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How to Stop Dog from Chewing
After a long hard day’s work you come back home hoping to be greeted by your loving pet. Instead, you are greeted by a procession of demolished shoes, a severely gnawed-on remote control and an irretrievable handbag. You scream at your dog, who skulks away and hides in his corner all evening.
The next day you come back home, and the devastation is worse. What are you doing wrong?
Where the problem lies
If your dog is chewing on everything in sight, it is probably not because he is hungry. There are three areas you could examine about your dog’s inner life:
- Does he have enough to do? In many cases, with busy owners leaving the dog alone for long periods of time, dogs are bored, with zero outlets for their energy and way too much time on their hands. This can lead to chewing and other destructive behaviors.
- Does he have anxiety issues? Is your puppy unhappy – physically or emotionally? Physical problems are often expressed through bad behavior. Dogs also crave companionship. If he is left alone and feeling emotionally isolated, he will act out.
- Does he find a reward in the behavior itself? Is your dog overturning the trash or chewing up your flowers because he likes to?/li>
- Once you have figured out what is going on, you can figure out how to address the problem. If you misdiagnose it, you are likely to have little luck. Remember, chewing could be a major health risk for your animal as well.
What to do about it
Whatever the case may be, the screaming, angry owner would have little impact on reducing dog’s chomping ways. If anything, it would make matters worse. Here are come constructive solutions to keep your pet’s jaws under control:
- Keep him busy. While you don’t want an over-programmed dog, you want to ensure he is getting enough exercise. If he is walked twice a day, he is less likely to feel the need to vent on your shoes.
- Make him feel loved. Dogs need love, praise and company. If your dog is spending long hours alone, make sure you spend some time just with doggie when you can. Make a schedule of it. Use the time to play or teach him commands and tricks. Use praise and play as rewards.
- Create a dog-proof room. If your dog’s behavior is difficult to control, you can keep him in a space where he will not have a chance to damage anything, or inflict harm upon himself.
- Physical restraints. If you have decided that your dog enjoys making a mess, you may have to use a booby trap to keep him out of, say, the trash or the bushes. For short periods of time, you could also use a simple muzzle.
- Keep things out of reach. If you don’t want him to chew it up, don’t present him with the opportunity!
If things don’t get better over a period of time, take your pet to the vet. In case he is acting out due to some kind of physical discomfort, you want to know as soon as possible.