Rescue dog that chews/eats everything...help!

[DPT2013]

Need some suggestions for how to deal with my current rescue dog. A little background: I got her from the humane society in 11/2016. She is a 6.5 year old golden retriever (age confirmed because the owner turned her in with puppy pictures, cert from breeder, and AKC papers). She was relinquished because she was chewing socks and blankets. Family had a small fenced in back yard that they let her out in during the day and they had never really had her on a leash. They claimed she was not totally house trained, but she has yet to have any accidents in the house, so my guess is she wasn’t being let out frequently enough.

She is a bit of a wild child. Learning to walk better on a leash (which is a requirement since I live in an HOA). We’ve been going to a trainer regularly. She gets walked at least 4x a day for 30-45 minutes each time. I take her to the arboretum/ dog park fairly frequently and she goes swimming at a dog swim center regularly.

She definitely is a chewer like the previous owner mentioned, but really only chewed dog toys-nothing that was “off limits”. Soft dog toys were pretty much immediately destroyed-but not usually ingested-definitely not in large pieces. They only thing I know she definitely ate was a piece of the Christmas Tree Skirt and a piece of towel while she as at the dog groomers. Fast forward until Feb and during a four hour car ride she ate part of the seat cover. She rarely even sits down in the car so I don’t even know how she did this, but I was driving alone and had my eyes on the road, so missed it happening. This caused an obstruction and she required surgery. A month later, I went upstairs to shower for 15 minutes and came down to her eating part of a rope dog toy that she has had for months and never attempted to chew/eat. She also ate a small piece of her dog bed off, again, that she had since I got her and has never tried to eat. The only thing that was “off” at that time was I had a friend staying with me for a short time, so there was a new person around. This required a hospitalization and fluids in order to get to pass (but thankfully no surgery).

She is sort of an anxious or easily startled dog, but also seems very happy. I tried containing her to the kitchen when I first got her and she went nuts trying to scramble out and was shaking badly. She has never been crated at the former owners, and I fear she will be too nervous about it now. Any suggestions? I have a vet appointment on the 25th to discuss this with the vet. I’m not sure if it’s anxiety related, but when she chews her toys it tends to be when she seems very “excited”. Someone suggested muzzling her when she’s not immediately supervised, but not sure how I feel about that either.

[BEARCAT]

Have you tried any kongs or food puzzles to keep her occupied?
Muzzles can be introduced in a very positive manner so that the dog associates wearing it with something pleasant. Look up the Muzzle up project if you need help with that.

[sisu27]

I would begin crate training ASAP. I don’t understand the negative association. Get a plastic crate. Use the bottom half only and start by giving treats in it, meals in it, put the dogs bed in it. Once that is a positive place try door off and top on all the same stuff. When you think dog is ready for closed door put dog in and if quiet immediately let out. Stay where dog can see you at first. If all goes well increase time in crate with door closed, increase your distance away from crate. Lots of treats, lots of praise and ignore bad behavior. I think this dog may grow to love having a quiet, safe den of it’s own.

Then I would train take it, out and leave it. Sounds like the dog may do well with a job (a bit of work).

I also would not “baby” the nervous behavior from this dog. Sounds like that may encourage it in this type.

[Rain]

I had a Golden Retriever who sounds very similar. Although he did not destroy anything in the house as a young dog, as he got older he got more and more anxious about being crated or confined in a small room. He had been crated since he was 8 weeks old with no problems, so it was not a lack of training or familiarity. It took me far too long to discover that as he aged, he was having panic attacks. (I never discovered a specific trigger…it appeared random.) He was probably 10 or older when he started busting out of crates or rooms. To the point where he’d chew through metal and wood to get out. He destroyed a couple crates and ate through a door (at age 12) before I discovered that his anxiety could be controlled through medication.

Unfortunately I don’t remember the name of the medication he got, but it helped tremendously and he never chewed his way out of anything again. I’d be inclined to talk to the vet about something like that.

[khall]

I agree with the crate idea and appropriate chew toys. I have a large bully mix that would eat many things he should not, like underwear, phone (just chewed not consumed thankfully), remote, bras. For many years he was crated when we could not watch him and at night. We also used any and all appropriate chews that I could find, from real bones to kongs to antlers. Lots of them. Now finally he has quit eating clothes, will still counter surf if something catches his fancy, staring at ripped up egg carton right now.

[S1969]

It sounds like it might be anxiety induced (or exacerbated)…but the reality is that dogs like to chew, and they also need a lot of mental stimulation.

I would definitely work on crate training at home and in the car. Try just feeding her in the crate with the door open for now.
I’d also give her things to chew that she wants - and start working on giving them in her crate. E.g. raw marrow bones are messy and good for in crates only, and they love them. I also give certain types of rawhide to my dogs, but realize that many people don’t. A lot of people I know give boiled/sterilized knuckle bones in crates or kennels, but my dogs have never liked them. Yours might, though, because it is something that can be chewed on.

I would also look into treat dispensing puzzles and consider giving half her kibble in one of those if you need to leave the house - again, if you can get her into a crate it is a way of keeping her busy and mentally engaged.

[MsM]

Until you get it under control I would also ask the vet about emergency measures if the dog eats something she shouldn’t. If you catch them early, you can induce vomiting so the wad of cloth or whatever doesn’t cause problems leading to surgery. Of course sometimes you should not have them vomit, so talk to your vet.
I recognize the point is to have her not chew and eat stuff, but until the issue is sorted out it can be really difficult to remove everything she might chew!

[DPT2013]

She does have plenty (10+) appropriate chew toys. She has 2 kongs that I fill daily when I leave for work. I guess I need to start using them when I’m in the house but go to shower, get the mail, etc as that seems to be her trigger. There’s only been one incident of her eating something when I’m not home, but multiple incidents when I’m home but not paying immediate attention to her (cooking dinner, showering, getting the mail).

I did buy a crate and set it up. She won’t walk near it. There are some yummy treats and half of her dinner in there, but she hasn’t gotten within 5 ft of it. I worry she will not like the sound of the crate bottom. She isn’t a huge fan of the tile/linoleum floor in the kitchen and rarely goes in there for that reason. I don’t think putting a dog bed in the crate is an option since she will eat it.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[Parrotnutz]

I fostered for rescue for years. Sounds like you are providing plenty of exercise, etc. I would definitely discuss medication with your vet for this dog and find a really good behaviorist to come work with you and the dog. This will take a long time to hopefully break the pattern . Good luck and let us know how you make out with the vet!

[khall]

Then keep her tethered to you at all times and when you cannot have a safe place set up (baby gates) where she cannot get into anything.

[BEARCAT]

What do you put in your kongs? I find freezing them works best for longevity, so I usually make 8-10 at a time with regular kibbles mixed with 1 can of dog food and stick them in the freezer.

[S1969]

@khall

Then keep her tethered to you at all times and when you cannot have a safe place set up (baby gates) where she cannot get into anything.

I think this is the issue. What is the “safe place” setup that will work. She said confining in the kitchen didn’t work. Crate isn’t working.

Just reminding people that this is a good reason to crate train as puppies. Not even because of the rescue part, but the changing life situation part. Even if you can manage supervision of a puppy in a confined room, what if you have to move and don’t have a good option in the future? My house is not easy to create a confined space except a crate or a bedroom. The other rooms are all open.

[Bicoastal]

@DPT2013

She does have plenty (10+) appropriate chew toys. She has 2 kongs that I fill daily when I leave for work. I guess I need to start using them when I’m in the house but go to shower, get the mail, etc as that seems to be her trigger. There’s only been one incident of her eating something when I’m not home, but multiple incidents when I’m home but not paying immediate attention to her (cooking dinner, showering, getting the mail).

I did buy a crate and set it up. She won’t walk near it. There are some yummy treats and half of her dinner in there, but she hasn’t gotten within 5 ft of it. I worry she will not like the sound of the crate bottom. She isn’t a huge fan of the tile/linoleum floor in the kitchen and rarely goes in there for that reason.

For appropriate chew items, I’m thinking bones. Big honkin multi-day raw bones. It also sounds like her destructive chewing may be separation anxiety, because it occurs when you are unavailable. Have you followed any of the lockdown protocol? I’d start ob or trick training, work out a consistent schedule, buy big raw meaty bones, aim for three enrichment walks per week, and start crate training for the car. Chewing up cars is expensive!

You can dampen the sound of the crate bottom by removing the try completely or putting shelf liner or a towel under the tray, then an indestructible crate pad on top. Is she sound sensitive or is she worried about slick surfaces?