Originally Posted by
auntpiggylpn
Cooper has really been a good boy! He has only chewed on a couple of things since we brought him home in September. He did chew up my brand new car charger for my camera last week but I DID leave it where he could get it. We never yell at him or strike him as we are sure he was not treated well before becoming a stray. He knows when he is bad just by the tone of our voice. We crate him only when we aren't home because he has such separation anxiety. I just laughed when I saw the mess this morning as the other dog and cat were just watching him go at it! It was an ugly pillow anyway!!!
You sound like a lovely, understanding pet owner! You are an angel for rescuing this dog (who is an incredibly handsome fellow, by the way!)
I love that you didn't yell at him for chewing the pillow. Many other pet owners would have because they don't stop to realize that dogs don't think the same way we do. To your dog, that pillow is a toy, pure and simple. He wasn't being "bad", he was just being a dog. Of course they have to learn not to do these things, but that is best accomplished with positive reinforcement for good behavior, not punishment for what we don't want them to do. But if he loves to chew, I would recommend bully sticks. They are a fabulous alternative to rawhide (which in my opinion are terrible and should never be used). My dog just loves them and it keeps her and her teeth busy for quite a long time.