Agrivation!

[SincereArtisan]

So, I got home from work tonight, wore the dogs out for a couple of hours playing fetch in the back yard and toying with their lounging whip, because I had to make it out to a pet store tonight to start on some murals. I wanted to get the dogs to blow off some steam so they'd stay contently in their crates while I was out for another few hours.

 

I come home to discover that Ido has chewed up the brand new bed I brought her. Destuffed and chewed it to pieces. I even left her with a couple rawhides in there, which was gone, and she still went at the bed.....she hasn't shown the inclination to so much as shred a stuffie in her crate for months. And now, the brand new bed she has had for two weeks is now in pieces.

 

Aggrivated, I dragged her over there and made her lay and watch me clean up the whole mess, making a huge fuss over picking up all the stuffing and jamming it in the plastic garbage bag. (She hates wrinkly plastic bag noises, so it was a particularly uncomfortable 5 minutes or so...) I didn't want to scold her severely for something I didn't catch her in the act of doing, so I 'scolded' and got mad at the stuffing, thinking I could at least sour her opinion of the stuffing that was 'fun' 5 minutes ago...I didn't know what else to do. She is now in her crate with nothing.

 

What do you guys use as bedding? I feel she should have something, she genuinely likes laying down on something comfy, she prefers softer surfaces, unlike Rune. But, I'm sick of spending $30+ on beds that apparently turn into big chew toys, and I don't think towels really provide enough padding. Plus, I'm worried she'll ingest stuffing, as she has the inclination to eat completely retarded things--as if her IBS wasn't enough trouble--such as rocks, and paper clips. Oy!

[Lunar]

As much as we knew/know that Zeeke does prefer soft beds to lay on (he had these huge callouses on his elbows when we got him, it seemed pretty clear that he'd never had soft beds to lay on - ouch!), until he stopped chewing them he had none in his crate. :/ Probably not the answer you were looking for, but we too got sick of coming home to a nice bed ripped apart! It took a while - maybe a year? - for him to outgrow that particular obsession. His was probably due to seperation anxiety - not sure what Ido's is.

 

(And why is it always the dog with IBS issues that likes to eat random things? Zeeke has the touchiest stomach, but he insists on eating weird crap.)

[flrpwr52]

Kya has done this since she has graduated to a big girl crate with the other two. I have tried old towels, blankets and soft comfy beds. She chews them all.

 

She has been without anything for about 3 months now and I think I am going to try an old towel again. She can have all the toys or chews she wants in the crate but won't touch them.

 

I never thought about being mad at the stuffing but that might work.

[bailey44]

We use the Kuranda bed because Polly chews everything else. This is before I put it together, I was checking for the fit. It works well for us and Polly still has plenty of room:

 

 

 

 

 

It is frustrating to spend the bucks on bedding and have them "remodel" their sleeping areas while you're gone! I feel your pain

 

Charlene

[bcnewe2]

Don't know if this will help, I don't have bed chewers but I hate buying an expensive bed only to have it dirty and hairy quicker than I can wash them and the cheap ones have the stuffing so bad that they are wrecked in a few weeks so....

I bought some pleather (fake leather) material from Wal-mart, 2 yds for 7 something. Then I bought an egg crate materess topper (twin) for I think about 9.00. The material is enough for 2 beds but I use a whole materess topper for each one. There's not much sewing involved. I fold the material in half. Sew 2 sides together, trim and fold the topper then stuff it in and stitch the top together. The last seam is not that neat but it looks ok. Now the stuffing doesn't get shoved to one side. I can wipe off the dirt and I'm making my 3rd one cause all the dogs like that bed best.

Maybe being the fake leather it won't seem as chewable. It's soft but now fluffy.

 

Kristen

[MaggieDog]

9 mo Z doesn't get ANYTHING other than her nylabone and kong ball in her crate; she thinks ingesting fabric is fun and we've gone through a sheet, towels, and fleece blankets because of this and I too worry about blockages. She has a plastic tray in her crate, so at least it's not cold metal.

[SincereArtisan]

Well, I feel more humane now that I'm not the only one who leaves nothing in her crate for one of her dogs. It looks like we're on that road for awhile, again. This was one of those faux fleece beds with the poofy border around it....and, well, you guessed it, poofy border is gone and the mat part itself is shredded.

 

Ido will be 2 in April. I'd thought she'd outgrown this, its been so long since she showed the inclination to shred/chew anything!

 

I like the pleathery idea, I may try that...

[Shetlander]

What do you guys use as bedding? I feel she should have something, she genuinely likes laying down on something comfy, she prefers softer surfaces, unlike Rune. But, I'm sick of spending $30+ on beds that apparently turn into big chew toys, and I don't think towels really provide enough padding.

 

Quinn has been fantastic about not chewing since he was 6 months old-- except dog beds and bedding. He will still saw through dog beds and cushions if he gets half a chance. For this reason, back when he was crated, he had to lie on the plastic coated floor pan of his crate. It didn't do him any harm and I didn't need to waste money or worry he was going to get an obstruction. I bought a Kuranda bed for the Sheltie which he has no interest in chewing and this way she doesn't need to lie on the linoleum while I'm gone.

 

By the time he was two, he was fine to leave loose in the house and he has been sleeping on the bed since about 5 months old. But I still need to lock up soft bedding for the other dogs or he'd be chewing them up like a goofy pup.

 

He just doesn't appreciate dog beds for the way they are intended to be used.

[Seelie Fey]

I've seen people use rubber matting or those interlocking rubber tiles at tournaments. It's your guess whether she'd eat that, but it might be a step above hard plastic-not much of one, but some cushion. You can glue or tape it to the plastic tray, so she can't get an edge up. It's a trade off, though. The softer and more cushiony the rubber, the more likely she'll eat it and have major problems.

[SincereArtisan]

I guess my main concern with no bedding is she's so bony as it is, I feel bad if she doesn't have padding. Though they're out when I'm home, and we spend 2-3 hours outside playing/fetching/hiking/training a day, they're still crated for a good 8 hours while I'm gone.

 

Rune developed a raw spot on the side of her back hock, and we suspected it was from her lying on her side in her crate so much, kicking her feet out and stretching like she does, so thats when I got her a bed big enough for the bottom of the crate, instead of the towels and mats she'd just push aside. The spot went away, and she seems so much more comfortable. I wish Ido could be so grateful...

[Shetlander]

I guess my main concern with no bedding is she's so bony as it is, I feel bad if she doesn't have padding. Though they're out when I'm home, and we spend 2-3 hours outside playing/fetching/hiking/training a day, they're still crated for a good 8 hours while I'm gone.

 

Quinn was a scrawny boy when he was crated for up to 10 hours during the day (with a lunch break). Like you, I would have preferred that he had a comfy, cozy bed but it was his tough luck. Fortunately he never had any raw spots but he spends so much time sprawled in various positions, I guess it evens out possible wear and tear. I'd still rather risk that than bowel obstruction

 

Silly dogs.

[phej]

Mollie loves her Orvis bed - they also make soft, chew-proof beds. If I remember well, if your dog chews it, they will replace it. www.orvis.com (they also have stores around the country)

[Shetlander]

Mollie loves her Orvis bed - they also make soft, chew-proof beds. If I remember well, if your dog chews it, they will replace it. www.orvis.com (they also have stores around the country)

 

Well, now that's tempting especially since they say they'll refund your money. I'm skeptical because Quinn has destroyed any number of "chew resistant" toys in the past, some within minutes of being given them. Other than goodsized Nylabones and a big, hard plastic ball that he isn't interested in because he can't chew it or pick it up, he can't be unsupervised with any toy.

 

Thanks for sharing that webiste. Maybe after Christmas and when my vet bills have subsided from their current crazy level, I'll consider it.

[bcnewe2]

I was thinking about the crate thing. I used to buy cheap carpet pieces and put them under the plastic crate pans. That way there was a little less noise when they were moving around. I also remember using them as the pad in the crate. It wasn't anything fancy but it seems the nicer or fancier the quicker it gets destroyed.

 

Mine aren't chewers but berber type stuff is way to tempting. They all pull or pick at berber. Not really chewing it but picking it apart, eating the little fiber pieces as they go. I always worry about blockages. I buy dollar store toys, they have a toy fest then I pick up the pieces and throw them away. all gone in a day!

[Skyler]

From the time that Skyler was a pup until he passed he would choose a hard wood or linoleum floor over anything. He also had the calloused elbows as someone else mentioned above. He would choose hard surfaces over carpet too. I spent a ton of money on the nicest bed I could find for him and he never gave it more than a sniff.

 

Little Koda on the other hand loves soft things. He will chew on everything in the house if you let him. However, the ONLY thing he wont chew on is is Scooby blanket folded up for a nice pad in his crate. Our dogs are just bizzare.

 

I wouldnt put anything in the crate. I'd be like my Mom when I was younger - you destroy it and you dont get another.

[Anda]

I looked at www.orvis.com . OMG, I would never pay $100-200 for a dog bed! The one and only dog bed we got came from Walmart on the same day we brought Ouzo home - Chris bought the largest one available, it looked very wierd for a 2 months old puppy. I think he's used it say.... 6 times in two years? He alternates his sleeping quarters between our bed, the couch, the bathroom floor, the cold tile floor by the entrance door, all in the same night I think if I'd get him one of those fancy beds (they look neat, I agree), he would still prefer to cuddle on the couch or splat out on the bathroom floors

[Barb Scott]

I would be careful about using carpet in a crate, especially the kind that unravels in long strings! Zeke the Wonder Dog (MI State University's mascot) unraveled enoungh carpet to require emergency surgery. Our older BCs all have beds; our younger ones sleep on bare metal!

Barb S

[phej]

I looked at www.orvis.com . OMG, I would never pay $100-200 for a dog bed! The one and only dog bed we got came from Walmart on the same day we brought Ouzo home - Chris bought the largest one available, it looked very wierd for a 2 months old puppy. I think he's used it say.... 6 times in two years? He alternates his sleeping quarters between our bed, the couch, the bathroom floor, the cold tile floor by the entrance door, all in the same night I think if I'd get him one of those fancy beds (they look neat, I agree), he would still prefer to cuddle on the couch or splat out on the bathroom floors

I wouldn't either. :-) Shetlander, the Orvis beds go periodically on sale - we got ours 30% off. We ended up paying something like $40 for the bagel nest that Mollie loves (not the chew-proof, though). She is now little over 40lb and still fits in the medium size one with no problem. She virtually lives in the thing (when not busy throwing balls into our laps ;-)).