help - Page 1

how can i stop my dogs from eating  their beds?

Don't give them beds.

lol, yeah, but isnt it better on their hips, im in germany where they dont believe in carpet, the floor is pretty hard, and i want to put beds in their crates also

You could try torn up news paper.... as long as the dogs dont eat that too....lol...

Are the crates in doors or out in a garage? If they are outdoors then I would use cedar savings. I have used them in the past in the kennels I had in the garage as well as in the puppy pens and it worked great. They dogs and pups stayed clean and smelled good too.

I am using torn up news paper in my new dogs crate at night. He doesnt eat it and he snuggles in it and stays warm.

Hope this helps.

Or can you get hold of some thick rubber matting ?  They may
still chew on it but it will take longer to destroy cos it doesn't
rip as much as cloth.
I used rubber mats with Taz for years because he was such
a chewer;  he only graduated to proper dog beds when he was
8.

good info thx

I would go with the Kuranda dog bed with the 40 oz Vinyl.  They are indestructible.  They are expensive, but they last forever.  The keep the dog off the floor and are easy on their joints.  I bought 2 for my dogs.  My dog trainer has a bunch and I've never seen one in bad condition or needing replacement.  I originally bought one with the wrong material - the weave or something - it allowed dog hair to get stuck in the surface of the material.  I replaced it with the 40 oz vinyl,  It is a nice smooth surface - nothing penetrates it and it cleans real easy.  One of my dogs loved to destroy his dog beds - he can't do anything to the Kuranda. 

This is regarding your 2 puppies, correct?  If so, you are likely dealing with multiple things.

1. They are just puppies.  At this age (if I remember correctly, they are both under 8 months, right?), destruction is their middle name.
2. Destroying is usually associated with boredom.  

Here are some suggestions.

1. crate train - This saves your home, protects the pup, and makes many house manner challenges much easier to correct.
2. If the pup is only in the crate for 60 - 90 minutes at a time, give the puppy something  large  to chew on.   It needs to be large so that the puppy cannot swallow it.  The interactive toys that you hide treats in works well too.
3. If the pup is in the crate longer, better to go with a simple rug or blanket.  Something that it is ok if they destroy.  Blankets work well, as even after they are destroyed, they are still generally ok to sleep on.
4. Train based on redirect.  This will take some time on your part.  If you can spend the day at it, usually a day or 2 is all it takes.  You will still have destruction, but not at much.  They will eventually out grow it (in theory).   Here is how I handled it with mine.
      a.  Take a Saturday that I am working in the house (or playing video games ), but something that it is ok with constant interuptions.
      b.  Put the pup in the crate in the same room you are in; put the bed in the crate too.
      c.  Teach the puppy that the crate is a place to be calm, not a place to play.  Use redirect and rewards.  When the pup starts to play and get exited, give a gentle, but firm "no."  Then put them in a down position.  Reward when they are calm and laying down.

If you do not want to crate, above will still work.  Use a leash instead.  This allows you to keep control.  Still put the puppy on their bed and teach that the bed is a place to be clam and that it is not a toy.

Give them a toy that it is ok to destroy.  The rope pulls or a towel is great.  Teach the pup that this toy they can destroy to their hearts content.  Everything else, they need to be calm with.

I have found it makes home life easier to work within the puppy's natural tendencies than to remove them.  For puppies, everything is a toy and nothing is more fun than to shred, pull, and destroy.  Just teach what is acceptable to destroy and what is not.  I also always teach the difference between what is mine and what is theirs.  If it is mine, they are not allowed to even sniff (shoes, socks, pillows).  Being stingy and not sharing is something a dog fully understands.  Look at how they work with each other.  If they do not want to share, they make it very clear to other dogs.  Most dogs respect the "it's mine, leave it alone."

Good luck.

I have had the same problem also, with my now 10 month female. When she was younger, we got her a rectangular cushion-like dog bed, which of course she destroyed and pulled out the stuffing. After sewing it back and restuffing a few times, I finally took it away and put an old rug in her crate. The rug has been in her crate for a while now, and it is still intact.

I'm not sure if she preferred the simplicity of the rug over the giant pillow bed, but it does seem as though she likes the old rug much better. Hope this helped.

thx