Quote from speed1 :

All the dogs I've ever men love salt. . . Why do you think they sniff and lick your balls after you've been working outside?

The more pressing question would be why do you let your dog sniff and lick your balls?

it can bite you...

Check your dog for dental problems first, it might have gum irritation. If no problems, buy him a chew-toy, and praise him when he uses the toy. Only correct your dog if you see him do it, otherwise he will not know what you are smacking him for. If that doesn't work get this.

Hope that helped
-Dustin

Quote from Intrepid :

Well I am no dog expert but you need to take him on some LONG walks before you go out.

birds fly
fish swim
dogs walk

Dogs are pack animals, and ARE 99% wolves. They do a lot of walking. A dog is designed to walk walk and walk....

A dog is just a wolf in disguise, and people don't realise this. They treat dogs like humans and then wonder why they go scitzo! They are not designed to stay inside a house all day alone... it's not in their nature at all

So obviously consult a professional, but sounds to me as if you don't walk him enough. And I mean at least 45 minute to an hour

Also, have you researched the breed?

There's your answer. You need to take the dog on a good walk, twice a day. It is chewing because it is bored.

We have a 13 week old yellow Lab. When she starts to get a little nuts in the house, we go for a walk. We don't even go on a particularly long walk, but when we get back home, she lays down for a good nap.

Tossing a ball in the yard, chasing each other around, chasing the cats (secretly hoping she'll catch it ), nothing is as effective as a good walk.

Crate/cage training is not cruel. The crate will become the dog's sactuary, it is his/her space. We have a crate for our pup. She loves it. We put her in at night and any time we are gone. During the day the door is open and she will go in on her own for a nap.

www.dogforums.com Lots of stuff to read.

As I type this, the pup is going nuts with an old Tickle-me-Elmo doll from when the kids were little. The look on her face when it talked was priceless.

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

The more pressing question would be why do you let your dog sniff and lick your balls?

I guess I kinda walked into that one. . .

I dont "let them" so much as they just do. My dogs love going through my cycling shorts while they are waiting to be washed.

Quote from mrodgers :

There's your answer. You need to take the dog on a good walk, twice a day. It is chewing because it is bored.....

Well that's the key. What people seem to forget is a dog is a dog and not a human. People attach human qualities to a dog, and then they wonder why they go mental! lol

The critical thing is to research the breed and understand why we humans bread that dog to be that way. This will go some way to understanding your dogs fundamental behavour. For example, Jack Russells were bread to catch rats in farms and what not. That's why they are small, nippy, and so energetic.

But walking IS the MOST vital thing a dog does. That's what dogs DO!

Quote from Intrepid :

The critical thing is to research the breed and understand why we humans bread that dog to be that way. This will go some way to understanding your dogs fundamental behavour. For example, Jack Russells were bread to catch rats in farms and what not. That's why they are small, nippy, and so energetic.

Not just research the breed but make sure your house and/or garden is suitable for that breed. I've wanted a Husky for as long as I remember, but I know where I live isn't suitable for such a dog and lucky the place I get my dogs from have enough balls to shoot people down who don't live somewhere suitable for the dog they are after.

I know if I really wanted a Husky I could just go somewhere else that doesn't give a shit about the fact I live in a small terrace house with a small garden which means not only will there not be enough space for the dog, it'll become very territorial and very aggressive to anyone in its space.

Which is why you end up with headlines of dogs attacking people so often.

Why not get some big signs made up for him, or buy some professional dog training, £80000 would do nicely.

ajp... but he might need OVER 9000 signs.

:hide:

Does the spray stop them also from going near the object because if it does it would be a bad thing as he has a thing about taking the fluff out of the quilt but if I put this spray on the quilt and it stops them going near it he and the other dog wont lie on it as it is there for them to sit/lie on.
We give him a little hit on the nose when he has does wrong, he knows he has done wrong before we even tell him off. What toys would you recommend, we dont want to get toys that would attract them to things like shoes and so on. I would get my Dad to go down to the pet shop on the weekend and buy him some tough chew toys. It wouldn't suprise me if our dog would still chew things around the house with the spray on as he is pretty thick.

Some people just shouldn't be allowed pets.

Some people just shouldn't be allowed to breathe.

We had a problem with a young german shepherd at the farm chewing up specific hoses. At the time she was months old and pretty feisty and we didn't quite have the bond going on to convince her she shouldn't be doing it and she spent a good few hours per day alone there. The solution we came up with was to dilute a wee bit of pepper in water and spray the hoses. That stopped her.

However, a few months later she liked doing other naughty stuff like digging up vegetable plants and such but by that time she had sort of figured out the whole pack and leader thing and was over her rebelious phase and accepted scolding and a demonstration that the plants were of some value to us as a good reason not to do it. No, we didn't want to put fences up, she's part of the family and should have access to all areas.

No beating was involved. Beating is not a solution.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Some people just shouldn't be allowed pets.

We are big bet lovers, we treat dogs like people, they are part of the family. Our pets are well looked after, fed right and so on. We have a Parrot which is well looked after doesnt show no signs of stress and is very happy as you can tell as he never stops talking to you. Our cat is well looked after, our 2 cockatiels are well looked after and so is our 2 dogs. I have got a lot of advice from a dog behaviour forum and I am going to try spray, kongs and tough chew toys. I have been told the reason for the dog chewing our shoes is because when we are not there they find something that contains our scent, they are also very attracted to shoes because of our scent on them and the texture and how tough the shoes are.

Quote from sam93 :

I have been told the reason for the dog chewing our shoes is because when we are not there they find something that contains our scent, they are also very attracted to shoes because of our scent on them and the texture and how tough the shoes are.

Sort of - Carmen, the german shepherd (again), won't touch any of our stuff unless it is put in her area and presented to her. That's something we did from an early age - only gave her things in her designated area. Anything in other areas she won't pay attention to.

The kong is worth a go, although not all dogs like them.

Our dog has one and it's the only thing that shuts him up and calms him down. He doesn't chew everything up in the house so we're safe there.

Is it not hard to put shoes in a cupboard so the dogs can't get to them and chew them up? Same with anything that's small enough to be put away.

Quote from xaotik :

No beating was involved. Beating is not a solution.

You make that sound like a beat up my dog, a little tap on the nose is all he gets and I mean a little tap, a little tap on the nose shows them that they have done wrong and we are the boss. I dont hit him hard very gently.

Quote from sam93 :

You make that sound like a beat up my dog, a little tap on the nose is all he gets and I mean a little tap, a little tap on the nose shows them that they have done wrong and we are the boss. I dont hit him hard very gently.

I didn't say you did. I only said that we don't beat ours.

Quote from beefyman666 :

Is it not hard to put shoes in a cupboard so the dogs can't get to them and chew them up? Same with anything that's small enough to be put away.

That is not truly a solution if you're living with a dog, more of a work-around. Effective, yes but not quite the convenient thing.

The gordon setter that my landlord has and I've known from a puppy, has free access to my house and his all through the day, even when no one is around. He never goes though anyone's stuff, apart from his habit of bringing the dustpan to the cleaning lady as soon as he sees her. Again he was taught about having his area and his things.

"Thats right Mr. Vet, she fell down the stairs"

Quote from xaotik :

I didn't say you did. I only said that we don't beat ours.

Sorry I didn't understand it correctly, as you said you didn't beat your dog I thought you ment I did to mine, I didn't understand what you ment at first.

Quote from The General Lee :

"Thats right Mr. Vet, she fell down the stairs"

What is that ment to mean? Our dog is clean, healthy and well fed. Wet nose which means that they are healthy, always fed and gave drinks. He has never had a injury.

Quote from sam93 :

we treat dogs like people

Precisely one reason for the comment by Tristan. Dogs are not people, they are dogs.

Dogs don't understand reasoning. They live only in the now.

Treat your dog like it is a dog, not a person.

Keeping your dog in a crate is not cruel, it is humane. It lowers their stress level as they are in their own space. Dogs will chew for multiple reasons, including bordom, lack of excersize, anxiety, and stress relief.

We've had our dog for almost 3 weeks and she is 14 weeks old now. She chews nothing because she has no stress level and gets exercise with playing in the yard, a walk with my wife and 4 year old in the mornings and a walk with me and my 7 year old in the late afternoons/evenings. She goes in the crate anytime my wife leaves the room to do what she needs to do during the day to insure she doesn't get into any mischief and at night to sleep. If not in the crate, she will now often freely enter to take a nap throughout the day.

Quote from mrodgers :

Precisely one reason for the comment by Tristan. Dogs are not people, they are dogs. They don't understand reasoning. They live only in the now.

Treat your dog like it is a dog, not a person.

We dont treat our dogs like people, I meant we treat them like the member of the family. We still treat them like a dog but they also have feelings like us and we can tell their moods. We treat our animals like animals but we also treat them like a member of the family, let them join in when going on walks, going on the beach, etc. Thats all that I meant.

Edit: I do believe that my Dog chews because it gets bored, he doesn't chew when we are in, he is very well behaved, even when I am asleep he will stay in my room with the door shut as he believes my room is also his which it is in a way as thats where goes when he wants peace or just to stay near me when I am on my computer or asleep. He only chews when he is on his own with no one else in the house, so it must be boredom, he gets a lot of exercise, he will run whenever he gets the chance, I think we will need to get him a number of different type of chew toys so he doesn't get bored. He used to like chewing rope so we got him a rope toy but has got bored of it, so we will get him some more. I hope that I can sort this though, he is very attached to us, espacially me, my shadow lol.

Quote from sam93 :

.....he is very attached to us, espacially me, my shadow lol.

He isn't attached to you. He is a dog, and in an INSTANT would forget you if he joined another pack. That's the fact of the situation. All he knows is the pack

Anyone, seek some professional help because I am not sure you'll get your answers on a driving simulator forum

Quote from sam93 :

You make that sound like a beat up my dog, a little tap on the nose is all he gets and I mean a little tap, a little tap on the nose shows them that they have done wrong and we are the boss. I dont hit him hard very gently.

Watch out he doesn't sue you.