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Managing puppy chewing furniture

(15 Posts)
Mazgg Mon 05-Feb-24 17:49:30

My 14 week old dachshund puppy is obviously teething and although I have provided plenty of chew toys she seem to prefer skirting boards and furniture.
I have tried substituting a more suitable item to chew, telling her to leave it and rewarding when she does, spraying with a commercial bitter apple spray, nothing seems to work. Does anyone have any advice? The bitter apple spray is useless once it dries. Something to smear on her favourite forbidden surface would seem to be ideal.

Bluefeathet Mon 05-Feb-24 18:13:21

Hi there,
I have a malamute who is nearly a year old. He, too, enjoyed skirting boards, wardrobe doors and - very nearly - our new leather chesterfield. In sheer desperation, l smeared a hard, dry lemon body shop bar of soap across all of the wood areas. I also invested in a few deer antlers. The soap worked staight away, and the antlers work most of the time.

Mazgg Mon 05-Feb-24 18:43:23

Thank you Blue Feather. I have given her deer antlers and have sent for some what look like wooden sticks, coffee I believe. It is so frustrating.

Cossy Mon 05-Feb-24 18:52:46

I can only echo previous advice re plenty of chews, toys and something which doesn’t smell nice. Have you tried on of the anti bark things, the air filled ones which make a loud noise ? Assuming you’re there to do this? Is she caged when alone? Good luck, we have three mini sausages living with us and they’re incredibly stubborn!!

midgey Mon 05-Feb-24 20:01:30

I used mustard around the drawer knobs, it did stop the puppies!

Mazgg Mon 05-Feb-24 20:24:15

She is crated if I'm leaving her but she seems to do it if I nip into the kitchen for a minute for example. I haven't been able to walk her as much as I would like to because of strong gusty winds but do play with her in the garden which is sheltered. I believe the recommended walking time is 5 minutes for each month of their age. This is my first dachshund, I have always been a terrier person. From what I've read Dachshunds are hard to train. I know that it is a passing phase but don't want to have to have too much damage to repair when she grows out of it.

Iam64 Mon 05-Feb-24 20:38:46

Mazgg, great to read your crate training. My last puppy was a labrador so he could demolish a skirting board in the time I answered a door.
I borrowed a big doggy play pen - a large crate might be big enough for a dachshund.
You can roll up an old wet tea towel and freeze it, they make good chew toys. Have you got a kong? I put some of my pups food in one, mixed with cream cheese/bio yogurt, you can use doggy pea nut butter add bits of apple, carrot etc. I freeze mine - still give my dogs one if I’m going to be out longer than usual

Esmay Mon 05-Feb-24 20:49:28

Like humans - some dogs are miserable when teething .
My worse culprit was a labrador puppy - just read your post Iam64!
I rubbed soap and mustard on chair /table legs and on skirting boards .
I gave her endless chews .
I tried freezing treats .
I rubbed her mouth with Bonjela .
I played endless games with her .
One thing I noticed her urine stank - just the same as one of my children when teething .

Gwyllt Mon 05-Feb-24 23:39:44

For really persistent chewers Tabasco sauce works well they only seem to need to get the smell to stop them
Stops them fighting garden tools or brushes
Dabbed on a microfibre cloth and placed on a visitors knee stops them jumping up
Before anyone says what about their mouth i guess they must have had a taste at one time but the smell is enough and never saw any mouth discomfort

Gwyllt Mon 05-Feb-24 23:40:43

And yes all the obvious give them plenty of alternatives and activities

Iam64 Tue 06-Feb-24 08:04:46

Gwyllt yes to alternatives and activities. My long happy years sharing my life with dogs leads me to be a fan of routines for pups, including rest periods in their crate. I’d never used one till the first of my more recent 5 dogs. Used properly they’re fantastic - of course never as punishmentbx

TurtleDove Tue 06-Feb-24 08:23:23

We found that whatever we did our German Shepherd puppies (we had four during our marriage), The day they turned two years of age they stopped, just like that, we have had to replace, cushionfloor, carpets cushions, tables, you name it he ate it. We bought the biggest cage to put him in if we had to go out shopping but when we got home he had managed, goodness knows how, to drag a kitchen mat into the cage with him and we had to dismantle the cage as we could not open the door to get him out. He has demolished the biggest kong toy we could get, just be patient and when you can, take him out with you otherwise you will come home to destruction.

Iam64 Tue 06-Feb-24 11:12:10

A thought - puppies need 19 hours sleep in 24. They’re like awful over tired toddlers if they don’t get enough sleep. When tired is when they’re most likely to chew or race about

Gwyllt Tue 06-Feb-24 12:05:45

Puppies do need lots of sleep
Have fun trying to persuade some pups that they need nineteen hours sleep a day

Iam64 Tue 06-Feb-24 12:39:36

Agree Gwyllt - but it’s worth remembering 🐕🐶