How To Stop Dog Chewing

Dog chewing is a destructive form of instinct that all canines have. Shoes, pillows, plants, are the most likely victims of this destructive behavior. How many times have you come home and seen the mess that your dog has made? How many more nights are you going to endure knowing that your dog will find some other valuable stuff for him to chew on. You’ve always loved your dog, but it’s already getting annoying and you wonder how you can stop him from chewing your shirts and pants. If you want to really stop your dog from creating further damage, then this article will function as a guide to help you cure your dog of this behavioral problem.

Things to Know

There are important things you should know before attempting to solve your dog’s chewing problems. You’d need to know the reasons why your dog is chewing before trying to cure him. Below is a list of some causes why your dog has this annoying behavior.

• Teething. If your dog is just a puppy, then it’s most likely that he’s just teething. It’s a very common thing for puppies to chew on anything they can fit into their mouths because chewing basically helps their teeth to break through to the gums.

• Your dog is bored. You might not think this is possible, but dogs do get bored and that chewing stuff is one of the things they can do to pass the time. Your shoes and shirts might not be yummy, but they’d still go for it just to pass the time.

• Your dog is lonely. His loneliness can manifest into chewing things. It’s also your dog’s way of dealing with his frustration or isolation.

• Your dog is afraid. Your pet may have developed anxieties and phobias and chewing is one way that he deals with his fearfulness.

• Your dog wants your attention. This is different from loneliness and boredom. Your dog just wants you to play with him or at least have some social interaction with him. He considers you as his best friend and may regard you more than the other family members in your house. Chewing is his way of letting you know that he misses your company.

• Your dog is losing respect for you. This one can turn out very bad if you don’t put a stop to it right away. If he starts to lose his respect for you, then he’ll start chewing things just to let you know you’re no longer worthy as his master.

How to Solve It

You can’t really blame your dog for the things he’s done. Not when you realize that it’s actually your fault. You’ve forgotten what the basics were and that communication and understanding between the both of you has deteriorated. In order to reestablish good relations with your dog, read the list below.

• Retrain your dog on basic obedience exercises. This not only puts you back into the leadership status, your dog will also remember to consider you as his best friend.

• Take him out for walks or go do some exercises with him. He’ll be happy to do this with you since it provides for him quality time with you and a means to social exploration as well.

• If you caught him in the act of chewing, stop your dog with basic commands to let him know that it isn’t acceptable to do that. Immediately take the object away from him and ignore him completely afterwards. Never pat him or praise him during this cold-shoulder period.

• Take away the objects that you consider valuable so that he won’t chew them. It’s that simple. If he still manages to find some other stuff, give him some dry bones or some toys to chew on.

• If you know that your dog gets upset when you leave, turn on the TV or Radio so that your dog would at least feel comfortable with the background noise.

• If you find that he’s still chewing a lot of stuff, put him in a crate whenever you leave the house. Get a big enough crate so he’ll have more room to move around in there. Make sure he’s got water and some food or chewable toys and bones to keep him occupied.

Much like humans, dogs are very social animals that need interaction from other people or other dogs. They don’t like being isolated. So if you really want to stop your dog from chewing, always make sure to give him your attention every now and then.

More On Chewing Dogs:

The #1 Chewing Prevention Guide – Click here to view our top rated prevention guide to finally get your dog to stop chewing everything.

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