach (i.e. - shoes), set the pup up to succeed. Pretty much the same as raising a human child. A couple of excellent authors come to mind: Patricia McConnell (The Other End of the Leash) and Jean Donaldson (Culture Clash). Both describe how dogs think and why they do what they do. This understanding goes a long way in 'training'.

Why dogs chew...
-cutting teeth
-bad teeth
-malnutrition (i.e. - pica)
-nutrition (i.e. - marrow bones)
-pacifier
-OCD
-because they can

Oh, and a dog cannot distinguish between your 'do not chew' shoes and his 'okay to chew' shoes, etc. If you don't want him chewing on your shoes, don't allow him access to any shoes.

 

[The Snark]

Much much to consider and think about. Again, thanks for all the input. I can't afford any training books and from the two dozen or so of what I've read in the past, ... I'll confront the big issue here. Anthropormorphizing. I utterly loathe the idea/concept. The remote possibility is what has kept me and is keeping me from having pets.
Formerphobe. Excellent suggestion! Create a win win environment for him where he can do no wrong. With the stallion I worked with I suppose I created that same situation. He could get out of his corral whenever he wanted but if he did he had to take it out into the open desert. No being a sh*t around people and other horses. He respected that rule and reciprocated with cooperation. Now I have to figure out what the dog wants in the way of an environment. Life under our jeep doesn't seem to cut it and is turning him oil and grease black. But that is his preferred space.

BTW, he brought his own shoe training with him. As mentioned, on the ground he runs off with them. Not to chew on until some later time. Just adding them to his collection. When we leave our shoes on a low stool - anywhere off the ground, and he won't touch them. I've no idea what his rationale is.

 

[Anonymity82]

I totally agree^^^

I wouldn't spend any time trying to speculate how your dog was abused. Unless you know for a fact, you'll never actually know. IMO, a dog who's scared of a stick in human's hand is as likely a victim of neglect, as is a victim of physical abuse. Dogs who suffer neglect can really lose their minds and their trust in people.

Persistence and patience. It's good that you dog has a good owner who's going to try and work with it but like I said, it may never come completely out of its shell. It's really sad to hear that he's so nervous but I'm sure you'll see some sort of change if you read up and work on positive reinforcement. This dog needs to learn that good will come out of trusting you. Good luck! Let us know of any progression!

 

[Malhavoc's]

I think you are on the right track. However, I have had experiences which some may view as more harsh.

My spouses huskey was fearful of trash cans, down right terrofied, We tried to baby her, to slowely let her adjust to the trash can, that it won't eat her. It didn't work.

One day, I found the husky in the trash can, I asked my spouse what happened, It turned out my spouse tried the swim or sink ultimatum, she put the dog in the trash can. The dog of course freaked for a few moments, then realized " Hey! there is some good fod in here!" now we have a dog that destroys trash cans for the goodies inside. I regreat removing this fear now.

An abused German sheppard afriad of plastic bags, we took the plastic bag and attached it to his collar, then let him run around until he finaly realized it wont hurt him.

Honestly Snark, I think the dog is not so much scared of things, as what the things may do to him in the hands of dreaded humans, exposure to yourself will correct it over time. If he ontinues to keep the chewing habbit, then yes the bait and switch is a good one, when you find him chewing things Try and switch it out for one thing, say a flvoured bone, if you do this consistantly he will look for the bone in the future over random things

 

[The Snark]

Errm... Scotty! Progress report!
Well Cap'n, he's, let's say demented. A few bricks shy of a load.

A lot of TLC and zero admonishment and the chewing has subsided to almost nil. He is very child like and has a lot of crossed wires and short circuits but nothing we find intolerable. When he dragged a sheet of the clothes line we took stock of how the sheet was and how many more we had then simply decided to give it to him and call it our mistake for leaving it in his reach. He now has misgivings about claiming the sheet as the boss, also a bit demented, loves to chase him around with it and if she captures him she wraps him up in it and cuddles him. Really, the only way to cuddle him since he is paved in a half inch thick coating of grease and oil.
He drags home bags full of garbage, chews them open, leaves the contents in the driveway and eats the bags.
He is still determined to dig his way through to south American via the driveway but the layer of rock, gravel and clay remains impermeable. 6 inches deep is his best excavation so far.
Our major concern is him getting out on the street. He has even chased a couple of bike riders but for what reason we have no idea as he would never bite and if he managed to actually catch one he would blitz for home in terror. I have started a regime to break him of this, now having a basin filled with water balloons next to the upstairs window. The plan is if we ever spot him crawling under the gate a balloon can easily be lobbed to come down out of the sky and sploosh in front of him. He would never know it was us throwing them.
He won't eat raw food, with the exception of chicken heads. Raw chicken, pork or beef is ignored. It must be cooked. BBQ or braised highly preferred. As an experiment the boss brought home 3 or 4 pounds of chicken heads which the dog put away in minutes. Reminds me of my Akita.
Otherwise, he lives in a world of wonder all his own. Goes racing around the neighbors yard as fast as he can until exhausted. Brings home crabs from the canals to play with but not eat. Discovered the world of chlorine, chewing open a container that had 98% sodium hypochlorite cake in it. Sneezed for the better part of 2 days.
We shall see.