Dog Chews Canine Companion

Problem: Dog Chews Canine Companion

Charlie, our 14-month-old male Australian Shepherd, has been chewing on Bailey, our eight-year-old Shepherd/Doberman mix. Recently, the chewing has gotten excessive. Charlie chews around her tail, hips, neck, ears and hind legs. I feel like we are constantly stopping the behavior.

The chewing seems to bother Bailey, because she moves, sits or turns to avoid the chewing. It has become so excessive, that Bailey has lost hair in the areas concerned. Our Aussie is a chewer, and has also turned on books, shoes, toys, etc. However, he had never before now chewed a living animal, and he doesn't try to do this with any dog but Bailey.

They are both spayed/neutered, so I was wondering what causes the behavior and if there's a way to stop it?

~~ Crystal

Expert Reply

Hi Crystal,

It sounds like you really have a problem on your hands. The first thing you need to do is put an immediate stop to Charlie's abuse of Bailey. This could be as simple as having him wear a muzzle when he's loose with her and taking turns confining one dog or the other so Charlie doesn't have to wear the muzzle continuously. Once you do this, Bailey's fur should grow back in.

Now, let's talk about Charlie's compulsive behavior. There could be any number of reasons why the chewing started. It could be:

• A dominance issue that got out of hand
• A medical issue with Charlie's teeth and/or gums that is driving him to chew
• A boredom issue that has now developed into a compulsion

Australian Shepherds are keenly intelligent and require a lot of mental stimulation and physical activity to keep them sound in mind and body. I truly think Charlie needs a trip to the vet to discuss the problem and check for any physical issues, such as retained puppy teeth or a gum infection, that might have caused the chewing in the first place. If your vet rules out a physical cause, then Charlie will need to see a canine behaviorist for evaluation.

In the meantime, you might want to try giving Charlie one or two interactive toys. Our article Talking Dog Bone offers suggestions for toys that actually "talk" to your pet to provide mental stimulation. There are also toys that are puzzle treats your dog will spend hours playing with. Getting two toys means you can rotate them to keep Charlie from becoming bored.

Crystal, thanks for your question, and I hope these suggestions give you enough direction to help you work the problem out.

~~ Kelly