All dogs are prone to chewing, it is a natural inclination that cannot be curbed. However, when your pet is destroying furniture, shoes and mail, you have a problem. Moreover, a dog that is not selective about what it chews can cause serious and even fatal injury. Therefore, it is important for owners to do all they can to ensure that their dogs chewing activities are safe.
What Causes Chewing Among Dogs?
As previously mentioned, chewing is a natural behavior that all dogs begin to display at approximately three months old. Like a child, a puppy learns about the world by putting things in its mouth. When young, a dog will also chew to relieve the pain of teething. However, chewing is not confined to puppyhood.
Some mature dogs will chew household objects, because it has not been trained otherwise. On the other hand, main causes of chewing in mature dogs are boredom, frustration and stress. Therefore, the first step in training your dog is to eliminate these possibilities.
What Can I do to Help My Dog?
There are three things that you should take into consideration before trying to train your dog out of its destructive ways.
Is my dog getting enough stimulation in the form of toys and playtime? Does my dog get enough exercise? Is my dog chewing because he, or she, suffers from separation anxiety?
First, look at the toys that your dog has to play with. Make sure that he, or she, has safe chew toys that cannot be swallowed and will not splinter. Remember, pet stores have a wide variety of chew toys that are bound to appeal to your dog. Encourage your dog to play with these toys by offering praise when, he or she, chews them.
Exercise is crucial to a dog’s physical and mental health. If your dog is not getting enough exercise, he, or she, will become frustrated and this is likely to be
If your dog only causes chaos in your home when you are not there, the chances are he, or she, is acting out of anxiety. This can be problematic for working families, but it is wise to bear in mind that dogs, as pack animals, are not naturally inclined to accept extended periods alone. If it is impossible to reduce the amount of time your dog spends alone, try training him, or her, by leaving for only a minute or two at a time and praising the dog upon your return. Gradually increase the length of time you are gone, remembering to praise the dog for good behavior each and every time. This method will work for most dogs, but some highly-strung dogs may never accept being left.
Training Your Dog to Chew Appropriately
When your dog begins to chew something that he, or she, should not, distract him, or her, with an appropriate toy. If your dog is happy to play with the toy, praise him, or her, for the positive behavior.
A simple, but often overlooked, step is to remove chewable items from your dog’s reach. Shoes, newspapers and purses should all be kept safely out of harms way. Larger items that cannot be hidden should be treated with bitter apple. Bitter apple has an unpleasant taste, but is harmless.
If none of the above methods proves effective, then you may need to resort to placing your dog in a crate when you leave the house. Of course, this is not an ideal or long-term solution, but it will prevent your dog from chewing electrical cables or other items that can prove fatal.
If you are concerned about your dog’s chewing activity, seek the advice of a veterinarian or an animal behaviorist.
