How do I get my 7 month old female dog to chew on normal dog things?

I have a 7 month old, very smart, female dog of Lab/Retriver mix.





Since we brought her home at 8 weeks, we have given her a varity of %26#039;doggie safe/acceptable%26#039; things to chew - and she DOES chew them. She does NOT bother chewing on shoes, doors, furniture or the children%26#039;s toys.





HOWEVER, she also wants to chew on totally weird things, like wood (sticks, trees, logs), stones, cement, huge plant roots, the carpet edges - and just moments ago, I caught her chewing on a piece of broken ceramic.





JuJu (the dog in question), has no separation anxiety, as I am a homemaker. There has been no %26#039;sudden changes%26#039; within the home.





She has plenty of companionship, with 3 year old twins and 3 cats at home, plus daily visits with a pug and 2 other labs.





We have a fenced in yard, so she has run of the yard. I walk/brush/play/train with JuJu daily. We feed her premium dog food (I AMS) with healthy doggie snacks.





Is it a mineral defiancey? How do I stop this dangerous habit?

How do I get my 7 month old female dog to chew on normal dog things?
I have golden retrievers and they love to chew on all sorts of stuff - rocks, sticks, logs and so on. I discourage the rocks especially (pretty hard - awfully easy to find rocks), but a vet told me that retriever breeds tend to be a bit of garbage pails when it comes to chewing and even eating stuff. It%26#039;s normal and it can be hard to stop. Mine don%26#039;t chew on household items either and they have plenty of toys. I don%26#039;t worry about the big oak sticks and logs in our yard (our woodpile is always a mess) but I do try to take away other more dangerous items and not have them within reach.
Reply:she is still a puppy....she is just curious about things.I always catch my dog picking up berries from trees and such but its very dangerous for a dog .If you want her to stop chewing on things like these then when you catch her...tell her %26quot;no%26quot; in a stern voice...not to loud..after that put her toy in front of her and wiggle it around...when she bite on to that praise her alot. It should soon click. Also i wouldnt feed your dog IAMS


here is a website to check out (http://www.iamscruelty.com/)





Hope this helps!!
Reply:I had to laugh, we had a yellow lab mix and he would carry logs that were bigger than him around! We had to put him down last fall at 11 1/2. He was the best dog ever. Anyway that is just part of their breed. As far as the rest of it, I%26#039;ve just watched them and tell them no loud when I see them chewing something they shouldn%26#039;t and give them a toy to chew and then praise them when they chew the toy! Other than that, I%26#039;d ask your Vet about it. Good Luck with it!








PS PEOPLE!! THERE IS NEVER EVER A REASON TO HIT YOUR DOG!!!
Reply:Sounds like she%26#039;s bored. Get her a kong that has treats/peanut butter in it. There are also treat containers that the dog has to roll to get a treat. I%26#039;d get the dog started on those activities.





Plus, it sounds like she needs more exercise. Maybe when you walk her, she should wear a doggie backpack with water bottles to carry so that will wear her out more.





Good luck!
Reply:Take the thing she is chewing on and replace it with the toy. Wave it in front of her face, or maybe get a Kong toy with treats in it so she%26#039;ll learn more quicker and easier.
Reply:Ha well i don%26#039;t know when my Schnauzer was about that old he liked to chew on the base boards yea when I would catch him I would pop him and tell him no bad doggie and then distract him with the toy he should chew on..then he just stopped not sure if I really did anything or it was right but i guess it worked.
Reply:take her to the dentist it might be plaque. She looks for things to brush whatever it is she experiences in her mouth to not belong there. There are also kind of Jerky for dogs to clean their teeth themselves by chewing on them. Its whitish twisted hide of a bull or so which gets soft when chewed on.
Reply:she sounds normal. if you don%26#039;t want her chewing on something in particular spray it with bitter apple (available at your pet store) or sprinkle a hot spice on it, cayenne pepper works great.
Reply:She is a Lab and a puppie :))))))


This is completely normal for a dog of her age and she will outgrow it soon :))


Enjoy your dog :)))
Reply:First, doggy proof your home and yard. She shouldn%26#039;t have access to broken ceramic? Just like you would keep certain things away from a babies reach, so should you with a dog. Just encourage her when you see her chewing on something she shouldn%26#039;t...firm no and then replace it with something appropriate to chew on. As far as sticks, although not healthy, it is perfectly normal for dogs to want to chew on sticks and such. I suggest walking through her part of the lawn and removing rocks, sticks, and other exposed roots and harmful/poisonous plants that she would find interest in. Crawl on her level and see what she is seeing if you think that will help. Just remember %26quot;puppy proof%26quot; her entire living area.



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