stopping my staff removing the plaster from the walls

i have an 18 monthold staff, she is scratching at the walls in my kitchen and i was wondering if anyone had any ideas to stop her?

i have tried the stop scratch spray and she likes the taste of it, crazy dog!

any ideas would be greatfull

Geez! She likes the taste? What the?
Does it have citronella in it? Most dogs cant stand the smell of citronella. If it doesn't, try one that does. If it does, Hmmmm !!!

devilskate wrote:i have an 18 monthold staff, she is scratching at the walls in my kitchen..

Maybe you've got rabid rodents in your cavity's!!



Seriously tho, sounds like classic case of boredom when your dog is left alone, don't know the situation so need more info!

I agree give us some more background

she is only left alone at night and during the day if i go out but i normal take her with me. she is in the house the rest of the time!

yeah it is the one with citorenlla in and she licks it off the wall!!! i have seen her do it.

i have a baby gate on the kitchen door to keep her in there when i am out but that is open when we are home.

Invest in a kong, fill it with nice things and freeze it, every time you have to go out leave her with the kong. Alternatively try a treat ball, put her usual kibble in it and leave her with that she will have to push it around for the food to fall out and this makes her work for her breakfast.

i will try that! i am not goign to replater the wall until i have stoppped her doing it!

thanks will give it a try anythings worth a go!

No problem

I agree with Watts, Kongs are a god send. You are best buying the black kong which is for strong chewers. There are some recipes on the forum for fillings you can make yourself which are much more nutritious (and cheaper) than buying the paste.

I agree with what everyone has said so far however if she were mine i would be introducing a crate to her daily routine if you have not already done so. By crating her whilst you are not there it will not only prevent any more damage to your property but more importantly it will prevent any harm coming to your dog should she choose one day to chew through the wrong bit of plaster which has live wires behind it !

Good point Julie

I have heard of this before, apparently it can be a mineral deficiency. The dog might be licking plaster off the walls because of the lime in it, maybe a broad-spectrum vitimin / mineral supplement might help. When I was doing an animal nutrition course my teacher actually used this as an example of mineral deficiency, apparently the dog took literal chunks of plaster out of the walls and ate them.

(think its lack of iron...?)

LCSSTAFFORDS I fill Lulu's kong with cubes of your delicious liver cake when I go out, No more chewed skirting boards when I get home!!!!

my dog bites the walls, lol

i had to create cairo because she started eating the walls in the kitchen,and the hallway.i also used the sprays that you say your staff actually likes.maby you could try a different one? the one i used was shaws chew deterrent,and she HATED it.

Julie.x wrote:LCSSTAFFORDS I fill Lulu's kong with cubes of your delicious liver cake when I go out, No more chewed skirting boards when I get home!!!!

Glad she likes it

For some reason they will do ANYTHING for that stinky liver cake

Maistaff wrote:I agree with what everyone has said so far however if she were mine i would be introducing a crate to her daily routine if you have not already done so. By crating her whilst you are not there it will not only prevent any more damage to your property but more importantly it will prevent any harm coming to your dog should she choose one day to chew through the wrong bit of plaster which has live wires behind it !

hey sh is too big for a crate now! i have tried the kong its gone in the garden neer to be seen again! i dont know wat else to try!

You can buy large crates, a 36" would be sufficient for her. They are about £25 off ebay (a lot cheaper than the shops)
If you do buy one introduce her to it gradually.
Don't worry about her age, any dog can adapt to a crate as long as it is an enjoyable experience. Put lots of toys in and some comfortable bedding and you may find she will use it of her own free will.

Forgot to ask, did you put anything in the Kong? When I put a filling in I freeze it overnight and then give it to mine in his cage.
I have re read your post, is she doing this when you are out or in? If it is when you are out then you could take her for a run before you go out, I invested in a couple of nose balls and my two are kanckered after playing with theirs, maybe if you tire her our more she may sleep more when you are out?

agree it could be diet related, but rather than adding supplements it would be an idea to look at her WHOLE diet to see if you can discover what she might be missing.
Also you say she has the run of the house as soon as you get home, it might be worth giving her some "alone time" while you are in the house, ie let her out when you come home, no fuss till she is calm, then after an hour or so put her back in the room (with something to play with so she doesn't feel like she is being punished) so she can still see you but cant get to you, she needs to learn that being on her own isnt the end of the world, but obv start off very slowly and build up the time she is left on her own, kongs are also a fab idea

definatly try a cage,i brought one for cairo and its one of the best things ive brought for her.its saved my home from distruction.cairo likes hers so much i leave the door open during the day when im at home,and she goes and sits inside it,or has a sleep in there.i made it into a den,covering the top and sides with a blanket,and she really took to it.its like her own private space.

ok i will givwe it a go thanks

I would start looking for a larger crate. The cost of a new crate versus your home is not that much. I would buy as big a crate as your home can accomodate and as much as you can afford that way she iwll have room to move around in and you might not feel so bad about leaving her in there.

Good luck

ok my mum has a crate i will give it a go with hers before i buy one.
thanks

I think you need to look at dogs diet, why else would it want to eat something filled with lime? Maybe just try a simple diet change and you might have instant results. Is it not worth a try?