Dogs that Chew and Getting Them to Stop

One of the most annoying and destructive habits some dogs have is chewing.  Although they will often chew on anything, most will choose the most expensive pair of shoes in the closet, an expensive furniture leg, a cell phone, designer glasses, and the most high dollar items in the home.  Of course, there are some dogs that are less particular but just as destructive.

Often, the problem with dogs that chew is that they have been given too much freedom.  For instance, if you have a dog left in the home while you are away at work every day, he will become bored and with boredom comes behavioral problems such as chewing.  Often, chewing will begin as something to do but then, it can escalate into a serious problem with major consequences.

If you are in this situation, you can purchase a number of toys designed to keep dogs busy and entertained when you are gone.  For instance, one toy in particular has stored treats inside.  By moving the toy around just right, a treat will come out.  You can only imagine the fun your pet would have chasing this thing around all day.  Then, in addition to obedience training, make sure you keep bedroom or closets doors closed and that anything important is put away so the dog cannot chew.  If this is too much to handle, you can always keep your dog in a kennel while gone but make sure it offers enough room to stand up and roam a little.

Be sure you do not become angry, which will only perpetuate the situation.  Instead, keep calm and deal with the problem the right way.  Additionally, until you have trained your dog not to chew, never allow him to roam free.  You might provide him with a room or area of the house where he can stay, one with few temptations.  This with toys will often solve the problem but if not, you need to provide training.

The hard part is catching the dog in the act or finding evidence soon after the attack.  Let us say the dog had chewed on a shoe.  Take the shoe to the dog and firmly, tell him, “NO”.  Then, place him in the kennel for about 20 minutes, kind of like a gentle time out.  You will need to be consistent or he will never understand.  This takes time and is often challenging.  For this reason, the best way to undo the bad behavior of chewing is to give him a room or place filled with toys.

To make the toys more enticing to your dog when you are home or away from home, you can use a little bit of sneakiness.  For this, take a little bit of dry, flavored soup and rub it on the toy.  Remember, dogs have exceptional smell and taste so just a little will go a long way.  As he is directed more toward toys, he will eventually find the other things boring.