# Whippet won't stop chewing advice please



## Poppys_mum (12 July 2012)

Our whippet is 11 months old and chews absolutely everything in particular the carpet! which is not good as everyone works he's left alone from about half past eight until half past one which is not ideal but whats got to be done has to be done! please please please help as this is the final straw
preferably don't want to crate/cage him 
thank you


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## Carlosmum (12 July 2012)

My 5 month old whippet cross pup loves to chew carpet, but when everyone is out she is in her crate.  she's quite happy about it.  I would suggest you shut yours in a carpet free zone or teach him to wait in a crate.


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## piebaldsparkle (12 July 2012)

Make sure he something more desirable to chew e.g. Stuffed, frozen Kong, Stag Bar, Rope tugger etc...


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## Echo24 (13 July 2012)

I would personally say crate, because you limit what he chews and prevent it from becoming a habit. Or limit him to somewhere like a kitchen or utility room where there are no carpets and he doesn't have free range of the house. But be warned if he's a chewer, chances are he may take to chewing your kitchen cupboards! Work colleague had a lab that used to chew through concrete walls!! 

Ditto piebaldsparkle, get a kong, smear tiny bit of peanut butter or marmite at the bottom and that should keep pup preoccupied. Or add hot water to its feed, let it soak up and turn mashy, stuff the kong with the food, freeze it and give it to the pup in the morning to keep it preoccupied.

I would also get things like lots of smokey bones and hard sterilised bones from places like the Range or Wilkos and they usually love chewing on that. You can also get a biscuit, like a bonio and shove it in the middle of the bone and that keeps them preoccupied.


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## CAYLA (13 July 2012)

Is it chewing or slight anxiety when left, is he only doing it when left or does he so it all the time?
As suggested restricting his space will help, there is to much temptation.
for him or he is literally bored. Chose an area to confine him when you are home as well as out of the home and make it a positive area (be it crate or baby gate the kitchen.
I would recommend Raw bones (less chance of problems) as suggested kongs filled with nice natural ingredient nothing artificial or sugary or his/her own food with tuna/sardines mixed in and invest in a treat ball and fill with goodies (something strong smelling (natures menu do some nice treats to fill it) and as suggested the stag bar/pork roles (they are huge things and you can buy them in a bag of twenty or something.
Swap and change and never leave the same old boring things down and not a huge variety, have a treat box and use it to swap the positives instead of leaving them lying around. Also try the large flavoured gnaw bones.
Place him/her in the chosen space with chosen goodies and always feed meals in there and always place him/her in their randomly when you are home aswell as out. (where does he/she sleep at night)?


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## lizziegoos (13 July 2012)

I own a whippet & she used to chew when I owned her as a puppy despite been kennelled through day&indoors through night with 3 other dogs.I tried absolutely everything & anything on the 'doggy market'& nothing worked.  In the end, I bought biggest crate I could buy and she has never chewed since - my vet said whippets like to have a 'hiding' place where they feel safe & like to go on their own.(I have a big tartan blanket over her cage)  I have owned her 5 years on & shes never chewed since me buying the crate as she is free to go in and out of her cage 24/7 as the cage doors left constantly open.
I note on your ad you've stated you dont want to cage your whippet - i felt the same way but when mine chewed through my new range cooker (stainless steel) the cage was the only option left!


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## Polotash (13 July 2012)

Crate. If you train them to use the crate as their den it isn't a punishment for them, it's somewhere safe. As people have said whippets like to be warm and comfy, so put a blanket over the crate and make it super comfy with a thick bed/ duvets. If you get a large one he'll have plenty of room to make a nest and chew his bones, rawhides and frozen kong (these are excellent).

You just need to direct his chewing onto appropriate articles, like the toys I have just listed.

Believe me, I foster for GRWE (Greyhound and lurcher rescue) and all mine are crated because they come to me totally untrained, inc house training. I get them happy with the idea of a crate and they sleep in it and are in there if I have to leave them. Not one has been stressed over this, and all will go in there of their own accord, because it's their den.


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## Poppys_mum (13 July 2012)

Thank you for your replies think we are going to try cage/crate as it just keeps getting worse if you have any more suggestions i would love to hear them xx


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## BigRed (13 July 2012)

Make sure he gets a proper walk off the lead before you lot go to work.  My whippets fall fast asleep after a walk.


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