Hi guys:

My baby, Echo Kevin (it stuck) and not really a baby, 15 mo’s now, has always loved garden hoses. From the wiggly way they move to the pliable flexibility while he was teething. He loves they way they unravel when pulling them off the hose hanger which he finally took down as well, over the winter months.

Once destroyed (as pups will when left unsupervised for any length of time – my bad) I told hubby I’d deal with it in the spring when we get a new set of hoses (an acre of stuff that needs watering). Now I must make good on my promise and I’m not sure how to go about this.

I’ve purchased the two new hoses (vinyl, medium duty, 4 yr limited warranty – I wonder if teeth marks are beyond the limit) and I got some Bitter Apple – 26.00 for a 16 oz bottle. I’ve got close to 80.00 invested here and I need to do this right. He got excited when I walked by him with the new purchase of his favorite textured “chew toys”. There must be a smell to them that he just can’t resist so I know the problem is alive and well.

I’ve never used bitter apple before. The hoses are in the house, still in their coils. He’s trained with an e-collar, he knows “bucky” which equals “off” or “spit it out”. I have all kinds of leashes and collars (he’s a soft boy that responds quickly to minimal corrections so haven’t trained him on a prong yet).

I don’t know if I should douse a hose with bitter apple (this will take a fair amount). Do I leave it in the coil or spread it out. Do I do this inside in a controlled atmosphere to start with? Do I put the e-collar on him outside and uncoil it for maximum temptation; maybe no collar and just bitter apple, letting him get the taste? Long line, bitter apple and physical collar correction?

I realize my error in allowing this to happen in the first place. Even worse, once he had it in manageable pieces, they were such a motivator, we played tug with sections for obedience rewards. I’m hoping to distinguish the old from the new.

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

What I did with the wonder dog named Sam when he was chewing the door frame outside the back door was mix a healthy amount of black pepper, cayenne, and concentrated dawn liquid dishsoap. It beauty of the stuff is that the soap holds the pepper where you want it and it takes a long long time to wash off. I think if I had a hose problem that's what I'd use liberally brushed.

Bitter apple I usually apply to fabric items like chairs, bathmats, and new dog beds, they used to make a bitter apple paste that worked great for phone cords and wood furniture. It's been awhile since I've seen it though.

Once you apply whatever taste deterrent of your choice I'd start on the back porch myself with the hose in a coil, then uncoiled, then water running through it, then moving around. Hopefully that will deter the hose poker. ~good luck!

I can't give any better advice than Melissa did but I just wanted you to know you aren't alone. One of my Collies loved garen hoses. Luckily he outgrew it. Hopefully your boy will also. But, I would not use the old ones as toys.

That sounds like a great idea Melissa, unfortunately I would have a little problem with the ingredients. I love the concept of the sticky soap bubbles; however, he absolutely loves cayenne pepper. When I bake up their liver rewards I sprinkle a little garlic powder and lots of cayenne pepper over the batch. I love hot, spicy food and all my dogs quickly acquire a taste for treats that bite back. I’m afraid this would only encourage him to suffer through the soap concentrate.

Perhaps mixing some of the bitter apple with soap suds might be worth a try. What would you suggest for corrections and supervision with this? Should I just cover the hose with the yucky concoction and let him have at it, sort of self correcting or should I be offering up some sort of discouragement with distraction and/or correction?

And thank you Elaine, I’m so glad to hear that I’m not the only one with a little hose poker. They should make puppy toys out of that stuff. And good point, I will cease all use of the old pieces. Off to the garbage they go.

Please don't use garlic in dog treats.

Garlic is toxic to dogs.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/animal-poison-control-faq.html#FD1

Edited by (05/01/2010 12:46 PM)
Edit reason: Link added

Yes, thanks Alyssa, that’s an interesting discussion.

I’m familiar with the toxins of the onion family which include garlic however; there is just so much contradicting information out there. While I would never feed an onion in any form nor would I ever feed a raw garlic clove or even dehydrated granules - a slight dusting of the powder has never caused any issues with my boys and they seem to love it.

This is a quote on one of the toxin sites: “While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness.”

You make a good point though. I suppose if I’m the one adding it (apparently it does get added in small amounts to some treats and is an ingredient in many treat recipes I’ve seen) I could just not add it to be on the safe side.

Well, after your DP (dear puppy) gets ahold of the hoses, voilá! You have instant soaker hoses!!

 Quote: Deb Collier

Well, after your DP (dear puppy) gets ahold of the hoses, voilá! You have instant soaker hoses!!

Too funny!! Maybe I have a good thing going here. Perhaps I should just forget about the corrective measures and hire him out to the soaker manufacturers.

I'm sure it would be much easier to teach him strategic bite placement than the avoidance I'm trying desperately to figure out.

Hey I really sympathize! Or my parents would.

We used to have a Sheltie that could destroy any hose in 30 minutes. No lie. The amount they spent on hoses......

Well, its day 4 and the hoses are still intact, no bite marks. I believe I under estimated the power of word “No” and the foundation work we've done. I also think I may have anticipated a much larger problem that what it seems we have/had… we’ll see.

I ended up rigging him up with an e-collar and a flat collar on long line and let him out in the yard. I put the coil on the porch (thanks Melissa – this would not have been good inside) 1/2 cup Bitter Apple, 1/2 cup Palmolive, armed with paint brush and remote, I brushed on the mixture (toxic smelling stuff). As expected, he came up to see what I was doing. When he got in bite range I said “No”, and he instantly turned away. I tossed him his everlasting treat ball filled with grizzly snacks. I left the hose on the porch for over an hour and he never came near it.

I unraveled the slippery, gooey, stinky coil and proceeded to water stuff – he came close once and again I said “No” and he turned away and ignored me for the remainder of the watering. I was kind of in shock, the collars were totally unnecessary. I have one hose hanging on the porch (in clear view for the neighbor - who’s on board while I’m at work) and he hasn’t gone near it.

I don’t know if it’s the smell or the fact that I actually told him “No” but something is working.