My dog is eating his Wooden Kennel.. help!

nemo32

Okay so my first concern is that he is going to make himself very sick, he chews on the wood but he seems to be digesting some of the pieces as I notice if he gets sick I can see some wood in it. How much wood can there little stomachs handle!!!
He had the runs last night and there is nothing that really could have caused this as he is on a diet of rice and chicken and had no treats yesterday so I am starting to think it's the wood.

Second is, how can I stop him. I know it's being caused by separation anxiety and we are doing everything in our power to address this but there is times were he needs to be outside in his kennel so this cannot be avoided, any ideas on how to stop him?
He has his kong, chew toys(change them so he doesn't get board), balls, hotwater bottles, vet bed/towels in his kennel, all outside every time he is out there.
Help!

FYI, he doesn't chew on anything inside the house, apart from the odd slipper but no chairs, tables etc

Tranceypoo

Would you think about crate training him for inside the house, so times when you would normally need to put him in the kennel outside, you could put him in the crate inside instead and the crates are metal!

lisaj

My dog loves to eat the kitchen table. I put Vicks vaporub on the parts where she chewed and she hasn't gone near it again.

Bid08

mine ate their wooden kennel, some how they started with a side panel, honestly I came home one day and the door was off, it ended up with no door and a huge hole in the side

so we went and bought a steel one and we cannot close the door as they have bit it out of shape

luckily they only need it during the day while we are in work

nemo32

He is crate trained for inside the house but the 2 days that he is outside during the week he could be out there for the day. I wouldn't like him in the crate that long especially since he sleeps in it at night.

Have a spray to put on things he chews but its a big kennel, could be spraying for weeks to cover it.

Do you think the wood is making his tummy sick?

cocker5

nemo32 wrote: »

Okay so my first concern is that he is going to make himself very sick, he chews on the wood but he seems to be digesting some of the pieces as I notice if he gets sick I can see some wood in it. How much wood can there little stomachs handle!!!
He had the runs last night and there is nothing that really could have caused this as he is on a diet of rice and chicken and had no treats yesterday so I am starting to think it's the wood.

Second is, how can I stop him. I know it's being caused by separation anxiety and we are doing everything in our power to address this but there is times were he needs to be outside in his kennel so this cannot be avoided, any ideas on how to stop him?
He has his kong, chew toys(change them so he doesn't get board), balls, hotwater bottles, vet bed/towels in his kennel, all outside every time he is out there.
Help!

FYI, he doesn't chew on anything inside the house, apart from the odd slipper but no chairs, tables etc

OP,

How long is he alone outside?

Best thing to stop him is :

http://www.forans.com/products-page/stable-essentials/crib-halt-gel/

http://www.triequestrian.ie/tri-equestrian-product-categories/for-the-horse/detail/95-cribbing-products/youjoomla/1844-crib-halt.html?sef=hcfp

I used this when my cocker used to chew his kennel and my deck! Its works a treat.

If you have some “Vicks” vapour rub at home… this also work rub this on the outside of his kennel.

Plus try some rescue remedy… a few drops in his water bowl may help relax him. You can get it in any pharmacy.

BTW if the wood splinters in his stomach he will be in serious trouble. If you see blood at any stage in his poo, you must bring him straight to the vet same if his stomach is tender etc.

Best of luck

fortMac

nemo32 wrote: »

Okay so my first concern is that he is going to make himself very sick, he chews on the wood but he seems to be digesting some of the pieces as I notice if he gets sick I can see some wood in it. How much wood can there little stomachs handle!!!
He had the runs last night and there is nothing that really could have caused this as he is on a diet of rice and chicken and had no treats yesterday so I am starting to think it's the wood.

Second is, how can I stop him. I know it's being caused by separation anxiety and we are doing everything in our power to address this but there is times were he needs to be outside in his kennel so this cannot be avoided, any ideas on how to stop him?
He has his kong, chew toys(change them so he doesn't get board), balls, hotwater bottles, vet bed/towels in his kennel, all outside every time he is out there.
Help!

FYI, he doesn't chew on anything inside the house, apart from the odd slipper but no chairs, tables etc

What kind of dog is it and what age? I have a border collie at home myself and she's there all day while I am at work. I find the best way to stop her being destructive is to wear her out as much as possible both mentally and physically. I bring her to agility classes once a week, long runs on nearby beach and plenty of interactive 'brain' games.

Have you got one of those hard plastic kongs shaped like a giant egg that you can put food into? This along with the smaller rubber one is great for keeping them busy and calming them down.

nemo32

cocker5 wrote: »

OP,

How long is he alone outside?

Best thing to stop him is :

http://www.forans.com/products-page/stable-essentials/crib-halt-gel/

http://www.triequestrian.ie/tri-equestrian-product-categories/for-the-horse/detail/95-cribbing-products/youjoomla/1844-crib-halt.html?sef=hcfp

I used this when my cocker used to chew his kennel and my deck! Its works a treat.

If you have some “Vicks” vapour rub at home… this also work rub this on the outside of his kennel.

Plus try some rescue remedy… a few drops in his water bowl may help relax him. You can get it in any pharmacy.

BTW if the wood splinters in his stomach he will be in serious trouble. If you see blood at any stage in his poo, you must bring him straight to the vet same if his stomach is tender etc.

Best of luck

Thanks Cocker, this stuff could be a goer, so I presume it's ok for dogs aswell as horses I will also try the rescue remedy.
There is really only 2 days out of the 7 that he is outside for long periods and eating the kennel, They can be anywhere from 7-9 hours. When he is out there for a few hours (1-2) he doesn't seem to bother. I was coming home for lunch to break up the day for him but he got more anxious when I had to leave again to I stopped that, don't think it was helping the anxiety.

nemo32

fortMac wrote: »

What kind of dog is it and what age? I have a border collie at home myself and she's there all day while I am at work. I find the best way to stop her being destructive is to wear her out as much as possible both mentally and physically. I bring her to agility classes once a week, long runs on nearby beach and plenty of interactive 'brain' games.

Have you got one of those hard plastic kongs shaped like a giant egg that you can put food into? This along with the smaller rubber one is great for keeping them busy and calming them down.

He's a dogue de bordeaux, Yes we do as much as we can with regards to making him tired before we leave. Long walks etc ( not too long cause he is still a pup) He has a brain game which is empty when I get home so I know he is doing other stuff apart from chewing.
Yes we have one of those kongs(egg shaped) that he throws around the garden and the treats fall out but my problem with putting that outside is that he rolls it into his poo :eek: Yes he gets a full rubber kong when he is outside on those 2 days aswell. Empited within 5 mins I'd say, big tounge

cocker5

Nemo32,

Yes it’s perfectly safe… I used it on my own dog under the recommendation of my dog trainer…. It won’t hurt him…. You can just get a painting brush and literally paint the whole kennel…. It will def. stop his chewing.

Have you thought about putting his Kong in the freezer? Then giving it to him straight out of the freezer, stuffed with pate and some of his dry nuts….This will take him much longer to empty it, thus relaxing hi more.

The Rescue remedy will also def. help, give him some drops the night before you know he goes to be out all day and then the same on the morning where he’s staying out, it will help chill him out a bit.

fortMac

nemo32 wrote: »

He's a dogue de bordeaux, Yes we do as much as we can with regards to making him tired before we leave. Long walks etc ( not too long cause he is still a pup) He has a brain game which is empty when I get home so I know he is doing other stuff apart from chewing.
Yes we have one of those kongs(egg shaped) that he throws around the garden and the treats fall out but my problem with putting that outside is that he rolls it into his poo :eek: Yes he gets a full rubber kong when he is outside on those 2 days aswell. Empited within 5 mins I'd say, big tounge

They are a lovely dog, especially when they get older they calm down a lot.

To be honest I think if any dog is left alone for hours on end you have to expect a certain amount of destructiveness its just a matter of trying to minimise it and making sure they don't hurt themselves.

Does he like to dig holes in the garden? I built a digging area out of decking at the end of the garden for mine to dig in. She loves it, I bury treats and random toys in it most mornings and this keeps her busy for a while after we leave for work. She makes a beeline for it when we put her out and its almost like a treat for her.
Our trainer also recommended using raw vegetables in the rubber kong, stuff a raw carrot into into it so its a tight fit and it can take hours for her (the dog ) to get it all out.

nemo32

cocker5 wrote: »

Nemo32,

Have you thought about putting his Kong in the freezer? Then giving it to him straight out of the freezer, stuffed with pate and some of his dry nuts….This will take him much longer to empty it, thus relaxing hi more.

Yes we were doing this but with the cold weather we had stopped freezing it.

nemo32

fortMac wrote: »

They are a lovely dog, especially when they get older they calm down a lot.

To be honest I think if any dog is left alone for hours on end you have to expect a certain amount of destructiveness its just a matter of trying to minimise it and making sure they don't hurt themselves.

Does he like to dig holes in the garden? I built a digging area out of decking at the end of the garden for mine to dig in. She loves it, I bury treats and random toys in it most mornings and this keeps her busy for a while after we leave for work. She makes a beeline for it when we put her out and its almost like a treat for her.
Our trainer also recommended using raw vegetables in the rubber kong, stuff a raw carrot into into it so its a tight fit and it can take hours for her (the dog ) to get it all out.

Yes I don't mind the destructiveness part of it at all, it wouldn't happen if I was there so I can't blame him for that but I just don't want him to be sick from it.
Oh that sounds like a great idea with the digging hole, do you have a picture of what way you done it? Does your girl eat the carrot from the kong, when I give my guy carrots he just like to break them up but not eat them, if you know what I mean Do you shread the carrot up before you put it in the Kong?

nemo32

Exhibit A:

Looks kinda skinny width ways in this picture but it's the way the picture has been resized. It's quite big in reality

nemo32

Please do not comment if you have nothing useful to say :mad:


Pleeeeeease don't feed the trolls.
Please, please use the report function, do not reply to idiots like this.
Thanks,
DBB

fortMac

nemo32 wrote: »

Yes I don't mind the destructiveness part of it at all, it wouldn't happen if I was there so I can't blame him for that but I just don't want him to be sick from it.
Oh that sounds like a great idea with the digging hole, do you have a picture of what way you done it? Does your girl eat the carrot from the kong, when I give my guy carrots he just like to break them up but not eat them, if you know what I mean Do you shread the carrot up before you put it in the Kong?

The box is just four 3 foot lengths of wood screwed together to make a square with no bottom in it. I sunk it slightly into the grass at the end of the garden and then dug it out and filled it with clay and bark. I'll see if I can get a photo of it later, probably not doing a good job of describing it!

Yep she eats the carrot alright. I try and get one that fits tightly into the kong without shredding it or cutting. Once she eats the part of carrot sticking out it can take her hours to eat the bit left on the inside because it is wedged in. Its hilarious, she trys everything to get it out. She throws it against the wall and stands on it and then sits there staring at it and then goes at it again...tail wagging having a great time!

borderlinemeath

Would there be any chance he could go to daycare for your 'long' days?

nemo32

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Would there be any chance he could go to daycare for your 'long' days?

He goes to daycare once or twice already in the week, we can't afford anymore than that I'm afraid :-(

maggiepip

What about getting him a small metal garden shed for shelter? He couldnt chew that could he? Argos sell them from 150 euro. Unless the temperature would be a problem but he sleeps indoors anyway.

nemo32

maggiepip wrote: »

What about getting him a small metal garden shed for shelter? He couldnt chew that could he? Argos sell them from 150 euro. Unless the temperature would be a problem but he sleeps indoors anyway.

Yeah was thinking that but i would be worried about the cold, coming into the summer it would be fine. Yeah he's inside every night, wouldn't dream of leaving him outside, he'd have a heart attack at the thoughts of it and so would i.. Lol

MJCM71

Have you tried rawhide chews or bones? I have two dogs who are outside for up to 10 hrs a day during the week, granted they have each other for company but I also give them bone & rawhide chews that they bury & dig up to chew during the day which stops them wreaking everything in the shed where they sleep. They like carrots too but I give them half one each after each meal not for outside.

tk123

Are you able to catch him in the act OP eg hide in the house or use a webcam and tell him to stop? It might put him off if he thinks you're watching lol! I've used FaceTime to spy on my guy lol

_Lady_

Hiya OP my fella does that with the carrots as well, still though, carrot bits all over yard better than bit of wood. If you stick with the repellent things he will eventually stop. My oh built our fella an amazing bespoke kennel insulated, slated with veranda to keep his nuts dry on rainy days and he chewed entire side railing at start - loved the taste of the varnish I think initially which scared life out of me! Mustard didn't work or fairly liquid but eventually to stop him digging and chewing places he shouldn't finely ground cayenne chilli pepper combined with dedicated sand box full of treats helped and he's stopped chewing the house now. In fact loves it and sometimes will stand at door waiting to go out for some peace and quiet and fresh air out there. Marxhes straight into his house and sits looking in at us then. Pic of house during initial build attached. Good luck!!!

nemo32

MJCM71 wrote: »

Have you tried rawhide chews or bones? I have two dogs who are outside for up to 10 hrs a day during the week, granted they have each other for company but I also give them bone & rawhide chews that they bury & dig up to chew during the day which stops them wreaking everything in the shed where they sleep. They like carrots too but I give them half one each after each meal not for outside.

Yeah when he has the bones or chews he loses interest after a little while and buries them :-)

nemo32

tk123 wrote: »

Are you able to catch him in the act OP eg hide in the house or use a webcam and tell him to stop? It might put him off if he thinks you're watching lol! I've used FaceTime to spy on my guy lol

No haven't been able to catch him, there's no clear windows out to that side of the garden. Always saying id love to see what does for the whole day, apart from what i know about eating the crate :-)

nemo32

_Lady_ wrote: »

Hiya OP my fella does that with the carrots as well, still though, carrot bits all over yard better than bit of wood. If you stick with the repellent things he will eventually stop. My oh built our fella an amazing bespoke kennel insulated, slated with veranda to keep his nuts dry on rainy days and he chewed entire side railing at start - loved the taste of the varnish I think initially which scared life out of me! Mustard didn't work or fairly liquid but eventually to stop him digging and chewing places he shouldn't finely ground cayenne chilli pepper combined with dedicated sand box full of treats helped and he's stopped chewing the house now. In fact loves it and sometimes will stand at door waiting to go out for some peace and quiet and fresh air out there. Marxhes straight into his house and sits looking in at us then. Pic of house during initial build attached. Good luck!!!

Sounds fantastic, is he going into business :-)

sanna

Our jacker did the same for a while, we ended up spraying some of my perfume on her bedding she wasnt so anxious and calmed down a lot when she was left worked a treat!

Sigma Force

Haven't read all the posts so not sure if this was suggested already. Maybe get some metal strips and line the sections he chews on. Even a happy go lucky dog will have a chew on their kennel now and then even if it's not out of boredom or anxiety just coz they like a chew and it's nice n soft to chew on.

When I looked for new kennels for our lot I did see ones that had strips of metal to re-enforce the door entrance so if you google you might get some inspiration.

Some dogs are drama queens (or kings) and hate being left for 5 minutes nothing really you can do about that some dogs are just like that it sounds like you do loads for your dog and it's just a habit he's gotten in to rather than him being traumitised or anything.

If you do the metal strip thing or come up with other solutions can you post up pics love looking at various kennel pimping.