"Michael A. Ball" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 16:40:16 -0500, "K" wrote:

...Our dog, a seven-month old Golden,...

In Puppy 101, they should have taught you that puppies need activities
and things to chew on--just like adult dogs.

Buy a "bitter apple" product (to combat chewing of inappropriate things)
at any good pet supply store; and while you're there, get him some
squeaky toys, a knotted rope, a Kong for loading with peanut butter, and
a good supply of basted rawhide. Always offer one of those items,
whenever you finding him chewing on something inappropriate.

Goldens are intelligent, high-energy dogs. If you don't burn off the
energy and provide amusement, they will devise their own amusement.




___________________
A dog's life is too short; their only fault really.

LOL, I didn't mean to give the impression that I'm a first-time dog owner,
or that this chewing the house thing has been going on-and-on. We've had a
steady stream of healthy, happy dogs since the 70's, and this is actually
our third Golden.

In my original post I mentioned that she chewed on furniture as a young pup,
but that stopped months ago. She never chewed on an exterior part of the
house until just now, when the entire garage front was replaced with cedar,
and freshly painted with latex.

You'd think I did the place with marrow bones! She homes in on it the
moment she's let out, stops when told to, then goes back at it the minute
the old back is turned. This isn't a city lot, but a 12 acre farm with
another 14 acres across the street - two ponds and a stream, and a lake
across the way. We have horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, and a couple of
llamas, and she has a world's worth of bunnies, squirrels and ducks to
chase.

She likes that wood, though, and i think it's the latex paint. I gave her a
piece of cedar to gnaw on, and she did, but it could have been any old
stick. Now the paint has been on for a few days, and it's rained a few
times, and she's less interested.

The painter still has a way to go in 'dog' territory, so I picked up some
snow fence today to keep the dog out of range. If she goes back at the
garage and starts eating again, then maybe it's time she became a barn dog.

I just worry about her eating things that aren't food, and creating great
vet bills.

thanks for all the tips,
Keith

ps: That Dog Whisperer book bites. I bought it, and there isn't a word in
there about raising dogs; it's just a 200+ page ad for the TV show and the
author. We're in an un-cabled area, and this is one more reason I'm glad of
that.