German Shepard mix with annoying chewing habit. How do we make it stop?

She needs a job! Yes, that s right. German Shepherds are extremely smart and if not kept busy they can and usually do become destructive and ornery. If you google GSD on the internet and read up on this breed you will see what they are all about. GSD's are working dogs, they become depressed is not walked, exercised and socialized constantly. Even if you throw a ball to play fetch with them for about 45 minutes it will mean all the difference in their behavior. I have a 4 year old purebred German Shepard dog. When she was a pup and we would leave her at home she ate the remote controls from the top down. She would then find my husbands underwear and haul them out the dog door into the backyard. She is almost four now and when we are outside we give her a piece of wood to haul around and tell her to put it over there. We praise her for it also. We take her to the dog parks to play with others and my husband walks her also everyday, at least for 20 minutes or longer. These dogs can be high maintenance and aren't for everybody. i suggest putting her through a training class also.

You say the dog is walked once a day.

But you don`t say how long for and what the walk consists of.

A Gsd mix if 11 months old will need at least 75-90 minutes brisk exercise every day and some of that should be free running off lead.

Also, training should be intense for at least 30 minutes a day to tire the dog out mentally.

(A 30 minute walk on lead round the streets is not enough).

This dog sounds as though it may be bored and chewing relieves that boredom a bit.

If this dog is a mix of another working type breed then its really going to need some sort of job to do or trained for some dog sport.

A tired dog is a contented and happy dog and does not get up to mischief.

There is loads of tip on how to stop a dog from chewing on these sites and its worth a look at them:>>>https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-ins...

Find what motivates your dog. Some dogs do anything for food. Some dogs do anything for Toys. Some do anything for a good petting. Some do anything for only one type of food, like cheese, or hotdog. Some only have interest in training for 5 minutes at a time, and others can go for an hour. Figure out what your dog is willing to work for, and then work with her in sessions that are no longer than she can tolerate. How to train your dog properly https://tr.im/gsrNo

Sign up for a dog obedience training class. It will not train your dog. It will give you training on how you can train your dog. Most people understand the idea of training, but there is a right and a wrong way to do it, and there is good and bad technique. Timing and consistency is very important, and it helps to have feedback of someone watching you who can help you improve your technique to get more efficient results with your dog.

However, she may be somewhat anxious around other dogs, sort of like the shy kid on the playground. She will benefit from continuing what you are doing as far as asking her to sit before entering, but there are more things along those lines that will help her to calmly go in and out of the dog park. She may also benefit from going in short bursts, or only when fewer dogs are present, or avoiding times when other dogs that make her nervous are present. Maybe she just plays loud - my brother's dog is this way - or maybe she is a dogpark bully - sorry it is possible. But more likely she is just a little anxious around new dogs and she wants to play but just doesn't quite know how to do that and still feel comfortable. Don't be surprised if your dog does not actually like the dog park, and maybe she would get more enjoyment and less stress out of simply going for a good walk somewhere else.

A wagging tail does not mean that your dog is happy or even comfortable with the situation. It means your dog is emotionally aroused. This could be a happy arousal, or it could be a nervous arousal, or it could be an aggressive arousal. Go youtube it, there are plenty of videos of 'vicious' dogs who are throwing a very aggressive fit of barking and snarling while their tail is wagging vigorously. Even police dogs who are not let off the leash to chase down a suspect can be lunging and barking and snarling, and their tails are still going.

She must be spending way too long alone to be doing all that damage. If you can't arrange to be with her more than right now (and crating may be one answer, but not for longer than 4 hours at a stretch on a regular basis!) then I think she really needs to go back to the Shelter where hopefully, she'll find a home where people are around more.

ps I'd never leave a dog alone with a bone - it's way too easy for them to splinter, even if raw, and for her to choke.

Your fault for failing to constantly supervise, contain when you can't, correct when caught in the act, and not providing sufficient exercise. Not paragraph three applies to this dog.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e224/GLLNTKNIGHT...

Take it to a vet for the health issues, it may have intestinal blockage and/or perforation due what it may have consumed during all this chewing, that you allowed. It may need emergency surgery to save it's life.