Laura Dobson wrote 04/22/2008 05:12 PM Dog that eats stuffing #191796 - 04/22/2008 05:12 PM
Laura Dobson Webboard User Reg: 03-16-2008 Posts: 134 Loc: Offline	I have a female GSD I rescued at two years of age, I have now had her for one year. She had five owners before me and would have been put down. Picture a full grown dog with the manners of an out of control 3 month old puppy. She also had food aggression and dog aggression issues. It took me about 8 months of obedience training classes to get her under control. She is now much, much better behaved. Anyway, my problem is this: anything that has stuffing in it she eats. And I don't mean she rips it up, I mean she swollows it. It doesn't matter if it is a stuffed animal, stuffed bed, chair, couch, if it has any kind of stuffing in it she eats it. Yesterday, I walked out of the kitchen to find her eating my other GSD's bed. I yelled at her and gave her a rawhide to chew on and went back to cooking. Within five minutes she was back to eating the bed instead of the rawhide. Any suggestions on what may cause this and/or what I might do about it would be a great help. Thanks.
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Lynne Barrows wrote 04/22/2008 05:17 PM Re: Dog that eats stuffing [Re: Laura Dobson ] #191798 - 04/22/2008 05:17 PM
Lynne Barrows Webboard User Reg: 09-22-2007 Posts: 2531 Loc: S. Florida Offline	Laura, I'm sure you will get responses from members w/ more experience than me, but have you considered a crate when you can't directly supervise her? Also, just as an aside, be careful with the rawhide; it can really expand when swallowed and can cause a blockage. You can substitue a bully stick or even pig's ears, which are digestable.
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Connie Sutherland wrote 04/22/2008 05:19 PM Re: Dog that eats stuffing [Re: Laura Dobson ] #191800 - 04/22/2008 05:19 PM
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005 Posts: 31571 Loc: North-Central coast of California Offline	Quote: Laura Dobson I have a female GSD I rescued at two years of age, I have now had her for one year. She had five owners before me and would have been put down. Picture a full grown dog with the manners of an out of control 3 month old puppy. She also had food aggression and dog aggression issues. It took me about 8 months of obedience training classes to get her under control. She is now much, much better behaved. Anyway, my problem is this: anything that has stuffing in it she eats. And I don't mean she rips it up, I mean she swollows it. It doesn't matter if it is a stuffed animal, stuffed bed, chair, couch, if it has any kind of stuffing in it she eats it. Yesterday, I walked out of the kitchen to find her eating my other GSD's bed. I yelled at her and gave her a rawhide to chew on and went back to cooking. Within five minutes she was back to eating the bed instead of the rawhide. Any suggestions on what may cause this and/or what I might do about it would be a great help. Thanks. No crate??
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Laura Dobson wrote 04/22/2008 05:36 PM Re: Dog that eats stuffing [Re: Connie Sutherland ] #191804 - 04/22/2008 05:36 PM
Laura Dobson Webboard User Reg: 03-16-2008 Posts: 134 Loc: Offline	Sorry, yes she is in a creat whenever I can not supervise her. I just feel bad because I work full time, and my other two dogs (dobe and GSD) are out in the house while I'm at work. I would just like to get her to the point where she does not have to be in her creat all day. http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p546/jasper42/Lyka.jpg
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Diane Joslin wrote 04/22/2008 06:24 PM Re: Dog that eats stuffing [Re: Laura Dobson ] #191812 - 04/22/2008 06:24 PM
Diane Joslin Webboard User Reg: 01-09-2007 Posts: 368 Loc: Las Vegas, NV Offline	Laura, I would love that to happen myself with my two dogs but the reality is that they cannot be trusted not to chew things up! It is what it is! If there is a magic solution other than crating, I would sure like to hear it!
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Melissa Thom wrote 04/23/2008 01:20 AM Re: Dog that eats stuffing [Re: Diane Joslin ] #191849 - 04/23/2008 01:20 AM
Melissa Thom Webboard User Reg: 12-04-2007 Posts: 2781 Loc: Upper Left hand corner, USA Offline	I prefer kenneling myself if I'm not home. They get a little more leg room and I don't have to be in a rush to get back home because OMG the dog might need to pee. Just a general reality since I live 30 minutes from the nearest grocery store and 45 minutes from work. In all seriousness though crating is the only solution and while it is "nice" for a dog to be a house dog it is simply not in the cards without a level of trust which this dog hasn't earned yet.
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Jaana Aadamsoo wrote 04/23/2008 01:41 AM Re: Dog that eats stuffing [Re: Melissa Thom ] #191850 - 04/23/2008 01:41 AM
Jaana Aadamsoo Webboard User Reg: 04-08-2008 Posts: 211 Loc: NE corner of Europe Offline	If you don´t want to crate her while you are at home, perhaps putting her on the leash and keeping her always near you where you can see and control her, whould help.
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John J. Miller wrote 04/23/2008 09:49 AM Re: Dog that eats stuffing [Re: Jaana Aadamsoo ] #191890 - 04/23/2008 09:49 AM
John J. Miller Webboard User Reg: 05-09-2007 Posts: 268 Loc: Chicago, IL Offline	Crate, kennel or leash when you are not watching her like a hawk. Freedom is earned, and eating furnature does not earn you freedom. John
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Cathy Goessman wrote 04/23/2008 08:07 PM Re: Dog that eats stuffing [Re: John J. Miller ] #192043 - 04/23/2008 08:07 PM
Cathy Goessman Webboard User Reg: 12-03-2007 Posts: 1231 Loc: Phoenix, AZ Offline	If you REALLY want her to be loose safely maybe you should get one of those wire basket muzzles. It's probably not what you wanted to hear but there really isn't a magic solution to this kind of thing. Crate or leash(with supervision) are really the only other choices. I'll second on the rawhides. They really aren't good for dogs. Our dogs love the nylabones and you could also use a kong.
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Chris McMahon wrote 04/23/2008 08:19 PM Re: Dog that eats stuffing [Re: Cathy Goessman ] #192047 - 04/23/2008 08:19 PM
Chris McMahon Webboard User Reg: 08-04-2005 Posts: 84 Loc: Montana Offline	Lots more excercise may also be an option to curbing this boredom related issue. wink wink.
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