poodle biting

Question
I have a miniature poodle who is approx. 10 yrs. old.  We keep him in a closet when we are gone, with the door open, on a blanket, tied to a leash.
He has been fine in there since we moved into our new home; but for 3 weeks now he has been chewing on the nylon lead, and biting through the leash to free himself. He cries and whines most of the night, and we don't know why the sudden change in behavior.
Also, he chews on his feet almost non-stop.  I have allergy problems, and this seems to exacerbate the problems.  I am wondering if this behavior can be changed somehow.  Thank you, Tom


Answer
Hello,

I am sorry to hear you are all having so much trouble.  Your good old dog deserves better, eh?

You must take him to a vet and rule out a medical problem before you begin to consider behavior problems.  I hope the vet gives him some thing to ease the itch in his feet and i hope this will make your dog feel well enough to resume his routines.  

Perhaps a wire cage closer to your bed would make him feel better in his old age.  With his feet so bad, i can understand why he might want to move around more than the leash allows him to.  

Hope the vet has some solutions.