The activity of chewing seems to be a matter of individual preference among dogs : some have an innate wish to gnaw as a pleasurable activity in itself, and some seem to have no necessity to gnaw in the slightest unless they are driven to it out of sheer boredom. In any case, when gnawing is destructive - it is a problem that has to be address fast.
The phrase'destructive chewing' may appear redundant, because - by its terribly nature! - all chewing is destructive. Your dog has robust jaws full of sharpened, pointy teeth : just about anything she starts to chew on is perhaps going to show the consequences of it within a minute. So just to explain, when I use the phrase'destructive chewing', I am referring to inappropriate chewing : the kind of gnawing that is concentrated on your own possessions and home items, instead of on your dog's own elected toys and gnaws.
The Three Main Reasons Why Dogs Chew
1. Most dogs have a natural desire to chew. It's fun, it passes the time, and it's a self-rewarding, self-reinforcing activity ( for instance, if she's chewing on something that tastes good. )
2. Chewing provides a frightened, bored, or forsaken dog with a conduit for her feelings. To a nervous dog, the repetitive act of gnawing is relaxing - it's the doggie equivalent of comfort food.
3. Under exercised dogs frequently use chewing as a way of burning up nervous energy and giving themselves something to do.
6 Methods to Stop Destructive Chewing
Dogs are completely capable of learning not to munch your stuff - you just have to put in a minimal effort first, that is all.
1. Doggy-Proofing: Take charge of the situation : manage your own possessions. Your primary step should be to dog-proof your home. Even if you've got the best-behaved dog in the world, there's still no reason to check her willpower - of course , dogs explore the world with their mouths.
Dog-proofing your home means taking whatever you do not want to finish up in her mouth, and making it not available. Consider her size and agility in deciding whether something's out of reach : is she able to jump? Is she able to climb, or jump onto something else to reach the desired object? How tall is she when standing on her back legs?
Common targets in the home include books, eyewear, clothing, shoes, garbage, and tiny crunchy appliances like cameras, cell telephones, and remote controls.
It should go without saying that all food must be put soundly away : don't leave nibbles on low tables ( or maybe worktops - you'd be shocked how acrobatic she can be when there's food at risk ), put all food into containers or the cupboard. Rinse your dirty plates clean of any food scraps before leaving them by the sink.
2. Prevention: Stop her from learning the joys of illegal gnawing. The more times she manages to grab a jawful of a banned substance - a chair-leg, a pillow, a running shoe - the more quickly she'll target those items in the future. If you can stop her from chewing your stuff in the first place, it is a lot simpler for her to appreciate what you are expecting of her. Practically speaking, this means confining her in a dog-proofed area till you're assured of her knowledge of the house rules.
3. Rule Setting: Don't set her up for failing by blurring the boundaries between her stuff ( OK to chew ) and your stuff ( not OK to munch ). Don't offer your dog cast-off clothes, shoes, or towels to chew and play with : realistically, you cannot possibly expect her to be able to tell the difference between your present shoes and the one she has got in her mouth that you gave her 5 minutes back.
4. Provision: Provide her with heaps of mouth watering alternate choices to your stuff. If her environment is comparatively barren of fascinating, appropriate gnawing objects, you can barely blame her for targeting your things. Remember, most dogs need to munch ; if she is a teen ( under three years ) or a puppy ( under one year ), her needs will be even more pronounced. Go on a toy and gnaw shopping orgy, then give her two or 3 to play with at a time. Revolving the available toys every couple of days will keep things novel and fascinating for her.
5. Supervision: Spend heaps of time in active supervision. Yes, it might be less complicated for you to just keep her penned up in her crate, run, or the yard - but that's uninteresting and hideous for her, and barely much fun for you either ( if you wanted a pet that you don't need to interact with, you'd have got a goldfish, right? ) She can't learn what you're expecting of her if she is spending all her time boxed up in the dog-proof section : she needs the opportunity to explore the limits of your expectations, so she can understand what's suitable and what's not.
6. The Switcheroo: When you catch her gnawing something inappropriate, interrupt her by making a loud noise : clap your hands or make an'Ah-ah-aaaah!' noise. Then, instantly hand her a flavorsome and dog-appropriate alternative ( a rawhide bone or other gnaw toy ) ; as quickly as her jaws close around it, praise her lavishly. There isn't any neater way to get your dog to understand that chewing'her' toys equals praise from you, but the rest equals difficulty.
Keep a Positive Attitude
Above all, do not forget to keep your expectations realistic. You are not perfect, and neither is your dog : there's sure to be 1 situation where a valued item is spoiled by her curiosity. This is a very important aspect of how to stop a dog from chewing.
Especially in the beginning stages of your relationship, she is still learning the details : it'll take awhile before she is completely reliable ( and even then, if she's left by herself for too long or feels neglected, she may choose your stuff over hers to occupy her time and jaws with. ) do not forget to give her time to learn the rules, and lots of 'you-time' to help her learn faster - and remember to take care and keep things out of reach till she has the hang of the gnawing rules!
How to stop a dog from chewing can take some time. Keep at it and you'll be thrilled with the results.
