Stop dog chewing problems once and for all
Many dog owners experience problems with dog chewing at one point or another. More often than not, your dog’s chosen chew toy isn’t always her own toy, but instead your favorite pair of shoes or your furniture. Dog chewing is certainly a frustrating problem, but it is something you can put an end to.
But before you can stop your dog from chewing your home, you’ll need to understand why he’s exhibiting this behavior in the first place. Dogs chew for several reasons, the main reason being their natural desire to chew. Chewing is fun for dogs and sometimes rewarding if they chew on something that tastes good.
Dogs chew for comfort. For example, if I’m in a bad mood or just bored, I raid my freezer for my favorite ice cream, grab a book and snuggle up in my bed. Likewise, if your dog is bored, lonely, or nervous, he may use chewing as a way to calm himself.
Dogs also chew when they lack exercise. No matter how smart or well-behaved your dog is, if he lacks the proper exercise and mental stimulation, he can resort to destructive means of burning off his energy by chewing on your walls.
Now that we understand why dogs chew, here are some of the best ways to stop the behavior:
- Protect your home from dogs. Take anything you don’t want in your dog’s mouth and make it out of reach. If you don’t want her walking around certain rooms in your home, keep those doors closed. If she can jump or climb, make sure you keep items out of reach that you don’t want her to explore.
- Don’t let her learn the joy of unwanted chewing. If you can prevent her from chewing your stuff in the first place, it’s much easier for her to understand what you expect from her. You may need to confine her to a dog-proof area until you are sure she understands the house rules.
- Don’t blur the lines. If you offer your dog your old, worn-out shoes, you make it difficult for her to tell the difference between her stuff (good to chew) and your stuff (not good to chew). She can’t understand that the pair of shoes you gave her is okay to chew on, but the rest of your shoes are off-limits.
- Provide her with plenty of dog chews and toys. Get a toy and chew shopping, then give her two or three to play with at a time. Rotating the available toys every few days will keep things interesting for her. Also, dogs can be picky about their toys, so pay attention to what toys she likes and which she ignores so you can buy her more of what she likes.
- Spend a lot of time watching her. While it may be easy for you to keep her locked up in her cage, it’s really not a good idea. It’s terrible for your dog and you can’t expect him to learn anything if you keep him in a cage all the time. She needs time to explore, and you need to be there to let her know when she’s doing something unacceptable.
- Make a loud noise when you catch her doing something unacceptable. Clap your hands or make a loud “Ahhhhh” sound. Then immediately give her one of her toys and praise her so she knows that chewing on her own toy is a good thing.
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