Wisdom of Life

Destructive Chewing

Problem Solving – Chewing

Today I want to partially address one of the most common problems among dog owners.  Virtually every dog owner has lost a pair of their favorite shoes, or had to give up a piece of furniture, because their dog destroyed it by chewing.  I recall when we first adopted Stella, she loved to chew on our base boards of all things!  Our other dog Beasley had a fascination with our sprinklers.  Not only is this frustrating for dog owners, but it can become super expensive to deal with.

Please realize all dogs, especially puppies, are going to chew.  It’s your responsibility to teach them what is acceptable and what isn’t.  Your goal is not to stop them from chewing, but to teach them what to chew on.

Why do dogs chew?  Some out of boredom, others are teething, some have an improper or inadequate diet, and others just enjoy it!  Dogs don’t have hands, and so they explore with their mouth.  This is normal, and to be expected. 

I’ll start off by suggesting that you encourage your dog when they’re chewing the correct things. If your dog is chewing on the proper items 95% of the time, then the dog is going to chew 95% less on what’s unwanted.  Reward your dog for chewing on the right things and that will help greatly.

Pick out about four or five proper chew toys, and begin to put emphasis on these toys as their favorites.  Some good choices would be Nylabones, Kongs, Deer Antlers or Bully Sticks. 

It’s a good idea to have the chew toys as a major source of interaction between you and your dog.  If you play with your dog with a stick each day, they’ll love that stick.  They begin to associate it with time spent with you.

If you see your dog chewing on something he’s not supposed to, rather than yell and scream, quickly make a trade with a toy that’s acceptable.  Then immediately praise him for chewing the right thing. You’ll be more successful with that approach.

Management is an important piece of the puzzle.  Often owners grant too much freedom to their puppy/dog.  We wouldn’t allow our young children to be in the house alone and unsupervised, and I would apply that same philosophy with your dogs.  Set them up for success by puppy-proofing the long-term confinement area, and put things away if you don’t want them to become a chew toy.

 

 

About Author: matteoblanco