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How do I get my golden retriever puppy to stop chewing the couch? My kids and I just started back to?

school (I work in the school district). We have a 1 yr old golden retriever puppy who is used to us being around. Now that we are gone all day she gets lonely, when we came home yesterday she had chewed up our brand new couch! How do I get her to stop? I don't really want to leave her in a crate all day but I don't know what else to do if she is going to tear up our furniture.

Public Comments

1. How do I stop destructive chewing? Since dogs have no sense of the value of the items they explore and chew, they can often be seen as destructive in our eyes. Rather than looking to inhibit chewing, you should be looking to focus your dog’s chewing on those items you are happy for it to chew on. The first step is to teach your dog to understand the difference between what is yours and what is theirs. To do this they must see toys as a reward, something that is special and very different to the chair leg for example. Here are some hints and tips to help achieve this: To start with, make only 3 toys available to your dog. Make them all different in taste, texture and shape. Use these toys and play regularly with your dog. This lets them associate these toys with good things and it is therefore more likely your dog will play with them when you are not there. Make one of the toys a hollow fill toy that can be filled with food and treats, further encouraging them to use them. See our article on how to use a Kong and the other activity toys that are available. Remove valuable items or put them out of reach. Discourage your dog from chewing other objects (furnishings etc) with deterrents such as Johnstons Anti Chew. This has a bitter taste and if sprayed on furniture, its taste deters chewing. Keeping your dog confined when you are not watching them. Crate training is seen as one of the best ways to do this (see our article - Dog Crates & Crate Training). Alternatively you could use a play pen to restrict movement to a specific area. When you see your dog chewing the correct items, praise them. This gives further positive reinforcement around chewing the correct objects. Avoid over doing this such that it interrupts their chewing. If you catch your dog about to chew on something they are not meant to, catch their attention with a firm "NO". Immediately give them something they can chew on and praise them when they do. The best form of correction is from the objects themselves! Ok, this sounds odd and needs to be explained. If you discipline your dog for chewing an incorrect object, it can lead them to mistakenly believe they cannot chew at all, or cannot chew in your presence. If however, by chewing a certain object, a certain negative consequence occurs, it will deter them later. The best way to do this is to startle your dog with a squirt from a water pistol (on the back of their head) just as they are about to chew the object. It is important that the dog does not see you do this. It must think it is the object itself. This can be considered slightly aversive and is recommended as a last resort where all other methods have failed. MOST IMPORTANTLY, keep it all positive and reward correct behaviour. Treat any mistakes as your fault for not correctly teaching your dog those items it can or cannot chew.
2. Holy Crap!! I HIGHLY recommend crate training your dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Peace of mind for you, safety for her!! She will snivel & whine for a few days, but when she gets used to it, she will get in volentarilly!
3. If u catch them in the act(which u probably wont cuz she only does it when she is home alone all day) yell at them and then give them something in place of the couch like a bone or something....if u dont wanna put her in a crate u could always put her in one of them fence things that u put outside and put her in there while u are gone or if u have an extra room u can stick her in there...make sure there is nothing in the room that is chewable.
4. The person who answered before me has some great ideas that will most likely work. Personally, I have a 1 year old English Bulldog and we just keep him in a small area of the house using baby gates. He has fresh water, a bed, a few toys and access to the outside to go potty. He is perfectly content in there when we are gone and so far we have not lost any furniture!
5. ok, well you'lll have to punish her. becuase my dog did the exact same thing and we put him in the crate for uhhm, 30 minutes or so, and he stopped. if she's getting lonely, leave the t.v or radio on. something that would keep her busy. to keep her attention away from tearing up the couch. or give her treats to chew on and toys to play with. i tried with my dog and now he doesnt rip the furniture anymore :]
6. I have a golden,too. She went through that ,too!! Cordless phone, shoes etc. Anyway go to petsmart and find some toys that she has to work for treats (they are inside). the people there will help you find what you need. also, when you get home make sure she get some attention !!! all will work out!!! best of luck!!!
7. meangirls answer is good,but kinda impossible when you ae not home. do you have a yard? there are many good tie-out systems available. if not,i,too,suggest crate training as long as the crate is large enough for her. most dogs outgrow their chewing stage. make sure she has sturdy toys you allow her to chew on when you are home,and put one or two in her crate with her. if you do this,she will have lots of energy when you get home,so be ready for playtime! goldens are great family dogs. just be sure that you are very firm about any inappropriate chewing when you are home. good luck
8. Sounds like a bit of doggie anxiety. Try a "kong" w/ peanut butter in a crate for a short period to see if she can be left alone. Increase the duration over a period of days and hopefully this will work out for your family. Anxiety in an animal is tough but the dog can be trained. Good Luck!
9. with dogs they need to know what is okay to chew on. When they chew the wrong thing tell them no (only if you catch them otherwise they don't remember) and hand them something appropriate. My Aussie/Shelite mix was the worst chewer ever, for almost two years then she grew out of it. They need attention and exercise so they do not try to blow their energy on something destructive. Retrievers are slow matures so be ready for the long haul but great dogs when they grow up. My dog destroyed so much but I'm glad I didn't lose my head and get rid of her. She is the best dog I have ever had or known.
10. when you are home, keep a VERY close eye on him and whenever you see him going to chew the furniture tell him no and stand in front of whatever he is going for. this will show dominance and it will let him know that you own the furniture, not him. there is no science to raising a good dog, it's just consistency. you can also get bitter apple spray, but some times that wears off and the dog will go for it again in an hour. another trick is to try Vick's vapor rub.. idk if you'll want to put it on your couch but maybe other surfaces. is there a room like the kitchen maybe where he can't get into trouble? then maybe you could put a baby gate up and have him in there for the day. it isn't mean to crate a dog, they won't be sad or offended. people create these emotions for their dogs and their dogs become terrors. become a leader not a follower and your dog will respect you and your house. exercise is also important so if you could take him for a walk before you leave that will make him more relaxed through out the day. you could also get toys to occupy your dog like a frozen carrot stick, or a kong with peanut butter on the inside so he tries to get it out! good luck
11. I have a chewer too --- I baby gate him into the kitchen but watch out for your cabinets then... Anyway --- I found that I I make sure he has rawhide type chewy sticks he does well. Good luck --- He's only 1...He'll out grow it soon.
12. She's probably had lots of company during the school holidays and suddenly there's no-one around and she's bored out of her brains. Goldens thrive on company so it is really hard on her being left alone for such a long period. Do you have a friendly neighbour who can pop in to see her a couple of times during the day, or someone who could take her out for a walk for you? When I was working I always took my dogs for a good walk before I left for work and it helped to settle them down. They seemed to sleep most of the morning after they had been exercised which made them less inclined to get into mischief when I was out. You could leave her a Kong filled with kibble (part of her daily ration) or a big smokey bone when she feels the need to chew. I wouldn't advise leaving heralone with rawhide chews. Dogs have been known to have choked on rawhides and if there is no-one around to supervise them it's not a good thing to give them. Try spraying all the things you don't want her to chew with Bitter Apple Spray. Dogs hate the taste of it and it does act as a deterrent. It may be a good idea to put a large pen outside with a run for her where she can play during the day with her toys and bones. Just make sure she has plenty of shade and lots of water available and somewhere she can go if it rains. She is still very young (One of my Goldens is 12 months old and I know what a handful they are at this age) but she will grow out of the chewing once her puppyhood is over. All the best.