Woodworkers with canine shop assistants

[alindsey]

So we have this puppy, Sophie. If you were at the Guild BBQ during WIA you met her. She's a sweet pup but, like most dogs that age, is prone to chewing things up, usually out of anxiety or boredom.

At night she sleeps in a kennel. After gutting two pillows I have removed everything from it and she has been, unhappily, sleeping on the bare plywood bottom. I'd like her to have something softer and not so cold to lay on but blankets get chewed and eaten as well and I'm worried about the possibility of her ending up with an intestinal blockage. You haven't lived until you've seen a dog poop out a series of pieces of blue fleece and an entire child's Spongebob Squarepants sock. Sam is still mad about losing that sock.

Anyway, does anyone have suggestions as to what I could put in there that would make the kennel more comfortable for her that can be removed and washed but that she couldn't easily chew and swallow until she gets over the puppy chewing thing? She has toys, etc. but no matter what I put in there she chews up her bedding.

I'm getting ready to try taking the old carpet treads I just removed from our stairs when I refinished, they have no nap to them, and screwing them down to the plywood so she can't get a hold of the corners but other than that I'm stuck for ideas.

[ChetlovesMer]

I had a similar problem when my border collie (now 13) was a puppy. What worked for me was to include chew toys in her kennel for about 2 weeks. Then I added a kennel mat. (One of those lambswool one one side type pads) I added the kennel mat with which ever chew toy she seemed to favor and it worked. You can also try smearing a very light coating of peanut butter on/or in the chew toy. Then include that with the kennel mat. The idea being that your pup will favor the chew toy over the mat. Your dog should outgrow the chewing thing as soon as their teeth are fully cut.

BTW dogs make great shop assistants. Mine has been a regular fixture in my shop for a long time.

Good luck

[alindsey]

I may try getting her a really large rawhide. She has toys but even the supposedly "indestructable" Kong toys eventually get shredded into bits.

Tried putting down some old carpet treads in there last night. Put them down with 8 screws each thinking it would be difficult for her to get a hold of an edge and really do any damage.

Here's what I found this morning.

I had a similar problem when my border collie (now 13) was a puppy. What worked for me was to include chew toys in her kennel for about 2 weeks. Then I added a kennel mat. (One of those lambswool one one side type pads) I added the kennel mat with which ever chew toy she seemed to favor and it worked. You can also try smearing a very light coating of peanut butter on/or in the chew toy. Then include that with the kennel mat. The idea being that your pup will favor the chew toy over the mat. Your dog should outgrow the chewing thing as soon as their teeth are fully cut.

BTW dogs make great shop assistants. Mine has been a regular fixture in my shop for a long time.

Good luck

[ChetlovesMer]

I think you really need to go without a mat for a couple of weeks. Just include the stuff you want your dog to chew on. That way the dog gets in the habit of chewing on the right things. Then after that habit is established you can add the mat. BTW - Many puppy people will tell you not to put any padding in the bottom of your kennel anyway because it works against the housebreaking aspects of kennel training. But if your dog is kept where its cold I can understand your desire to give the pooch something a little warmer to lie on.

Good luck.