♥KawaiiWolfie♥ wrote:Hi, I own two dogs. They are brother and sister. The brother has a bit of a nervous habit and (very rarely but still) chews
up things like paper, plastic, etc. We usually aren't gone that long from home, and as of right now my mom stays home
because of recent surgery, but I suspect after getting so used to us being home he might have his habit worsened,
anything I might be able to do to help stop his habit from happening every so often?
The first step is management. He can't chew what he can't access, so you and your family need to be diligent about not leaving things out you don't want him to chew on. Another way is to use a crate, baby gate, or closed door to confine him in a dog proof room when you can't supervise him.
Luzien is right about the exercise, a tired dog is a good dog. And remember you have to exercise his mind as well as his body. Feeding him his meals only in puzzle toys or doling it out during training is an easy method to get a little more mental and physical exercise into his day.
If you're concerned his chewing is due to isolation distress go back and do alone training with him.
Here are some videos that may be helpful...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGxhcb-itO4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwZI1isnvPQ
Also I would not recommend leaving the dog alone with a rawhide chew. They are not digestible and can cause blockages. Use digestible chews like bullysticks, pig ears, antlers, raw meaty bones, etc (check out http://www.bestbullysticks.com to see what's out there), or tough toys that the dog can't/wont chew through. Of course there's always a choking hazard when leaving your dog with anything so you have to make at judgment call on what your dog can handle and what is best for your particular dog. At the very least give him new chews a few times when you're in the house so you can check in to see how he handles them.
@LizzyTheWolf - I'm so sorry for you. I hate people who let there dogs off leash someplace they're not allowed. It's unfair and dangerous. I'm glad the guy got in trouble and feel sorry for his dog who was put into danger because of it's irresponsible owner. I'm glad you called the cops on him, these people need to learn to obey the laws.