How can I stop my dog chewing?

How to stop your dog chewing?

Dogs chew for many reasons. Puppies explore with their mouths. Everything and anything that can go in their mouth will go in their mouth! When puppies begin teething, chewing eases discomfort and helps their puppy teeth work their way out. Adult dogs chew for a variety of reasons. They chew for fun, to alleviate boredom and because it feels good. Chewing is natural and to be expected, so your job as a dog owner is to teach your dog to chew only appropriate items.

Things your dog is allowed to chew

Firstly, let's deal with the things that your dog is allowed to chew. Make certain the items you give your puppy or dog to chew are sturdy and will not be ingested rapidly. And of course, make certain you use items approved for dog use. Rawhide chews, pigs ears, rubber toys (squeaky newspapers, balls and such) are not the best choices as they can be eaten fast, offer no nutritional value and do not give a long lasting, satisfying chew.

Some squeaky toys have squeakers that may pull out and choke a puppy or even a fully grown dog. Some dogs are fine with the rolled rawhide bones (the rawhide chews with a knot at each end) and rawhide rolled into rolls with no knots at the end. It all depends on how aggressively your dog chews. Old shoes, socks, old stuffed animals are also a bad choice. How is the dog supposed to know that they are allowed to chew on that old slipper, but not on your favourite Nike trainer? And children's toys will have buttons, eyes etc. that can be eaten and cause choking or obstruction. It may be a good idea to keep all of your dog's toys in a specific box. The dog may well learn that if something is in the box or came from the box it may be played with. Also choose toys that are an appropriate siz for your dog.

Know your dog and watch how he reacts to various chew toys. Also make a mental note of which chews put up some resistance, and which are polished off in a few seconds.

When allowing your dog to play with their toys, have a variety of toys and rotate every day or two so there are always "new" toys out. This way, your dog has a variety of toys that are "rotated" and keep them interested.

Things your dog is not allowed to chew

If you see your dog chewing something that they shouldn't be chewing, use a loud, firm, angry "NO! LEAVE IT!" and take the item away immediately. Then, immediately get a good chew, or something they are allowed to chew upon, and encourage your dog to take it. Once he does take the replacement item shower them with lavish praise. Remember, to make this work you must catch your dog in the act of chewing an appropriate item so that the correction will be effective. You may also want to try one of the "non chewing" sprays and ointments to deter chewing. Find one your puppy really hates and spray items if necessary. Do not spray it directly into Puppy's mouth and follow the directions on the product. It may be worth having a different brand of "non chewing" spray in reserve. One of our dogs that was repulsed by a "non chew" spray actually came to like the take of it, rendering it useless.

Teaching appropriate items to chew is not just good practise to stop your dog chewing your best trainers. It can also save their life. The last thing you want is for your dog to chew electrical cords, bottles of poison, plants or objects that can cause intestinal obstructions. Your dog has to learn what is good and bad, but remove temptation by keeping poisons out of reach, hiding power cords and checking to see if your plants are nontoxic. (Many garden centres will have lists of toxic plants). Dog-proof as if you had a small child around! It is far better to prevent an incident resulting from chewing an inappropriate item than to treat one!

If the worst happens, and you think your dog may have ingested a poison or ate something that could either cause a blockage or intestinal damage call your vet immediately for advice.

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