Bedding

[DottyG]

Hello all
We’ve got a new (to us) 6 month standard.

She seems to want to wrestle and eat all her bedding…
Just wondering what people have found successful before?

[Murray]

This is so weird, as I was just about to post something very similar. Our six month standard puppy has started eating his blankets, his bedding, and his fabric toys. It’s very stressful and I feel that I’m removing so much from him, and obviously don’t want him to be cold at night.

If he was shredding things it would be annoying, but because he eats them, it’s making me very stressed that he’ll become ill.

He has plenty of rubber chew toys, and wooden chews, but nothing beats fabric!

So sorry that I can’t offer advice, but I’m interested in any advice this post gets!

[zeta1454]

It is not unusual for puppies to chew and eat a variety of things which are not good for them. Chewing is a relaxing pastime for dogs and they will often chew on anything they can get their teeth into and, as their adult teeth come in you will find that items which may have been just damaged by baby teeth are now totally destroyed and can be swallowed, The larger the dog the more likely they are to destroy items that are not tough enough to withstand strong biting.

Growing dogs need plenty of mental as well as physical exercise and schnauzers are intelligent dogs who will need regular activities that challenge them - scent work; dog parkour; man trailing etc. which will tire them mentally and make them more inclined to rest in their beds rather than eating them. Even if you have nowhere near that offers these activities for dogs, you can set up your own trails, treasure hunts, hide and seek activities with family members or friends and take time to try new training exercises with your puppy. There are also many dog challenge toys which can be more interesting to a dog than just a stuffed Kong for example, although you must always supervise your puppy with these toys and, as with any chew toy, do not leave them alone with them.

https://www.nina-ottosson.com/

You will however need to manage the environment at home to avoid any serious issues with your puppy eating fabric and other items that could cause a serious problem and a huge vet bill. Do not leave your puppy alone with any items including beds or bedding that can be destroyed. There are companies who produce tougher beds that are less likely to be easily destroyed and you could do an online search to find these. No bed is likely to be absolutely indestructible but, as many nowadays are made of quite flimsy materials that are easily damaged by a strong chewer, you will need to look for ones specifically designed to withstand chewing! If you search under ‘tough dog beds’ or similar you should find a selection of companies offering these and, although it may cost more initially to purchase a well made bed, it should be worth the outlay in the long run. If you are worried about your puppy being cold at night, you could get a fleece vest or similar for them to wear and/ or cover their locked crate with a blanket at night.

As regards toys, you really will need to take away all but the ones which are not liable to be shredded / eaten and just provide items that are tough enough to be chewed without danger. A raw meaty bone is an alternative chew item which may keep a puppy engaged for hours and also helps relaxation,

It is likely that some of this excessive destructive behaviour will stop naturally as the puppies mature. Adolescence is a challenging time for all families with a dog whose hormones are firing and who will be more hyperactive and flighty as a result. The best advice I could give is to make sure your puppies are not bored, by involving them in plenty of interesting and challenging activities; ensure toys and bedding are chosen for their strength and durability and don’t leave your pups alone with items that can be destroyed or eaten

[DottyG]

Excellent, thanks for the help.