Chewing is probably one of the most irritating things your dog will do. He won't just chew the toy you bought for him, he will also bite his way thorough your new pair of running shoes, your favorite rug, and your remote control. How to stop a dog chewing then? Unfortunately this is sometimes almost impossible.
Instead of wasting so much time and energy trying to stop your dog chewing altogether, its better that you look for an alternative solution to the problem.
Dog's have a natural tendency for any number of reasons, some may chew to relieve boredom, feeling anxious, feeling of being all alone, hungry and in need of something to eat, and they are just needing to burn of some pent up energy. Your dog may also have some dental concerns that can cause his need for chewing. He is doing this because he is experiencing gum pain and the chewing may be relieving that pain. You may notice that your dog may be chewing on the wrong side or on one side, which he has excessively bad breath, or he seems to be experiencing excruciating pain when ever he is drinking or having something to eat.
If you want to stop a dog chewing, you need to know the underlying reason for the chewing, then plan things for him to do to so that you can avoid this kind of behavior. If boredom is a problem, try to give him more exercise. If the chewing is only taking place when you are not at home then chances are you dog is lonely. Sometimes by leaving the TV going your dog will be distracted and stop chewing. Whatever you find the core reason to be, you need to get to the bottom of the chewing.
All puppies go through a teething process. During this process they need to chew so it's important you give them something they can chew on. Chew toys such as rubber balls and rawhide bones seem to work best.
The next step is to take away items that would be a temptation for your dog to chew on; he may see things such as lamp cords and shoes and other things around the house. You will need to put thing up high where he can't reach them, keep all the items out of his reach. You may also protect the dog from power cord chewing through the use of power cords covers which will also protect them from getting electrocuted.
The last thing that you might want to use is a sour apple spray. These sprays act as a natural deterrent and can be sprayed on furnishings or other items that can't be moved away. Dogs don't like the smell or taste of these deterrents and so they are usually pretty effective. Whenever you catch your dog chewing something that it shouldn't be, make sure you sternly tell your dog that it is unacceptable.
