I have a red heater puppy (6 months) and she is very smart, very submissive and LOVES chewing our shoes. She knows that she was bad when we come home. We have a good sized yard that she plays in chasing my boyfriend's beagle and we buy her lots of toys and bones to chew on. How do we break her of chewing on our shoes (her digging holes will be next). She doesn't touch our shoes while we are home and awake...only while we are away and at night. Please help me help her otherwise we will have to rehome her. Thanks!
Hello and welcome to you and your Red Heeler. I haven't had any experience of Australian Cattle Dogs but I know they're pretty high energy. It's good that she's got a Beagle to play with. My dogs like to pick up shoes and carry them around - luckily they don't destroy them - and it was a daily search to find a matching pair before I could go out! The only solution is to put all shoes out of their reach - most of mine are now kept in the bathroom! Imagine she's doing it through boredom, particularly as she doesn't do it when you're there. I see you've already got her lots of toys. Have you tried a stuffed Kong or one of those activity toys you put treats in? Something to keep her occupied. Is she with the Beagle during the day? You say she knows she has been bad when you come home, but I doubt she's got any idea what it is she's done wrong - she's probably sensing that you are angry and reacting to that. Hopefully it is something she will grow out of, particularly as she gets older and you will be able to give her more exercise to wear her out! Perhaps you and your boyfriend could take up jogging and take her with you!
Puppy's love chewing I would give her something else to chew (like a Kong) and remove things you don't want her to chew out of her reach - until she has passed the chewing stage. Some breeds (like bull-breeds) never grow out of the chewing phase ) so they always need lots of nice things to chew
Welcome Leba. Puppies do seem to be attracted to shoes - I suppose they are the items that smell the strongest of us! The only safe way is to keep them out of the way until that phase has passed. I don't think she will realise that she has been naughty, she is more likely to be showing anxiety because she realises that you are sometimes annoyed when you return home. You do not say how long she is left for. Though it sounds as if she has a lot of space and toys, really she is still a baby. ACD's are a high energy breed, and she might need you to remove some of the temptations in order to help her to become a perfect pet dog.
I haven't tried a Kong or a toy that is similar. She had bones and many toys (ropes and dog toy stuffed animals) to play with. I give them to her and she takes them outside and comes back in. Only time I really see the toys again is when my boyfriend picks them up to mow the lawn. Yes, she is with the Beagle all day. The beagle is 14 but Khaleesi (the heeler) has been great for her...she is losing weight and loves to play almost as much as Khaleesi does. The reason I think she knows she has done something wrong is that she is happy to see us until we head outside or happen to look through the window and see the shoes laying outside. If she hasn't chewed anything up, she doesn't act like she is in trouble...giving herself away.
I told my boyfriend that we needed to keep the shoes picked up until she outgrows this stage...he keeps asking me when will that happen. We don't leave our shoes just laying around but sometimes it just happens.
I don't work so she can be left alone (with the beagle) for a few minutes to a few hours. I left her alone once for about 12 hours when I was taking wedding pictures. Knowing I was going to be gone for that long I made sure things were picked up of course.
She sounds like a lucky pup, with you being home most of the time and having the Beagle for company too. I think puppies can be really good for older dogs, as long as the don't pester them when they're trying to rest. I've brought puppies into the house when I've got an old dog, and the puppy has reminded them how to play! I know it's easier said than done when we're rushing to get somewhere, but at this stage the best thing you can do is to get into the habit of spending a minute or two before you leave the house to check that there are no temptations in reach. And also - again I know easier said than done - if you can find time to take her out for a bit of exercise or even a game in the garden before you leave, it might help to settle down.
I agree. Simple solution put them up. Let's face it, that shoes are awesome chew toys. Have a place or room where she can't get to them that you put them on a regular basis so when you leave you don't have to spend time putting them up. It really is unlikely that she knows, if you look at studies it seems proven. Not saying it's impossible but she's probably reacting to previous experience and even your mood. When you see the shoes that makes you unhappy.
She'll grow out of it if you make sure she can't turn it into a habit. Shoes smell strongly of their owners so are highly inviting things to chew. Training yourselves during her adolescent phase is by far the easiest thing to do. You just need to get into the habit of putting shoes out of reach until she gets older and has forgotten how inviting they are
