Always chewing!! Tooth issue??
I visit this forum often for bull terrier advice, and have found the topic discussions to be more than helpful. This breed is truly one of a kind! After almost a year of reading, it is time for my first post!
My dog Loki is a 15 month old handful, with a chewing habit that I can't break! The chewing on “things” like chairs, table legs, and windowsills is bad, but has improved over time. The chewing, biting, and knawing at my hands and arms has NOT improved. There is no aggression involved and it isn't play-like, he just consistently tries to knaw on me! It mainly happens if I’m on the computer or sitting on the couch, and his determination increases when pushed away or told "No." Ignoring the behavior isn’t realistic; he lunges at me repetitively and the biting gets worse as he tries to get a reaction. The rewards method (pet if behaving, no touch if biting) hasn’t worked due to this - it’s a vicious cycle of Loki biting, me pushing him away, Loki turns into a monster, I hold him at arms length to avoid the teeth, he calms down, ..then repeat. He only stops when kenneled in another room for an extended time; short time-outs do not work.
This may be far-fetched, but could something be wrong with his teeth? I have attached a picture below. Wonder if his tooth didn’t grow in all the way and is causing pressure on his gums, so he chews to relieve the discomfort? Otherwise, I’m open to any and all ideas that may help!!
Sorry to write a book
but to give some background... we worked with a canine behavior specialist at home and it was money well spent - Loki has come a long ways! I restrict his access in our house, he is crate trained, knows the "rules," and is too smart for his own good! He is clicker trained and listens well when the clicker comes out! The dog is an absolute angel in public, but the chewing and biting never stops at home. He destroys all of his toys, Kong brand does last a longer than others and he has a variety of chews. We exercise often; my yard is fenced and I walk him daily, also have a spring pole (sturdy frame, tire tubes, rope, duct tape to a toy, no metal!), so he really shouldn’t be too full of energy!! Any advice is appreciated, and thanks for reading my novel
My dog Loki is a 15 month old handful, with a chewing habit that I can't break! The chewing on “things” like chairs, table legs, and windowsills is bad, but has improved over time. The chewing, biting, and knawing at my hands and arms has NOT improved. There is no aggression involved and it isn't play-like, he just consistently tries to knaw on me! It mainly happens if I’m on the computer or sitting on the couch, and his determination increases when pushed away or told "No." Ignoring the behavior isn’t realistic; he lunges at me repetitively and the biting gets worse as he tries to get a reaction. The rewards method (pet if behaving, no touch if biting) hasn’t worked due to this - it’s a vicious cycle of Loki biting, me pushing him away, Loki turns into a monster, I hold him at arms length to avoid the teeth, he calms down, ..then repeat. He only stops when kenneled in another room for an extended time; short time-outs do not work.
This may be far-fetched, but could something be wrong with his teeth? I have attached a picture below. Wonder if his tooth didn’t grow in all the way and is causing pressure on his gums, so he chews to relieve the discomfort? Otherwise, I’m open to any and all ideas that may help!!
Sorry to write a book
but to give some background... we worked with a canine behavior specialist at home and it was money well spent - Loki has come a long ways! I restrict his access in our house, he is crate trained, knows the "rules," and is too smart for his own good! He is clicker trained and listens well when the clicker comes out! The dog is an absolute angel in public, but the chewing and biting never stops at home. He destroys all of his toys, Kong brand does last a longer than others and he has a variety of chews. We exercise often; my yard is fenced and I walk him daily, also have a spring pole (sturdy frame, tire tubes, rope, duct tape to a toy, no metal!), so he really shouldn’t be too full of energy!! Any advice is appreciated, and thanks for reading my novel 
LokiTeeth.JPG
1420 x 1517 - 674K
Comments
I will try your approach and see how it goes. The hardest part for me is keeping a consist response between everybody that he terrorizes! Visitors are a HUGE challenge.. He grabbed my grandmother’s hand and broke skin over the weekend. It’s just very frustrating, especially after all of the time and effort I’ve put towards this dog haha!