[DoodleBug]

Is there a spray or something you can get to spray on things you don't want puppy to chew on? He seems to have taken a liking to my area rug and nothing seems to deter him from it. He has lots of toys he chews on but ends up back at the rug eventually. He has also started playing with the puppy pad that he pees on, trying to drag it around the room and chewing on it.

[aj55]

You could try a bitter apple spray.

[DoodleBug]

And where might I find something like that?

[labman]

I don't know how well the Bitter Apple will work on a rug, but you could try it. It can be difficult to get anything done when correcting the puppy for the same thing over and over. We mostly limit how much of the house the puppy has access to, and remove things that are too tempting. You may need to give up on the rug until the puppy is a little older. Some puppies can be very difficult.

Don't think it will work on a rug either, but for other things 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.

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.

Accidents and 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.


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.

[DoodleBug]

Couldn't a mousetrap potentially seriously hurt my puppy? He is very small, couldn't it get his nose, paw, or even his tail?

[labman]

I am glad you were concerned enough about your puppy to ask. I have been using it with Labs since 1994, including a few of them when they were quite small. I went to one of my highly trained mentors before using them with one of the younger puppies. I have never had a puppy even limp away, let alone be injured by one. It is a standard technique of the large dog guide school I have volunteered for since 1991. They are very protective of their puppies, forbidding all sorts of common things including rawhide chews. Anything with much chance of harming a puppy is forbidden.

Much of the advice I give here is based on their well tested methods. Some of it I have used personally, and some not. They forbid rawhide. I never give my puppies rawhide, and have never had one choke or have a blocked intestine. With breeding and supervising 300 puppies a year, they have a few clues about what is safe.

I have been passing on what they have taught me for over 5 years here and elsewhere. I have been questioned about the mousetraps, even reported to PETA; but nobody ever reported having their puppy injured.

[DoodleBug]

Well thank you so muh, I feel better about it now. I will try it tonight and let you know how it goes.