Behavior problems

[Lissa]

Lately Layla has been chewing though wires...I'm really worried about this habit because I can't follow her around 24/7. I've been kenneling her, but she's figured out how to unlock the kennel, I tie it shut but she's just about figured that out too. Help! Any and all advice welcome. I'm a first time dog owner and I'm at a loss.

[Lissa]

She also licks everything! Windows, blankets, walls, doors. Anyone ever have a problem with this?

[aly]

Have you tried Bitter Apple spray ?

http://www.petsmart.com/products/product_140.shtml

[Lissa]

not yet...the licking doesn't bother me, its just stange.

[aly]

You can try the spray on the wires so she won't chew them.

She needs a negative association with the spray so if it doesn't work, you may need to spray once in her mouth so she can taste it really well. Then once she smells it even faintly on the wires, she hopefully won't chew them!

[Lissa]

The only thing is I have a ton of wires, do you think if i just did it in my room with those wires (she's not allowed out of my room, my roomie is allergic) but in a few months i'll get a new roomie that wants her downstairs. do you think that she will make that association with all wires?

[ramanth]

Hey Lissa, can you get an airhorn? I wouldn't attempt this at night unless it was really necessary, but one way to enforce a positive behavior is to 'scare' her in a sense.

In other words, if you saw her chewing on the wires, make a sudden loud noise, something that would startle her. Keep doing that and the hopeful end result is that she would associate the scary noise to chewing on the wires. Then, hopfully, she would no longer chew them.

I'd also try the Bitter spray.

Not sure about the licking.

Good luck! :)