Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs, and it can be an annoying problem for pet owners. Unfortunately, many puppies and adult dogs have the habit of chewing on furniture, shoes, or even walls. But with some basic training and prevention strategies, you can teach your pup to keep their teeth to themselves. Let’s take a look at some helpful tips to keep your dog from chewing everything.
Train Them With Basic Commands
Establishing training goals is an important first step when teaching your pup not to chew. It’s important to choose realistic goals that are achievable for both you and your pet. When setting these goals, be sure to consider your dog’s age and current level of obedience so you can tailor the commands accordingly.
Once you have established clear objectives, it’s time to decide which commands will best teach your pet not to chew inappropriately. Commands like “sit,” “stay,” and “come” are great basics for any kind of canine obedience training, but focusing specifically on curbing bad chewing habits calls for slightly different language, such as “no,” “off,” or “leave it.”
Redirect the Behavior
After establishing obedience commands, start working on discouraging these common dog behavior problems by redirecting attention. You want to draw your dog’s attention away from the item they’re chewing and onto something else. The key here is consistency. Make sure that every time they try to put something inappropriate into their mouths, you quickly redirect them back toward appropriate outlets, such as chew toys or bones, which provide rewards whenever good behavior is displayed.
Removing unapproved items from your pet’s reach is another preventive measure for discouraging bad chewing habits. Removing shoes, furniture, and other inappropriate objects from sight makes it much harder for your pup to practice this unwanted behavior in the first place. This practice will also help reinforce their understanding that certain things should not be chewed on, even if they see it elsewhere in your home.
Use Appropriate Chew Toys
In addition to redirecting the behavior, providing an alternative chew toy is important in teaching your pup not to chew inappropriately. Offering approved items such as dog-safe rubber toys or sturdy bones gives them something they can safely sink their teeth into while rewarding good behavior. Be sure to keep a variety of these on hand and rotate them out periodically so they don’t get bored with the same one all the time.
When choosing the right chew toys for your pup, size and texture are key. Selecting a toy that is too small can be dangerous as they may ingest pieces of it or choke on them, while something too large can lead to frustration and disinterest in the item altogether. Instead, choose an appropriately sized toy with a textured surface that will provide both mental stimulation and physical satisfaction so your pup enjoys chewing without risking their safety.
Now that you know how to stop your dog from chewing on everything, you can use these strategies at home today. Remember to be consistent with your training so your dog learns the correct behaviors.
