sebastian1 Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 I have a 7 month old Border Collie that is fastinated with socks. Does anyone know of a way to discourage him from chewing on them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Speedy used to do that. We kept all socks that weren't being worn in places where he couldn't get them, but he did try to chew on them even when they were on our feet! I don't have any tips, though. We actually didn't train him not to chew on our socks and feet - we just pulled them away when he tried to chew and eventually he stopped trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Originally posted by Root Beer:Speedy used to do that. We kept all socks that weren't being worn in places where he couldn't get them, but he did try to chew on them even when they were on our feet! Yup, I try to remove as much temptation as reasonable. Obviously, I can't hide my furniture or carpet but clothing, trash, and any easily movable items are kept as much out of reach from puppies as possible. When not on my feet, my shoes were always behind closed doors for a solid 3 years when I had 2 puppies during that time period You can train your pup to "trade" -- give you the sock in exchange for an approved chew toy and keep lots of approved chew toys around for him. I try to give my puppies something "better" (in my opinion anyway) to chew when I'm taking some treasure away. You could even spray a couple of socks with bitter apple and leave them there for him to find and chew. He may decide socks are yucky. I've never tried that, but it might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Kristine's advice is the first line of defense - put them up! After losing three good socks (of course, of three different types), my hubby has finally learned to put his socks somewhere other than the floor. Problem solved. I wonder if he will have to learn about his shoes the hard way? That said, don't let your pup attack/chew your feet. Liz's suggestion to exchange for something more appealing is a good one, as long as it doesn't become a game of your pup attacking your sock in order to gain your attention or a better toy or treat. You can use the "growling/uh-uh" or "yipping sharply" reactions to his attack. If they don't work, try taking him by the scruff of his neck and reprimanding with a growl or uh-uh or maybe a little shake if needed. You've probably found that kicking/twitching your foot does nothing to help the situation but rather may just make you a participant in the game and the attack more fun. You may find wearing shoes/slippers over your socks is effective. Some pups just love foot odor and socks are always an appealing chew. In addition, if your socks contain wool (like ragg socks) that can provide additional appeal. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyrasmom Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Ditto to everything above but it's also a phase that "most" dogs pups grow out of. By the time they're 10 you should be able to trust them! LOL..just kidding!. But chewing something is a phase that all pups go through, one of mine picked bras! He would actually nose through a hamper to find a bra...go figure. Currently we've got a one year old going through the shoe phase so all our shoes are on top of the closet. Make sure he has something more appropriate to chew on and just keep putting socks out of his reach. Maria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladylupin Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 ^^ kyrasmom has a good point, they all go through it just be glad it's not something worse than socks. Brandi chewed through the wall of her kennel, and then a door once. She loves wood for some reason but she never liked socks or shoes or anything. Anyway, the point is socks are much cheaper to replace than a wall good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie+Tess&Kipp Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 My husband used to leave socks laying around in his office. Kipp would grab them and run off, because my husband would chase him. This was terrific fun for Kipp. We ended up just putting all socks out of reach or he would steal them all. After he was about 6 months old, he stopped looking for them and stealing them and now we can occasionally leave them out without danger. Allie + Tess & Kipp http://weebordercollie.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy in AZ Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Did someone mention socks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Sock!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwilliams Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 i put black pepper and/or hot sauce to stop abby from chewing on socks and shoes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jojo de l'Aude Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 it could be worst.... underwear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Oh yes. Underwear indeed. Panties, to be precise... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anda Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Sandra and Jo: Lost precious ones to Ouzo. All Victoria Secret. Plus one super expensive bra. Chewed lil' holes in it as if he was a moth, not a puppy. And pijama bottoms Somehow he seems to have gotten over this obsession. Either that, or I became more organized, making sure to put up or in the humper any temptations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 I used to give Eddie old holey socks tied in knots. He really enjoyed this as a toy. But then he began to take any socks he found to play with. We threw out the old play socks and now he's not tempted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acer Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Be very, very careful with socks. I recently visited my vet, and he showed me an x-ray of a dogs stomach that had a sock in the intestion. The doctor said they would most likely have to put the dog down because it would be to dangerous to operate. Due to the high risk of infection to other organs from opening the intestine. And, the dogs quality of life would never be the same if it survived the surgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anda Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Mark, that's a realy scary story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie etc Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Actually - I think "Sock-ectomies" and "Panty-ectomies" are quite common surgeries for veterinarians these days. Unless the owner waits too long, or the intestines are already ruptured and leaking, there certainly is risk (and major expense!), but I know quite a few dogs who have come through that kind of surgery successfully. That said, I think it's a very bad idea to use any kind of clothing as a toy. I was the proud owner of a $1000 pair of recycled panties (actually my 6 year old daughter's teddy-bear Hanes) a few years back - The dog was 1 year old at the time, and went on to live to the ripe old age of 12 when Lymes disease shut her kidneys down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie+Tess&Kipp Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 I agree with Laurie. We never ever let the dogs play with clothing or towels when they were little. Nothing we didn't want them to play with later on. The one exception, now that they are both over a year old, are the tugs made out of fleece. I have a lot of socks, pants, shirts, etc. made of polar fleece. It is my favorite fabric. The dogs know when something is a tug toy. I make that very clear for them by keeping the clothes out of reach! I never use toys that feel or look like clothes, either. Allie + Tess & Kipp http://weebordercollie.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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