How to Stop Your Jack Russell Chewing Problem
There are some things that all dog owners should be prepared for. Chewing is certainly one of the most common. Jack Russells are also the leading culprits of chewing and will chew almost anything unless you train them not to.
Why do jacks chew?
There are many factors that cause Jax to chew on different things, but none of them indicate malice on your dog’s part. Here are some of the leading factors that contribute to chewing that may help clarify the problem:
They get bored easily
Simply put, when Jacks are bored, they start chewing things to occupy themselves. If that sounds suspicious, remember that humans also exhibit inappropriate behavior when they’re bored, and dogs tend to do the same.
nervousness
Your dog may suffer from general anxiety due to loud noises or something in the environment, or have separation anxiety that causes him to get nervous every time you leave him alone. With the latter, you may find that walls, doors and sills are chewed up; it’s their way of trying to break through barriers to get to you.
The process of teething
Teething is uncomfortable for any animal and as such your puppy will need something to chew on and so will your baby
They are curious
Dogs are usually just curious about certain objects and can gather more information with their mouths than their paws, so doesn’t it make sense to chew a little?
As you can see, these are all completely understandable reasons. But remember, just because it’s understandable doesn’t make it desirable, and luckily there’s a lot you can do about it.
Stopping your Jack Russell from chewing
Another way to think about it is to prevent your dog from chewing on certain things. Clearly, chewing can never be completely eradicated, as it is an important part of what makes a dog a dog. As long as it can be controlled, chewing should not be discouraged, your dog just needs to be trained to know what to chew and what not to chew.
So what should be done? Well, the first thing you might want to try is keeping them occupied. A lot of Jack Russell chewing is a result of boredom, so doesn’t it make sense to entertain them? Keep them busy with exercises and simulations and they will be less inclined to chew.
Also, avoid punishing them if you find them biting an object. Remove any household item they might gnaw on and replace it with a toy they can chew on instead; if they agree to chew the toy, be sure to praise them a lot. By responding positively when your dog chews on a toy instead of a household item, your dog is more likely to chew on the toy again for praise.
However, there’s still the problem of what to do when you’re not there, and that’s where the abundance of chew toys come into play. Obviously, if they have enough toys to occupy them, they will be less likely to seek out your chews and possessions, but you should also try to have such things out of reach, why tempt them?
Anxiety, however, is a little harder to hide. When you’re home with your dog, you can calm him down if he becomes anxious, but obviously that’s harder to do with separation anxiety. Fortunately, many puppies eventually grow out of this once they know you’re not leaving them forever; until that point, try to avoid any chewing or scratching that might occur while you’re gone.
Despite their compulsion to chew, which exists for a variety of reasons, there are many things you can do to tame this problem. Make sure your Jack is entertained with lots of toys and can’t reach your expensive items and you can leave the house with confidence.
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