Puppy loves to chew and run off?

P

Piccolo

Forums Novice
Hi folks,

We got our first Sheltie ever on Sunday, 4/21/13. She is only a puppy at 10 weeks old, but she is incredibly smart and already knows sit, down, paw (shake), and is almost completely housebroken.

However, she loves to chew on the carpet edges, under our seats, and the broom. We give her toys for her to chew on, but most of the time she ignores them and goes for the carpet or broom instead. She also doesn't respond well to a firm "No" or "Stop it," so we have to pick her up and drag her away.

Also, she loves to run off, and we're scared that she will run out of our yard (we had an electric fence for our previous dog who passed away last year, but we don't want to use it for a puppy) and into the street or run away. She doesn't like the collar or the leash, but we're trying to work on that.

Any tips from experienced Sheltie owners with these problems? We've never had a puppy before (our last and first dog was a beagle which we got when she was one year old).

Thanks, glad to be part of this community :smile2:
 
Congratulations on your new puppy, and welcome to the Forum! You have years of Sheltie licks and wags ahead.

First, puppies chew on everything. It doesn't matter that you give the puppy chew toys, they will still chew on whatever catches their interest. The best way to avoid this is as you've done, by distracting puppy with suitable chews, and also to confine the puppy when you can't watch what she's doing. A crate or x-pen set up in your house will accomplish this, and keep your puppy safe.

I'd strongly advise against letting your puppy free in a yard that isn't fenced. Puppies love to play the "catch me" game and your puppy will run away from you -- it's part of the game. If there's any danger she can run out of your yard or in the street, I would not let her loose outside. Setting up an x-pen in your yard will solve the problem. You can buy one (or two, we use them both inside and out!) online at places like www.petedge.com and set it up in your yard. They're inexpensive and portable so you can move it when you want to. It's a great investment in your new puppy's safety.

We love puppy pictures here! We hope you enjoy the Forum and will share some of your new little girl!
 
STRONGLY, STRONGLY implore you to please not set your puppy down in the yard, and expect to catch it. It is only a matter of DAYS until your pup figures the "catch me" game. At the very least attach a long leash to the collar and let the pup drag it behind them. You can step on it, and stop the pup from reaching the road. Then lots of praise as you walk up and scoop up your pup. Please consider signing up for Puppy Kindergarten classes. You and your pup will learn so much!
 
I'm paranoid about dogs running into the street after what happened to my daughter last year. She had adopted the naughtiest (and smartest) little Schipperke in the world, and after eight months of patient work had succeeded in turning it into a model dog, which is saying something for a Schipperke. And then in one unguarded moment it ran into the street and that was the end of that.
 
A good way to get them to stop chewing things in the house is to add a little bit of hot sauce to it. not too much at all does the trick. My parents taught me this one. My 15 week pup used to chew the carpet on our stairs... doesn't anymore :wink2:. but just a drop will do. he did go back for a 2nd taste though. :gaah

definitely do not allow your dog outside without a leash and collar. as someone mentioned, you can always set up an x-pen outside for the puppy to go potty in. This is what my parents do. However, I live in an apartment complex where we are not allowed to have things outside minus patio stuff, so my pup has learned to like his leash. (not saying he walks well on it, but he doesn't mind it.)

Congrats on your little girl and enjoy the adventure! At least she's mostly house broken--still working on that with my boy.
 
I used bitter apple spray on stuff I didn't want Missy to chew when she was a little pup. I still have to use it every once in a while.. there's one corner of this printer table she likes for whatever reason.

Even though my dog is 15 months old, I still don't let her run around off leash where the area isn't fenced. She's been to many obedience classes and she's really good about staying close in fenced areas, but I see that little spark in her eye that tells me she's going to cause trouble as soon as I drop the leash. And I know she'll do it because she's done it several times at flyball practice! Stay on the safe side and either get a long lead or ex pen for letting your dog have an outdoor adventure in the yard!
 
Get a fence (permanent or a temporary x-pen) or always have your pup on a collar/leash or harness/leash. Always. You do not want to be the person with the horror story used as a warning to others. Especially you want some sort of ID (collar tags) on her in case something does happen.

We use a long lead (30') for Olive, because we do not have a fenced yard. It's a great compromise to being off-leash. She can run around with a fair amount of freedom, and we have the peace of mind knowing she can't escape. It's not just for keeping her in the yard, but for making sure we can get her back, easily and quickly, if something else comes in the yard. We have a large herd of deer with fawns already and they can be unfriendly, plus there are coyote now, along with all the other usual nature offenders. A free-roaming sheltie can get into trouble all too easily with all that fun stuff around. A leash is just safer.

As for chewing stuff, good luck.:rolleyes2: Olive was, is, and I'm guessing always will be a chewer. She's about 17months and is not as destructive as she used to be. Get your pup as wide a range of toys as possible, so she has access to a big variety of "mouth feels." Ropes, balls, plush toys, squeakies, split antlers. If she goes after something she shouldn't, move her away and give her something you want her to chew. We tried the bitter apple spray with Olive, but unfortunately she loved the taste. Everything we sprayed, she chewed with even more enthusiasm.

Their personality quirks and smart little selves make shelties so much fun. If you have pics of your sheltie, we'd all love to see her!
 
Let your puppy wear the collar inside, in a few days she will stop scratching at it. When you can watch her, let her drag her leash around, it will soon not be such a big deal. Encourage her to walk along with you and do not pull her along. Us ing your voice and a toy or treat ought work. Have fun, I just adore puppies!

About the chewing, watch her, she could chew herself into an obstruction. Give her toys of different textures. Some favorites are a soft rope bone, much safer than carpet fringe, and squeaky toys of plush fabric... And rubber toys that you can dab a bit of peanut butter or cream cheese on... Teething toys ...
 
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I found the best way to keep them from chewing things they are not supposed to is to spray with apple bitter and of course close supervision.:smile2: I would never let a sheltie loose in the yard because they love to play catch me if you can. Trust me you can't. Electric fences don't really work as we have a sheltie that would not even go out of the house and it only emitted a loud high pitch noise. Took a week before she would venture outside again. It doesn't take much for something to get a shelties attention (birds, squirrels,running children etc). Congrats on the new puppy.

Becky mom of Bristol, Charlotte, Phoenix and Sparkie
 
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