The bad news is that chewing problems are fairly common in dogs. The good news is that chewing problems can be fixed. Here’s how to resolve this nasty little (or large) habit.
All dogs love to chew; this is a normal behaviour for any healthy dog. The problems starts when they chew things that they should be leaving alone: your shoes, electrical wires, the contents of the cat’s litter box…aarrggh!
An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, as the old saying goes. It’s as true of chewing problems as it is of disease. If you understand what causes most chewing problems, you can stop them before they start. That’s the best situation for you and your pooch.
Bad chewing habits can be fixed. It just takes a bit of thought, some standard dog equipment, and (for a few of the problems) a bit of effort. The trick is to identify the reason for the bad habit. We’ll start with the simplest causes.
Lack of appropriate chewtoys
This first one might be too obvious to mention, but if your dog doesn’t have any appropriate chewtoys to chew on, he’ll chew something else instead. He’s merely making the best of a bad situation. All pet supply companies and most grocery stores sell chewtoys and chew-snacks for dogs. Buy a few of these chewies for your dog, and the problem is solved. These toys are designed to be destroyed, of course.
Teething
You’ve seen teething toys for toddlers. If you have a toddler of your own, you know that when children are teething gnawing on something solid soothes their sore gums. The same thing is true of puppies. They go through a period of approximately six months when they have teeth coming in and their gums are sore. Chewing helps.
Your puppy is in that stage? Keep him away from dangerous items and anything you don’t want him to ruin, just as you would do with a toddler. Give him some puppy teething toys and tasty chew-toys. He’ll be thrilled. How lucky can a puppy be? He has these perfect teethers and he doesn’t need to improvise!
Exploring
Just like human children, puppies use their mouths to explore their new world. If your puppy is in the exploring stage, use the same approach as if he were teething: give him appropriate toys to explore and keep the dangerous or valuable items out of his reach.
Intro: Identifying the problem, particularly with puppies but also shows up in adult dogs, especially if they have just changed homes, have experienced trauma, or lack entertainment.
Confusion
He’s not trying to annoy you or “get back at you” by chewing your favourite shoes or your slippers. When a dog chews on shoes, part of the attraction is your scent. However, often he is confused because he has been given old shoes, or toy shoes made of rawhide, or cheap thongs to chew on. As a result, he believes that shoes are chew-toys.
Don’t scold him for chewing. Provide something else to chew instead, and praise him when he chews the right toys.
Has he attended obedience school yet? If he has learned the Leave It, Drop It, or Give commands, use one of those when he has a shoe in his mouth. Praise him and give him a treat when he drops the shoe. Then, give him a chewtoy, and praise him when he starts to chew it. He’ll get the idea.
If he hasn’t attended obedience school yet, consider enrolling him in a class soon. Both of you will be happier when your dog knows what is expected of him. As a pack animal, a dog is more comfortable and confident if he knows how to act within his pack.
In the meantime, use any trick that he knows to distract him from the shoe. Sit? Beg? Shake paws? If he doesn’t know any tricks, teach him one. Use lots of treats and praise.
Once he has a good handle on the trick, then use it to distract him from chewing. Whenever you see him with a shoe, tell him to Sit or Shake Paws or whatever. Praise and reward him profusely, while stealthily getting the shoe out of the line of fire. Laura Benn, of Pawsh Magazine uses this same method to stop problem barking.
Boredom, stress, and separation anxiety
Dogs use chewing as a self-soothing tool. Think of how many people you know who use those squooshy “stress balls” or who fidget when they are bored or stressed. Your dog fidgets by chewing.
Crate training can help lower your dog’s stress. Give your dog love and attention before you leave in the morning, and even more attention and loving when you get home. Be sure you make it clear to him that you’re as happy to see him as he is to see you.
If the problem is boredom while you’re at work, consider whether a doggy daycare is workable. Daycare might be out of the budget or simply not available. However, is there a dog-walker in your area? Or a neighbour’s teenager who might be willing to dog-sit for a fee?
Twenty minutes during lunchtime, or half an hour after school could make all the difference. The “sitting” could consist of playing in the house or yard, or a short walk, or teaching a trick: anything that gives the dog attention and something to do.
The Next Step?
If there’s a specific item your pooch is destroying, move it out of reach or cover it to make it inconvenient, and provide something good to chew. Pig’s ears, a hollow toy with a treat inside, rawhide twists or the like.
What does your dog love to chew? My dog loved to chew my underwear, very embarrassing!
Tell us in the comments about your pooches naughty chewing habits…
Author Bio: Having two gorgeous pooches at home Katina Beveridge is both an avid dog lover and passionate blogger. Enjoying writing and spending time with her ‘boys’ is how she describes a perfect day in her household.