I have a 13 month border collie mix that loves to chew. He not only chews his toys, he swallows the pieces. He does this with rope toys, hard plastic toys, floppy frisbees, lambswool toys, blankets... anything and everything. He has recently started chewing on outdoor furniture and the deck. We have tried Bitter Apple and Tabasco sauce, but he just moves to another area until the flavor is gone. He has approx. 1 acre of play room to roam all day and comes in at night for playtime before going to his crate to sleep. We have another aussie shepherd mix female that is the same age that plays with him all day so he gets plenty of excercise. It can't be boredom because when he comes in at night he would rather run straight to his toys to begin chewing them up than play with us. We have to beg him to leave them alone. It's not hunger because he will leave food to go chew. He is extremely smart and a perfect dog other than his obsessive chewing. Please help!!!
It's great that your dog has so much space to play in, and that he has the company of your other dog. Do you take him for walks? I have two dogs, and one of them requires at least two runs a day to prevent him destroying everything he sees while we are at work - and he has the company of another dog as does yours. I find that taking him for walks is ok, but taking him for a run is a much better option because he uses up so much more energy. If we don't take him for a run, we will often find that he has chewed up our outdoor furniture, or scratched paint off our door during the day. He basically has so much pent up energy that it turns into destructive behavior. I recommend that you start taking your dog for some brisk walks or jogs before and after you go to work. If you make him tired, he is more likely to rest during the day. Border Collies are essentially working dogs, which means that if they do not have things to keep them occupied - jobs to do - they will get very bored and frustrated. He is also still young, so his exercise needs are even greater. Playing with another dog just wont be enough at this stage. Good luck
Hi there! I have 2 border collie mixes too!! They are 5 yrs old female (Holly) and 1.5 yrs old male (Noah). Both are fixed.
Holly doesn't chew toys and likes to play with squeaky toys but Noah likes to destroy stuffed animals (especially any parts sticking out) and plastic toys too.
What I would like to suggest for your puppy is:
1. Put all the destroyable toys away when you are gone. 2. Buy some hollow bones and put treats inside from both ends, and leave several of them for your puppy to chew. 3. You can bring out toys at night when you are watching. Tell him not to chew those toys when he does and give the bone instead.
By doing this, you will be teaching him what is OK to chew and what is not OK to chew. Tell him the rule in your home.
Some puppies just like chewing anything but I am concerned that eating plastic pieces is not good for dogs.
My Bloodhound was the same way not too long ago. None of the sprays or deterrants worked for us either. She just turned one year old and the chewing has subsided, but she used to eat furniture, toys and also ate entire frisbees! Nylabone chew bones are great, and they even make edible frisbees as well as chewies specifically for "strong chewers". Also, I have had great success with the "Kong" toys (available at all pet stores as well as wallmart/Kmart etc..). I stuff them with dog kibble mixed with a bit of peanut butter and it absolutely exhausts all three of my dogs (Bloodhound, Border Collie and St. Bernard) trying to get all of the kibble out (you'll need to help them at first so they don't get too frustrated). I found that to get them initially interested in the toy I had to make the inside treats VERY alluring....at first I used a small piece of grilled chicken surrounded by moistened kibble...now I can just use plain moist kibble and they still go nuts. These Kongs are indestructable and a great tool.
