Originally Posted by
smartrock
Hi and welcome! Bitter Apple works for some dogs, my younger pup seemed to think it was salad dressing. She also enjoyed eating sticks and mulch doused with sriracha. She's a crazy one. Our older lab nibbled baseboards, the legs of the dining room table, and ate socks any time and every time he could find one. Our younger one did none of those things, just chewed sticks and mulch. Our first 2 dogs were boxers and the damage they did to our kitchen cabinets, some stacked up drywall, and a couple of sofa cushions was impressive and frustrating. In addition to boxers and labs, we've also had a couple of bullmastiffs. Our first lab was by far the mouthiest of them all in terms of nipping and chewing. Our second lab did very little nipping or chewing although she does like to carry things in her mouth, including your hand or the hem of your clothes sometimes. The boxers were bad but we were young and worked full time so they were probably mostly bored and under exercised. You just don't know what you'll end up with. Some of the breeders on here seem to work with puppies before they even go home at 8-9 weeks to teach them what is OK to put their teeth on and what is not, as well as giving them a good foundation for potty training. I have to say that once they get through their shark attack stage and with some training, they are some wonderful dogs. Finding a good breeder is a good place to start.