I only chew things I shouldn't between the hours of 6 and 6:30am

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Chinchi

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Twice now my fiancé has gone down in the morning to let Darla out for potty and feed her and everything in the kitchen where she sleeps has been fine. But when he returns half an hour later after getting dressed she has chewed up the kitchen doormat. The doormat is down all night and un-touched, she has only chewed it in this little window in the morning.

Recently we have been trusting Darla with the run of the house. She is very good when we let her out and she only chews her toys, so this mat chewing for her is unusual. At weekends, my fiancé always wakes before me and he will go down, let her out for potty and feed her and then let her out around the house. He doesn't let her out around the house during the week, that's my job when I get up at 8.30.

Now, I'm wondering if her chewing the mat could be frustration that she hasn't been allowed out of the kitchen. After all she doesn't know it's not a weekend. She doesn't bark or whine, just chews the mat, but only when there is no one to see her doing it. We have since removed it as we don't want her to get a blockage. But we would like to try and understand what she is trying to tell us from doing this. She has loads of safe chew toys and a rawhide, so it's not like she hasn't got anything else to chew on.

Any thoughts would be appreciated :smile2:
 
I've found that my girl (who is 3--NOT a puppy!) is more likely to chew things if we go home and then leave again shortly thereafter. She does it because she is frustrated.

During those times I've started crating her and she's been good since.

I would stop Darla now (can you crate her during that time? remove the mat?) before it becomes a habit.
 
Yes the mat has already been removed after she did it this morning. This is a first for us so we weren't expecting her to chew out of frustration or anxiety at the age of 11 months, we hoped she would have been past that now. Guess not!
 
Our Forrest chews things when he's nervously/excitedly anticipating something fun. Usually related to DH, esp. walkies time, or if he's been missing him & isn't getting to be the center of attention. Lucky for us, he nibbles a stuffy toy (it's the only time he chews or really plays w/a toy).

It sounds like Darla has decided that she's ready to be up & about after her feeding & wants some attention. Could he take 5 min. & throw a ball or something for her? She may settle back down if she can get a little energy out. Or as suggested, crate her between breakfast & you getting up.

Or could you let her in your bedroom after her breakfast? We let our Roxie in the bedroom after DH feeds her (he gets up 2 hrs earlier than I do). She loves coming in & snuggling up to me. It's like our girl time, Forrest doesn't come in w/her. It's her chance for special attention from me.
 
Every morning after I let the dogs out for their first pee at 5 or 6 a.m. (and my own, btw), if there is a toilet paper roll handy, Indy will chew it to shreds. It's a morning thing only....I think he's just looking for his breakfast. Perhaps the same with yours?
 
BarbV said:
Every morning after I let the dogs out for their first pee at 5 or 6 a.m. (and my own, btw), if there is a toilet paper roll handy, Indy will chew it to shreds. It's a morning thing only....I think he's just looking for his breakfast. Perhaps the same with yours?
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She has only done it after breakfast, when she expects to be let out. My fiancé doesn't let her out as he has to go to work and we don't trust her not to entirely behave whilst unsupervised. She is only 11 months after all. We also have a house rabbit who lives upstairs, and although Darla is very good and doesn't enter the bunnies room, again I would trust her unsupervised. She only has to wait an hour or so and then I'm up and playtime begins. Hopefully not too much to ask.

We have permanently removed the mat and tomorrow she will be given a stuffed kong to occupy her during the time she has destroyed the mat to see if that eases her frustration.

She kept coughing today so I took her to the vet and the poor pup has irritated her throat from eating the mat. She also had a slight temperature so the vet wasn't sure whether the cough was all the mats fault or if she had picked up something else. So glad I got her checked out ASAP. She's on meds now and was a lot happier this evening than she was this morning!
 
If you are not taking her out immediately after eating, she might be chewing because of being stressed about needing to go out. (That means, actually, that you've actually done a great job house training her).

Please do try to take your pup out within 10 minutes of eating. Their bladders are bursting after they eat.

Just a tought!
 
Nope, she has chewed the mat after having a wee and poo in the morning, so it hasn't been due to needing to potty.
 
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