Dog Chewing

Owning a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences there is.  However, at some point every dog owner has had their patience tried by their dog when they have had their favorite pair of shoes, dining table leg, or baseboard molding eaten by a teething puppy, or inexplicably to us by a grown dog. The first thing we as dog owners need to learn is that dogs often explore objects, or other creatures with their mouths.  For example, have you ever noticed that your dog sniffs and licks you when you come home after being away? Besides showing affection with their tongues, dogs also use licking as a means of quite literally tasting where you have been.  This is one of their favorite ways of taking in new information. Fortunately, teaching a dog or puppy what is and is not appropriate to chew on is relatively simple once you have identified whether or not they are teething, curious, bored, or simply acting out.  There are many techniques to help you direct your dog onto appropriate items so that your dog isn't destroying items of value, or endangering their health and safety. Below, please find our guide to helping you with your dog chewing issues. 

First Things First!

• Until your dog is trained in what is appropriate to chew vs. what is not appropriate to chew it is your responsibility to keep anything you do not want eaten/chewed/mangled out of reach.  That means keep clothes, remotes, glasses, shoes, socks, knick knacks, and any other items off your floors, and out of reach.

• Think about what is causing your dog to chew; Is your dog a teething puppy? Does your dog only destroy things when he/she is not getting much attention? Does your dog chew things right in front of you? Does your dog chew when it is raining, or noisy?.

• Until Fido learns the rules, keep him confined to a doggy proof room or area in your home when you leave.  Make sure there is a plenty of fresh water, food and Wee Wee Pads (if he/she is paper trained).

• Spend time playing with your dog! A bored or unstimulated dog is more likely to commit destructive acts in your home. Incorporate chew toys into your playtime.  But, remember don't be confusing. If you don't want your dog to eat your shoes, don't buy him a chew toy that looks like one!

• If you catch your dog chewing on something that he shouldn't, interrupt the behavior with a loud noise.  I like to clap once very loudly.  This is usually very effective at re-directing my dog's attention onto me.  Once he is looking at you hand him a chew toy, and offer lots of praise and encouragement when he takes the toy into his mouth. If you do not catch your dog in the middle of chewing something destructively do not give a correction or reprimand, as it will not be understood. Instead spray the item with a stain free bitter spray like, Grannick's Bitter Apple 16 oz (16 oz.; Spray) and hand him/her a chew toy.

• Always remember, dogs do not think like humans do.  If your dog is destructively chewing it is not out of spite, anger, or revenge.  You must determine what's causing this behavior, before you can train your dog not to behave so un-politely towards your hard-earned possessions.

Chewing is completely normal behavior for a curious puppy that may be teething, or still learning to identify things.  However, adult dogs that destructively chew household items may be trying to tell you something.  Read through the different issues below to help you determine why your dog may be behaving this way. 

Boredom Instigated Chewing:

A dog's natural instinct is to investigate things with his eyes, ears and Mouth! Normal dog play/investigation sometimes leads to accidental destruction. Have you ever seen your dog "kill" its toy, by shaking his head wildly back and forth? This is a natural instinct. Has your dog ever dug on your sofa?  This is also a natural instinct. Your dog doesn't know what a sofa is, he/she just has the natural instinct to dig soft things underfoot, or should I say under-paw?  Likely reasons for boredom instigated chewing:

• Your dog is under three, sill exploring, loaded with energy and does not have enough outlets to release that energy.  

• Your dog is left alone for long periods of time with no opportunity to interact with you.

• Your dog's surroundings are basically devoid of toys, playmates, or visual and auditory stimulation. Think about this - how would you cope with being left alone in a house without access to your phone, television, computer, or books and magazines?  What would you do for 6 or 8 hours? Imagine being left like this 5 days a week, every week for years. You might consider chewing on furniture too!

• Your dog is an active breed like a Jack Russell Terrier, or a breed that needs a lot of stimulation in order to be happy like a Beagle.

Solutions:

• Devote at least 1/2 hour per day to playing with your dog and interacting with him. Remember an idle mind - is a dangerous one!

• Take your dog for an extended walk, allow time for sniffing and exploring and make sure to offer oodles of praise when your dog walks properly on the leash and relieves him/herself in appropriate places.

• Teach your dog at least 3 basic commands like, sit, stay and fetch.  Make sure to go through each command with your dog everyday and offer a treat and praise for all acts of obedience. Almost turn obedience training into a game.  As your dog has mastered the first three commands, continue adding commands like, lay, jump, and roll-over until you're armed with an arsenal of commands to keep your dog's mind active.

• Set some money aside to purchase a number of chew toys for your dog. Try and rotate these toys every other day or so - as this is much more interesting to your dog. There are literally hundreds of chew toys to chose from, try purchasing toys that do different things. Some might squeak like the Air KONG Extra Small Squeaker Tennis Balls (8"Circumference; Yellow). Others chew toys like KONG Medium Stuff-A-Ball (Medium; 10"Circumference; Red; Rubber) areespecially fantastic because the hollow inside holds small biscuits or dry food that will keep your dog occupied for hours trying to get it out.  Take special care not to leave your dog alone with toys that they can shred or easily mangle, as you don't want them left alone with toy parts they can eat, as this can obviously lead to chocking hazards, and the possibility of gastrointestinal distress.

• Buy a bitter spray like Grannick's Bitter Apple 16 oz (16 oz.; Spray) or Nature's Miracle Best Behavior Pet Training Aid (16 oz.; Spray) (our Favorites!), and spray, spray, spray this all-over some of your dog's favorite chew spots, like the sofa legs, baseboard molding, and your shoes. These products are all-natural and will not harm your pet, but the yucky taste will surely deter them. And, don't worry these products are safe to use on wood, leather etc. If you can take the smell, and don't want to spend money purchasing a spray you can also rub some Tabasco sauce on your dog's favorite hot-spots. Just be cautious as the red color can be staining to certain items.

• If you find that you really do spend a lot of time away from home you might consider hiring a dog-walker to come in and take your dog out, or you should look into finding a good doggy day care program in your neighborhood, for two or three days a week to help your dog work off some of her excess energy. There is a wonderful nationwide service called Sittercity that has people that can come to your home to dog-sit! If this is cost-prohibitive try asking a friend, or neighbor if they wouldn't mind looking in on Max a couple of days per week.