Book shredder!
 Pippin has now eaten/shredded his 5th book (not to mention a few magazines). I've really had it with this bad habit. We do our best to keep all of our books up, and out of his way. Every once in a while though, he manages to grab a hold of one and shred it! So far he's managed to destroy a library book, a book of Mike's, a romance novel of mine, the phone book, and this morning a book my sister was going to send out for her book exchange. (NOT GOOD!) Other then keeping books out of his way, is there any way to stop this really bad habit? He always does it when he knows we're away in another room or not at home. HELP PLEASE! |
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| Sorry, I have to laugh at this, Karen! I don't have any advice right now. Foz seemed to have grown out of the eating books/magazine stage. |
| Bear was my book eater. He ate the first 10 chapters of a book that I had read and James was about to start so I told James not to worry, I'd just tell him what happened but he didn't really go for that. (I know, can you imagine?). Bear also ate a book about the Komondor breed and the Komondor newsletter that he was featured in. I guess he figured they were his to do with as he pleased since "his" picture was on them.
Now he has outgrown that behavior for the most part and we really didn't do anything other than become pretty responsible about putting things away, but even that has relaxed over time. About a month ago, he took a bite out of a piece of mail (that I told James to move because it may not be safe). We came home from work and the envelope had one perfect chomp in the corner. It appeared to be a very "I-told-you-so" maneuver from Bear! |
| Karen, I hate to tell you this but he may not out grow it. Mopsy was a paper eater and that included books, magazines, First Communion banners, Eagle Scout merit badge cards, card board containers and MONEY! She ate the cover to her brothers' brand new Simpson's DVD less than a month before she died at 10 and a half years old!
I finally figured out that this was Separation Anxiety when she turned ten. I guess I am not that quick on the uptake  but it was not EVERY time we left. Although it ONLY happened when we were gone. Especially when there was a change in routine - like the boys returning to school after summer break. Although she would eat kleenex 24/7 since they were apparently a delicacy - we are just now getting used to have trash cans on the floor again. (Harry couldn't care less about trash)
The only thing we did over the years was make sure that we put ALL paper items out of sheepie reach when we left. We called it "Mopsy Proofing" the house and the boys knew what I meant when I told them to do it. Harry also has Separation Anxiety but he is into big ticket items like kitchen chairs, kitchen walls and carpet. But I have been working to combat it and he has been successfully out of the crate since January 20th at the age of 18 months. Here are two things to do if you think it is caused by your leaving or lack of attention when he has spare energy: 1) We give Harry a bone that he only gets when we leave and we take it up immediately upon arrival home. It is a femur bone and initially I was getting a new one every couple of weeks so that it had lots of good junk on it. We leave it in the kitchen to see if he chewed it because we know if he chews it will only be in the family room. When it was moved we know he occupied his time with his bone. He is growing up enough that a couple of times this week I know all he did was sleep because he did not eat his food and his bone was still in the kitchen. 2) Based on an article from a link on this web site, we do NOT make a big deal when we are departing or arriving. In fact the site suggested giving them a treat, which we do in addition to the bone, and walk out while they are preoccupied with the treat. Good luck. We laugh now about all the damage Mopsy did but it was not so funny at the time. |
| Fred loves paper too. My daughter was kind enough to make sure he had some good literature to gnaw on, a hardcover copy of Wuthering Heights. Thank you Hailey. Thank you Fred. |
| I came home from work one day with my entire little bookshelf emptied... luckily he just scattered most of the books until he found a couple he really liked... including my bible. I yellled at him enough after that so that he hasn't touched a single one since. But boy oh boy did he like books and toilet paper rolls.... shredding things must really give them enjoyment! |
| Hi,
Sorry to hear of Pippin's habbit...gives devouring a good book another meaning. I sympathize with you but can't offer any suggestions at this time. One of my cats liked to chew corners on books but stopped when I had her teeth fixed. Perhaps rule out dental/teething problems? Marianne and the boys |
Duchess is 6 mos. and is a book reader also along with any other paper products she can find so we try to keep things out of her reach for now along with a sharp no when we see her at them. 
I have a small book case and she emptied the bottom shelf so that she could lay there ( she's to big now tho ) but she never touches the books on the upper shelves  |
| Marianne,
I'll mention that to my vet my when Pip goes in for his checkup. I really DON'T think that's it, since he has finished teething, and his mouth really looks good every time I check it. but you never know. Iris did the same thing as a kitten, when she was teething. Chewy chompy right on my book covers and corners. But little kitten holes are SO much better then full Pippin destruction! I'd take that over shreds any day! |
| Oh - not a book hound! You know, I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact he's named after a book character - perhaps he trying to figure out how to get inside? |
| Don't leave things where the dog can get them. Simon tried to learn to read when he was about 4mo old. To him tissues are for eating, toilet paper for shredding. Now the toilet paper goes on the back of the toilet, tissues are out of dog reach and it seems thankfully he has either learned to read..or given up as he has not touched a book(knock on wood) in a few months...Pam |
| Yesterday James ate a sandwich on the couch and when he was done, he put the napkin on the end table with an empty soda can over it. I was saw Bear walking very gingerly towards the table and kind of looking at James, who was engrossed in his laptop. Bear stealthily snuck up and grabbed the napkin like a magician yanking out a tablecloth from a fully set table and the ran like the wind. I heard the can crash but I didn't actually see what he got until a moment later when James was after him saying "Hey, gimme that-- it's mine." Every time he eats a napkin and poops it out, our day care calls us to tell us they think Bear has worms so that's why we're so nuts about recovering what he stole! |
| Sorry, no advice to offer except the obvious keep the papers where he can't reach them.. but we can sympathize -- Callie's a paper-eater too, occasionally. She'll go for months without bothering any paper and then just when we begin to forget about her previous incident, she'll find something really good and rip it to shreds. Must be a sheepy game they all play... |
| Lucy is 5 months old and anything paper she chews it. Can't leave the paper on the ottoman, toliet paper in reach in the bathroom, magazines by the couch, and newspapers in neighbor's driveway. My mother-in-law asked if I wanted a paper shredder, she had an extra. I said, "No thanks, got a living, breathing one." We just try to keep paper out of reach. I really like the treat bone idea. I rather it be paper than the oriental rug she attacked when we first got her.
Salley |
| George is also a paper addict, though he hasn't chewed any books yet!! Try leaving a book that you don' want and spray it with bitter apple and see if that makes him stop. I think you would have to spray it gradually so that it didn't just soak the pages! It might be worth a try??? |
hello and we are new to the site but seem to have the same problems that the rest of the owners of 'chewers' have. Spencer is 10 months and we have had him since he was 6 months old. He has chewed 2 remote controls (and they are not cheap the replace) and two large phone books along with all my husband's airline magazines. A bowl of artificial fruit on the dining room table is now in a cabinet and every other movable item is now hidden. Spencer is wondeful but when we are gone, eats anything and everything that he can get his teeth into. We don't crate and are thinking of getting a baby gate to keep him in a safe area. BUT, as of last night he decided to finish off the second remote control while were were sleeping, a first for him. I keep thinking that he will get better and hope that someone will say that is true....we use positive reinforement but have had to start really scolding and he just looks so sad  Hard to be a new mommy! |
| Hi Virginia,
Sounds like so far you have gotten off cheap. Yep, it all sounds familiar. Their rear molers are coming in at 8 to 10 months. It may be a few more months before they are fully in and it slows way down, but it will! Crating is a very good idea. Zach |
| Glad to know I am not the only one with a chewer. |
HumphreyAndMe wrote: until he found a couple he really liked... including my bible. At least you know he was getting some wholesome nutrition. |
Ron wrote: HumphreyAndMe wrote: until he found a couple he really liked... including my bible. At least you know he was getting some wholesome nutrition. LMAO
My dogs will happily eat napkins if someone leaves them around. Hayley also has a habit of wiping her face and then wiping the dogs face. All of the dogs allow this then walk away with the napkin in their mouth.  |
| Truboy is big into books as well. he knows that he shouldnt be destroying them but sometimes he cant help himself. silly big dogs. |
| We had a lab that was a magazine/newspaper lover. However, he was also scared to death of a toy plastic dinosaur of our son's - so we lived for years with that lovely dinosaur on top of the coffee table with the newspapers and magazines stacked underneath it. Boomer didn't touch them if the dinosaur was on top. Also, how about spraying the books with bitter apple? If he gets a taste of that every time he puts his mouth on a book for awhile, maybe it would help break him from chewing them up. |
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