OK all you dog owners
HELP

I got a puppy, I love him, he loves to chew
(great, so thrilled, found that out while dusting the antiques, funny, I didn't remember that one leg being distressed!)

SO, in an effort to keep Mr. Fuzzy Butt from eating the house down, I got him some pig ears

(who said gross?? Their low carb!!!!!)

are this things addictive??? Now all of a sudden he is *whimperwhimperwhinewhine* and standing outside the cabinet where I keep them - almost 24/7

I don't mind him having them, but I feel they should be a once in a while thing, not a constant diet.

Suggestions??????

(and btw, these are NOT from the open bin at PetCo, their the sealed ones from Trader Joes)

__________________
when life hands you lemons, order lobster!

Hi,
My dogs love these, too. Some dog owners feel they are too high in fat and calories for regular treats, although for a puppy I wouldn't think that would be a huge concern. I don't feed them too often because for my dogs, they just don't last long enough. A buck apiece and gone in 5 minutes.

When Angus was a puppy, he was a big chewer of anything he could get hold of, and I found it helped to keep a variety of items with different textures. He wasn't big on Nylabones, but occasionally would gnaw on one (liked chicken flavor best). He liked Kongs, especially stuffed with goodies. Frozen Kongs (stuff with things like cottage cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, and freeze) are especially nice for puppies who are teething, and it keeps them busy a long time trying to get the goodies out. Rawhide was good, although some people feel their dogs chew off too-large pieces and might choke (never a problem here). Cardboard of any kind, especially things like paper towel tubes (a mess to clean up, though). Empty plastic bottles were a hit (he will still sneak something like an empty shampoo bottle out of the bathroom trash once in awhile).

A great resource for healthy chewables and toys is www.sitstay.com (no affiliation, just a very satisfied customer). Be sure to read the "Pooch Cafe" comic while you're there.

One thing puppies have to learn is that it's up to you to decide when treats are given, and begging doesn't hasten the process. You might want to think about distracting him with a toy, game, trip outside, etc., when he starts the begging at the cupboard routine. Be careful about giving in to him and silencing him with a treat, because it could form a lifelong irritating habit.

Have fun with your new pal!
Aderyn
PS: Don't forget that puppies chew until they are about 2 years old. A Corgi breeder once told me 18 months is the most common age for puppies to be returned, because they go through a phase where they have stopped chewing, then start up again, and people lose their patience (incorrectly having thought the chewing phase had passed). And keep an eye on anything plastic that you have touched--the combination of tempting plastic texture and your scent may prove irresistable for chewing (my $55 TV remote fell victim to Angus, not to mention several ballpoint pens the cat helpfully knocked off onto the floor for him).

Aderyn - I can not thank you enough!!

Wonderful site, thank you so much for the link.

Two years huh?? Ok, that is a good thing to know. My little guy is only 7 months, we adopted him from the pound in May. Terrier mix, uber cute!

I can see we really need to stock up on more chewing toys for him. He loves to play fetch (oddly, I've never had a dog that did). So we can distract him just by tossing a ball.

Frozen Kongs - great tip!!

Thanks again!!!

__________________
when life hands you lemons, order lobster!

I am SO relieved that this wasn't a question about what to do with a dog who was growing pig ears!

I couldn't add a word to Aderyn's advice. BTW, great link!

This is my "no longer a puppy" Brutus, with his brother Erik, when Erik was younger. Brutus is part terrier, too.

__________________

I second the Kong stuffed w/treats suggestion...keeps my shepherd occupied for a good while.

Also, there are treat-dispensing balls that will keep the pup busy...it's usually a ball-shaped or square thing that you put treats or kibble in...and the pup has to knock it around in order to get the treats out. It really does keep them busy. Very good for separation anxiety too, give this to them when you are leaving, they'll never notice.

Maggie, those furkids are adorable! I used to have a little orange guy like that...I miss ol' Molson!

__________________
"Live strong." ~ Lance Armstrong
SLEEP BE DAMNED! GET THY BUTT TO THE GYM!
Start Atkins 9.1.03
225/198/130ish

Maggie, that is the greatest picture! The looks on both their faces are priceless!

AR, I have one dog who's a fetching fool, too, Molly (a/k/a Unsinkable Molly Brown, a rescue pup who had every good reason to turn into a miserable, rotten dog and instead bounced back to be one of the greatest dogs in the world!) Angus is kind of lukewarm toward it, although he will occasionally let Molly go get the ball, then intercept her when she's part-way back and swipe it from her. All the fun, half the work!

Aderyn

AR, I personally won't let my dog in the house with those pigs' ears - nasty, nasty, nasty! I have had three dogs over the past 12 years and all three were very chewy breeds. The one thing I have been able to do is train all three not to chew the furniture, shoes, or anything else that doesn'y belong to them. I go the local thrift store and pick up a bag of stuffed animals, and also some various rope chewies and kongs from Target. Then, I hit the pet supply store for a bottle of Grannicks Bitter Apple - the pups HATE the taste. Every time I would catch the little guys chewing (or thinking about chewing) on something that didn't belong to them, I gave them a sharp "Not a chewie" and then gave them one that did belong to them (with my Weimeraner, the stuffies last about an hour before she eviscerates them). If that didn't work, I would spray the Grannicks on whatever it was they were gunning for. Works like a charm everytime. I have lost NO furniture or shoes to any of my dogs, and they really learned the not a chewie command.

Good luck - there is nothing like a dog to lone on you!

__________________
Jen



179/179/120

I have a lab-mix that chews like nothing else! She loved pig ears, rawhide, etc., but would consume them within a half hour. I finally tried flavored Nylabones, and that completely solved the problem. She even preferes it over the kids' toys and the furniture, so everyone is happy.

__________________
Staci

Maggie, that picture of Brutus SO reminds me of my beloved Rottie, Fritzi - the very same sweet face! I sure miss her....(sniffle)

Char

__________________
Veni, vidi, velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.

Save the Earth - it's the only planet with CHOCOLATE!

Brutus IS the sweetest guy, and a real stitch with the kitties. He "got them" when they were just babies and they are all the best of friends. They're all a bunch of hams. All I did was pull out the camera while they were taking a nap. The little music the camera plays when I turned it on, woke them up. They immediately struck a pose. I love those guys.

__________________

Adorable picture MAggie! The cat looks exactly liek an old cat I used to have named sammy, 7 toes per paw. Sophie and Splenda are just as big hams. LOL

__________________

my blog

My basset/beagle GusGus (in the avatar) chews like you wouldn't believe!! Heaven forbid I should actually have to go into the bathroom alone for a second...he grabs anything he can find as soon as I am out of sight! He love pencils and pens, poker chips, whoopie pies still in the wrapper..the dog chews everything!! Stuffed dog toys have their stuffing pulled out practically immediately! To be honest, I have actually steered clear of the pig ears, just because they gross me out! What chewies last the longest? He does love the big beef flavored rawhide bones alot. These seem to last the longest for us.

__________________
Started Atkins-1/2/04
174 lbs at heaviest



5'0 154/136.5/130

Ditto on the things said thus far! My own dog, Bruiser, a Mastiff mix, unfortunately shows no interest in the kongs, tho believe me, we tried! He is a large pup, 90 lbs @ 9 months, and has decided that he likes waterr bottles. Ya, I know, I know. When someone has a soda, or some bottled water, he waits til they are done, then begs for the empty bottle! We only let him have it for an hour or so, but he thinks it is an awesome treat! When he was a yunger pup, he really developed a passion for the hard plastic tube hangers (dont ask how that started!).
This is not to imply that we do not keep him supplied with regular doggie chew toys, we do! He still has the pink Barbie teddy bear that we gave him the night we brought him home! he loves it and has clearly not destroyed it! Although, the 'stuffed body-plastic head, arms & legs doll that he had for 4 months finally is in pieces! He still carries around the head and one of the arms, lol! He actually has a toy corner where he keeps all of his "toys" and "babies". He loves the long limbed squeeker from WalMart.
We save the pig ears and the rawhide rolls or bones as a treat, to be given only occasioonally, while he has access to 'his' toys at any time. I only lost 3 pair of shoes to his chewing, and that was when he was a real baby, only 3 months old.
Lots of luck with your pup!

__________________
Cynthia

Wonderful ideas everyone!!

Here's a pic of our little guy and my daughter (yes, we're an overly serious bunch!)

http://www.heatherface.com/tator/tator53.JPG

__________________
when life hands you lemons, order lobster!

Oh, April! What a sweetie pie! (dd is cute, too! LOL!)

__________________