How to stop a dog chewing

Dogs and puppies love to chew on things, it is natural and actually healthy for dogs to chew, so before you learn how to stop a dog chewing you need to understand why dogs chew and find a solution so that your dog may only chew on the things that you allow your dog to chew on. Dogs don’t know the difference and value between objects like we do so it is up to you to teach your dog what it can and can’t chew on.

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Listed below are the most common reasons why dogs chew and some helpful tips that will teach you how to stop a dog chewing:

• Teething - Between 3 – 7 months of age puppies NEED to chew in order to relieve and loosen the gums around their teeth because of the discomfort of teething. This process allows for the baby teeth to slowly fall out and for proper teeth to grow out. At this crucial stage you should not stop your dog from chewing but instead provide it with a toy that it can chew on.

• Exploring Objects - Dogs and puppies love to chew to explore objects, and sometime this can mean your furniture or expensive shoes. What you can do in a situation like this when you need to know how to stop a dog chewing on everything, is to remove these objects and any other objects that you do not want your dog to chew on away from their access and give them plenty of toys to chew on. Be creative with the toys, and give your dog some toys that are hollow which you can fill with food and treats, your dog would see this as a reward and will only chew on these toys instead of your belongings.

• Bored, lonely, or seeking attention – What else do you expect a dog to do if it is left alone for a long time? Dogs can’t keep themselves occupied by watching T.V or reading a book like we do. Spend lots of time with your dog when you are home and provide plenty of exercise and playtime with your dog to keep your dog mentally and physically stimulated, this will definitely reduce the likelihood of your dog chewing because of loneliness. Having chewable toys in this instance is also very effective. 

If you want to know how to stop a dog chewing then the most effective way in my opinion is to properly obedience train your dog so that they know it is good behavior to chew only on their toys or things you allow your dog to chew on.

Regularly use the same toys when you are playing with your dog and praise your dog each time it chews on the toy or whatever it is that you allow your dog to chew on. If you dog sees that by chewing on these things it makes you happy then it will encourage your dog to chew on this and not other things when you aren’t around. If you catch your dog chewing on something it’s not supposed to then firmly say “NO” to get your dogs attention and give your dog a suitable object to chew on and praise your dog straight away.

If you need to know how to stop a dog chewing up things that you cannot remove out of your dog’s sight such as furniture then you can use a non toxic deterrent spray which has a bitter and unpleasant taste to it which will discourage your dog from chewing on those things.

There is a simple solution if you need to know how to stop a dog chewing when you are heading out for maybe work or something that requires your absence from home for several hours. You can simply keep your dog in a confined area or in a dog crate that has nothing dangerous to chew on and leave your dog a variety of toys that it can play with and chew which will keep your dog entertained while you are out.

When you are learning how to stop a dog chewing and then applying the things you have learnt you must ensure that you keep things positive and reward your dog for correct behaviour and most importantly, be patient and consistent.

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