My Dog keeps eating wood furniture

[curiousjade]

Can anyone help me? My little shih tzu keeps biting and consuming pieces of the wood from our furniture.  He already ate a good chunk of the door and one of the legs of our dinning room chairs.  I already tried bitter spray. It doesn't seem to work, he actually likes the taste of the bitter spray.  He's also thrown up a couple of times with pieces of the wood in his throw up.  I don't know what else to do and I don't want to have to pay for surgery in the future because of this problem.  If anyone has any advice, I would love to hear it. Thanks!

[Gloria00]

What are Kong toys. My dog is doing the same but also eating my skirting boards

[jacob491]

If your Shih Tzu is like ours then he is a glutton for attention.  If the wood chewing only happens when you are asleep or away from the house it may be separation anxiety. I used Kong toys like Gokuangel but added a twist. I will put treats inside so they rattle around in there and then plug up the holes with peanut butter.  He knows the treats are inside but must get through the peanut butter to get to them.

[Thorr]

Do you have a dog crate for your puppy? You really shouldn't give your puppy rawhide since this can swell up in your puppy and cause problems. Pig ears are much better and you can cut them up, and put them inside your kong. I would put the puppy in the crate anytime you can't watch him. In order to stop him you have to catch him, and redirect him to something he can have. I have worked with several breeds and this is what works for me. I hope this helps.

[curiousjade]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Yes, he is still a puppy.  He's 9 months and is only to be a yr in August.  He has plenty of toys to play with. I even gave him a big long rawhide, but I don't like giving him that because it gets dirty all the time and I have to wash it.  I have a Kong, I'll try using it at night because it usually happens when we're sleeping and when I wake up I discover big surprises.

[Misfits4Me]

Sprinkle some Hot sauce or cayenne pepper on the spots she's chewing. Doe's she have other things to chew on? Bully sticks, lamb lung, dried trachea, pig ears, all can be found at various (Good) pet stores and are long lasting chews. Trust me, any of these will entice her to give up on yucky wood!  ;)  Redirect her to chew on things you want her to have and praise her when she gets it right. I too, wonder if she's a puppy?
Yes, gokuangel is right, Kongs are wonderful!!!!  Keep us updated.....Karla

[gokuangel]

My dog eats everything he can get in his mouth!! and he has thrown up a few times! Is he a puppy? if so the need to chew is impossible to stop with their lil teeth! Invest in some Kong toys! My dog will chew them even after they are empty! He really loves them i havent had much trouble since getting them its just his toys hes chewing which is fine i can deal with those!