My home has been infested by young labs for most of the last 15 years. I have a lot of friends that also have experience with chewing dogs. Some dogs settle down more quick than others, but I wouldn't count on her quitting soon. Nor would I waste money on a professional trainer. I doubt you could afford the quality of the ones advising me.
You need to watch her carefully when you are around. Damaged possessions are the fault of whoever was watching the puppy. When you are watching it, immediately correct it as soon as it goes for anything except its own toys. In a quiet, but firm voice ''Bad dog, its name drop!''. Gently remove what ever and replace it with one of her toys, or if older, hold eye contact until the puppy drops it. Offer her one of her own toys. If she takes it and starts chewing it, praise her.
A mousetrap is very effective in making a dog leave something alone. Most
Dogs will stay away from anywhere they were surprised by a snap. The best
Part is that it is not you that is correcting the dog. It works whether you
Are around or not. The mousetrap is very patient and is always on task as
Long as you reset it. You also buy Bitter Apple as a spray or cream and apply to things she chews. Works well on chair legs. Perhaps she isn't as bad about snatching things off the table or counter as the larger Labs.
Better than mousetraps when you aren't around is the crate. Other dogs may
Not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog
Will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be
Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for
Dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with
Something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.
Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.
A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding
Time for more than one dog.
The "shut the puppy in a safe room" is a fallacy. Very few houses even have a
Safe room. How many of us have a room with a hard surfaced floor and nothing
Else? Most rooms have electrical cords to chew if nothing else. In addition
To destroying anything a bored puppy finds to chew, it may choke or have
Intestinal blockage from the pieces. I had a friend that left her dog in a
"safe" room. It ate a hole in the floor covering. The safe rooms fail to
Give the dog the comfort of the enclosed space their instinct requires. Nor
Do they restrict activity extending the time the dog can go without relieving
Itself.
Some people with a poor understanding of dogs and limited experience claim crates are cruel. What is cruel is giving up on a dog like her and banishing it to outside, a shelter, or worse.
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