How to stop a puppy from chewing crate bedding
Puppies repeatedly chew and shred crate pads, blankets, and towels, destroying even expensive so-called chew-proof options within a week. This constant destruction leaves owners unable to keep soft bedding in the crate and forces them to continuously replace shredded materials.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- This comes up 24.3× more often in r/puppy101 than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Removing the crate bed entirely and letting the dog sleep on the bare plastic trayDid this help you?
- 2Using zip-ties to secure the bedding to the crateDid this help you?
- 3Trying different expensive 'chew proof' bedding productsDid this help you?
- 4doing research before buying chew toysDid this help you?
- 5using DIY solutionsDid this help you?
- 6Trying to find alternative chew toys like construction ropeDid this help you?
- 7Applying anti chew spraysDid this help you?
- 8Blocking access to the areasDid this help you?
- 9Deterring with treats or toysDid this help you?
- 10Trying hot sauce on the chewed areasDid this help you?
- 11Redirecting the puppy to a rope toy every time they go for the furDid this help you?
- 12Trimming the older dog's coat shortDid this help you?
- 13constant supervision and redirectionDid this help you?
- 14practicing staying on a place matDid this help you?
- 15giving appropriate items to shred once a day in the gardenDid this help you?
- 16using clean cardboard boxes as a controlled destruction outletDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The thing she chews the most is the bed/pad in her crate.”source ↗
“We’ve tried blankets and towels and 3 different (expensive) “chew proof” ones.”source ↗
“The best one (which was zip-tied to the crate) made it about a week before it had a big hole.”source ↗
“My 9 month golden retriever x viszla puts everything in his mouth and will shred it if he gets the opportunity.”source ↗
“If I tell him to leave it, he will. If I tell him to drop it, he will. But 5 mins later we have to go through the procedure again.”source ↗
“Because of this he can only spend time with us in the house when we can fully concentrate on what he is doing.”source ↗
“honestly nothing worked for mine either, same thing, only the crate bed got shredded”source ↗
“I couldn't find a title for this post but my 8 month old LOVES to chew and it's a very normal thing however in my area I can barely find good chewing toys and the ones I do are torn apart by him and I'm constantly anxious that he will eat it as he has done it before.”source ↗
“My 10m nibbles to get a few threads loose, then gets them in his back molars and saws through them 😂”source ↗
“Dog will not stop chewing anything hard (coffee table, couch legs, any part of walls).”source ↗
“I’m like literally at my wits end and regret ever getting a fucking dog.”source ↗
“Have tried anti chew sprays, try blocking him from chewing it, try to deter with treats or toy but nothing is really working.”source ↗
“The thing is he keeps biting and tugging onto her fur, she plays and teases him back but never uses her teeth, they’re bad and she has trouble with them.”source ↗
“My dog cracked multiple teeth on cheap chew toys.”source ↗
“My dal did same thing to my older shih tzu when he was a pup, it's that herding instinct I think.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Why won't my puppy stop biting and jumping on me?
- 17How to stop a puppy from scratching furniture and appliances?
- 2My puppy swallowed a treat whole
- 4How to stop a puppy from eating everything on walks
- 2How to stop a puppy from chewing baseboards and door frames
- 13Cat keeps eating string and dental floss