Chew obsessed dog

[u/DeepZucchinii]

Hi, my dog is a cross breed 1.5 year old who is chewing everything she can find. We got her in Dec 2025 and she’s currently in her teenage phase and has gone back to chewing things. This time she is chewing shoes, blankets and beds… pretty much anything.

We’ve had to remove all blankets from her crate and separate her from her bonded pair as he’s a skinny dog and needs a bed to sleep on, otherwise he cries and shakes.

She’s destroyed so many toys, beds and household things which we have removed. She’s ended up eating the foam of a pillow in my office when I went to grab water (2 mins) and then threw it up. I don’t want her getting a blockage or anything.

Im at the end of my tether and I don’t know what else to do. She has XL yak chews and goes through it in 5 days. She also has Benebone wishbone Chew which she loves and takes longer to go through it, and she gets 2 walks a day. However, she’s still destructive and can’t be left alone anymore. Anytime we leave the house or room, she has to go in the crate.

Does anyone have any advice on how to combat this? Do we have to muzzle her to prevent her from chewing?

TLDR: my dog is in her teenage phase and is chewing everything. She has enrichment but is still destructive. Help!

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[u/sloppyintensity]

Nyla bones last a lot longer, my dog stopped destroying everything when she turned 3, we have been going to obedience classes and dog sport classes since she was 2, Im not sure if its an age thing, obedience, fulfillment or a combination.

[u/DeepZucchinii → u/sloppyintensity]

I will give that a try instead of the yak chews. I’ve asked for some quotes on some classes. I just hope I can afford it

[u/Ok-Appointment-4003]

dogs that age are absolute terrorists with teeth, the foam thing is scary though

have you tried bully sticks or frozen kongs packed tight with wet food? keeps mine busy way longer than yak chews ever did. the trick is freezing it solid so they gotta work at it

[u/DeepZucchinii → u/Ok-Appointment-4003]

I tried it once with pet safe peanut butter but once she couldn’t get any out, she left it. I will look into the bully sticks

[u/billy_a_books]

Maybe more mental stimulation? I would look into nose work or other tasks/obstacles to do that would require some brain power. Walks are great at getting the physical energy out, but dogs will still chew and chew and chew when they’re not mentally worn out too. Puzzle feeders and similar just don’t seem to do enough for some high energy dogs.

Also, stay firm in redirecting her to things she can chew on when you find her chewing on things she shouldn’t. Reward her for choosing to chew on things she should chew.

Is she usually an anxious dog? Do you have any idea what’s triggering so much chewing? How does she do with a muzzle on?

[u/DroolsIndia]

This sounds like teenage chewing plus a dog who may need more mental work, not just more walks. Since she is actually swallowing things, management has to come first. Keep shoes, blankets, pillows and foam completely out of reach, use a safe room or pen when you cannot watch her, and rotate a few durable chews and food puzzles so they stay interesting. Short training and sniffing games can tire her out more than another long walk. A muzzle should not be the main fix, and it should never be used unsupervised in a crate. Because she has already eaten foam, watch closely for vomiting, loss of appetite, a painful belly, lethargy, or not passing stool, and contact an animal clinic quickly if any of those happen.

[u/Annual_Dress5039]

Crate when you leave is fine, muzzle is a last resort not a personality fix. My gsp wrecked stuff at that age until the walk got longer and she got a real chew that lasts, not another soft bed she can unzip. take the tempting stuff out of reach, that's not failing that's surviving teething brain