Fox Terrier(?) chews up EVERYTHING?

Question

I'll ask the question first and then read below for the story.

Why does my dog chew holes in everything and how can I stop this?

Okay, so about 2-3 years ago we found a small female dog. I am not sure of her breed but I think shes a Terrier X. She sits on the couches and starts to l**k her feet, then this gradually goes to l*****g the couches and then chewing big holes in it. She also does this to the cushions, blankets and bed quilts. She also chews up soccer balls and footballs until they cannot be chewed anymore and also foam balls and they leave little bits of foam everywhere.

Answer 1

Harrrrrrrie, I love the look of a fox terrier. They are so cute.

Answer 2

Terriers get bored fast and get destructive.

Does she have anything she CAN chew on?  Do you offer her things that can't be destroyed and which have different 'feels' for her mouth?  Kong, nylabones, real beef leg bones?  You can put peanut butter into the leg bone hole, and the Kong hole, and freeze it to make the things more enticing to her.  Or use canned cat food in the holes, that keeps a dog occupied trying to get it out.  Try sticking a dog biscuit into the middle of it before you freeze it, too.

Some dogs are just ultra destructive, you need to redirect them to things that are more acceptable.

Answer 3

Well, there are many ways to stop these actions. You could stop her from getting on the couches/furniture. Pick up any kind of foam balls, some foam can swell in a dogs tummy and may cause serious illness and even death. You can try the pet spray sold at Wal-Mart which should stop pets from getting on furniture.  As far as blankets and whatever you can give her just one blanket that is hers to do whatever too and the rest reprimand her for getting on or messing up. Also what kind of dog food is she eating? Believe it or not some of the cheap dog foods can leave a dog without nutrients and therefor leave their bellies feeling hungry. The better dog foods in the $20 to $40 for 25 lb bags should be better for her. If the problem continues you may consider pet behavior classes at a shelter. Trust me the ones in pet stores aren't always helpful. Remember all dogs are pack animals and if a specific leader isn't established they'll never respect you or your home. Good luck!

Answer 4

How much exercise does she get?  A lot of destructive behavior can be stopped with adequate exercise and mental stimulation.  With terriers, many of them need a lot of exercise (over an hour daily walks, activities to do, etc).  To give you an idea of an exercise regimen for a small dog with lots of energy, my Min Pin gets, daily, an hour and a half total or more of walking, about half an hour obedience training session, and most days half an hour or more of agility practice, and we're working on frisbee as well.  I also play fetch with him pretty constantly all evening while I'm doing other things, and he spends a lot of time playing with my other dog.  If he doesn't get that exercise, he's destructive at home because he's bored.  

So, try increasing her walks, and start doing some activities with her, like maybe Agility, flyball, competitive obedience, frisbee, something that will make her think.  Also look for puzzle toys, like the IQube (fabric box with removable squeaky balls), Molecube or Buster cube (both food-dispensing puzzle toys), and try hiding her kibble for her to find rather than feeding her from a bowl.  I would bet with lots of things to do, she'll stop chewing, it is usually directly a result of boredom.  

Answer 5

  YOUR DOG IS BORED STIFF,TERRIERS GET BORED VERY FAST AND EASY,YOU NEED TO WALK HER, TAKE HER OUT AND RUN HER,GIVE HER HER OWN TOYS TO PLAY WITH,WHEN YOU CATCH CHEWING ON THINGS YOU DO NOT WANT HER TO,GIVE HER ONE OF HER TOYS,IT WELL TAKE TIME AND YOU MUST STAY ON TOP IT IF YOU HOPE TO BREAK THIS PATTEREN

GOOD LUCK