a couple questions...

Question
QUESTION: ok so i have a jack russel and she likes to eat clothing :| i dont no how to stop this and we would give her more toys to play with but when we give her toys she either rips them apart and makes a huge mess or he eats them and she has cut her trought before, so my question is do you know of anyways to stop this. we have even started to put clothes into a hamper but she will go in and get them! thanks

ANSWER: What I think you are describing is incessant chewing. Lets me start with the simple and then into the complex problems here. What we don't know from your question is when this started. Has it been since day one or can you trace it to a specific event?

Common remedies for chewing are the use of foods that taste bad to the dog. We use lemon juice. Right out of the little yellow plastic bottles. You can put it on just about anything without damage. I would start with a rag, give it a liberal dose of juice and give it to the dog as though you were giving him a treat. That should bring a negative reaction. yeeech, tastes terrible. Next, set the dog up by putting juice on one of the items he likes to chew, let him near it and you should get the same,  yeeeech that tastes bad reaction. We put it on furniture, leashes, hands, everything the dog is chewing that it shouldn't chew. When you catch the chewing in the act, (keep the juice handy) give a direct squirt in the mouth and tell the dog "NO! Bad Dog. Juice." Our pets usually learned in 1 -2 actual squirts to the point where all we have to do is say the word "Juice!" and they know they are being bad and stop. [This works for nipping and leash chewing]

Some dogs like lemon juice (uhhh well I do to, but) so you may need to use Tabasco, hot red peppers, jalapeno, or other spicy stuff.

Now, what is behind the chewing behavior? Is he looking for attention (Munchousen) by being bad? Does he have a dental problem? Is he jealous: has there been a change in household environment, added people, other pets, babies, loss of a companion pet? Does he get enough exercise to make him tired? You need to do some detective work and some daily routine changes to determine the behavior trigger. I would start with sequestering the dog into a small part of the house with less chewable items. Change the feeding and affection schedules. JRT's are smart dogs and require a lot of external stimulus to keep their mind busy. Toys with challenge, such as a Kong toys with the treats inside. One friend built a maze the dog goes through to get the daily meal and changes the pattern of the panels every week so the dog faces a new puzzle. One excellent way would be to engage in agility and fly-ball training. That would channel his energy into constructive activities.  

If you have the space outside, you might want to invest in some agility pieces for your yard so the dog has exercise with challenge and that should also tire him out so he is more likely to be quiet in house. Aglity equipment makers have them in various sizes so you can get smaller versions. You can make cheap jumps, hurdles and tunnels   from PVC pipe Hula hoops broom sticks (without the broom part) and cloth. A covered milk crate (plastic box) for the stay table. Nothing like a hard day in the jumps and tunnels to bring on heavy nap time and calm the nerves.   

Regards,
Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels
www.dogkennel.org



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: to answer some of the questions in that answer, she didnt always do this she started a couple of years ago with just underwear and a few months ago went on to other clothes. i no that me and her are really close and it really started getting bad when i wasnt at home alot. i have actually wanted to get her into agility because she would be good at it but she doesnt get along with other dogs..:( i dont no if that changes anything in the answer or not. thanks again

Answer
OK, the dog is either bored, or wants attention. Likely both. While we can't go back 2 years, you need to be pack leader more. First, don't let her have the run of the house when you are not there. Second, keep her sequestered or in a crate while away. Third, when you do catch the dog in the act, immediate correction needs to be taken. Keep in mind a dog has about a 3 second short term memory, after that they don't remember what we are talking about. I see a lot of "NO, Bad Dog!" in your immediate future. Juice as previously discussed. (or bitter apple or what ever works). Take away any cloth like chew toys, and provide things like Kong toys, rawhide chews, nylabones, etc. If the dog has had obedience training, do a refresher. If not, start now. Follow the nothing for free program. Dog must sit, or some other command before it gets anything: food, toys, treats, affection. Lastly, the dog needs mental and physical work outs. Even if it is just a walk, but organized dog competition or training will give her things to think about besides chewing. It will relive tension, making the dog calmer, provide good exercise for health and make the dog smarter. The brain needs exercise as much as the body. There are many good books on specific breeds, agility, and other exercise play for dogs. Even just a good session of Fetch or other activity will help.

Regards,

Henry Ruhwiedel