Is your dog chewing up everything in sight? New dog parents may easily get frustrated when they discover that their furniture, shoes, clothes, and other household items are getting chewed by their beloved puppy. It is time you found out how to stop your dog from chewing up everything.
Your dog’s teeth can do some serious damage. Whether he is a puppy or an adult, you need to correct your doggy’s destructive chewing as early as possible.
Why Is My Dog Chewing Up Everything?
Chewing is completely normal behavior among dogs. Some of the common reasons why dogs chew are as follows.
- Teething
- Boredom
- Separation Anxiety
- It feels great
- Stress coping mechanism
- Hunger
Now let us look at some simple methods to prevent your pooch from chewing up your precious possessions.
Stop Your Dog From Chewing Everything By Giving Daily Physical Exercise
An excited dog with a lot of pent-up energy is more likely to spend his entire day chewing up stuff.
So it is vital that you provide daily physical exercise to your pooch. Take him out for walks, play fetch, let him run around with other dogs in the park.
It is very important to give your pup a thorough physical workout before you leave him alone. This will make sure he will take the time to relax and not chew.
Stop A Puppy From Chewing By Providing Chew Toys
Teething puppies are like newborn babies. They explore their world by putting whatever they find in their mouth. Give your dogs lots of chew toys to let them satisfy their chewing instinct without damaging your belongings.
Chewing helps puppies relieve gum discomfort and makes it easy to get rid of their baby teeth. Most puppies stop teething by six months of age. After that, the chewing should come down. Till then, make sure your furball has ample toys to chew on all day long.
Make sure to never give your dog old items like a shoe, socks, or clothes as a chew toy. This will confuse your pooch, and he will identify these items as toys to play with. Your dog won’t know the difference between an old shoe or a new one, and he will just chew up all of them. So stick to store-brought chew toys.
Get Your Dog To Stop Chewing By Keeping Engaged With Food Puzzle Toys
When your canine is at home, keep him engaged with food puzzle toys so that he always has something to dig into. This will discourage him from chewing up your house.
A bored dog is more like to engage in destructive chewing than one that has plenty of stuff to do. Leaving tricky food puzzles will keep your dog busy all day long and keep his mind away from your valuable household items.
Prevent Puppy Chewing Problems By Interrupting And Diverting Their Attention
If you catch your dog chewing something they should not, don’t yell at them or try to punish them. Your pooch won’t understand what they did wrong or may even think of your yelling as positive feedback.
When you catch your pup chewing, simply direct his attention to an appropriate chew toy. When they let go of the old item and take up the chew toy, reward with praises and pets.
A Good Home Remedy For Destructive Chewing Is To Stop Chasing Your Dog
If your dog grabs an item in his mouth and runs off chewing on it, never chase after him.
Being chased by you is an entertaining event for your dog. So your dog will learn to grab and run with items whenever they want to get your attention and play games with you.
Instead, simply call out to your dog to get their attention and offer them a treat. When they let go of the item to eat the treat, then praise and pet them.
Stop Your Dog From Chewing The Carpet By Spraying Deterrents
If you want to keep your dog completely away from certain areas of your house or yard, then you can spray a chewing deterrent in these places.
These sprays contain ingredients like vinegar or lime juice which irritates your dog’s nose without hurting him. It will keep him away from any of the furniture or accessories that are sprayed with these deterrents.
Take care to reapply the spray periodically as their effect will wear out with time.
Keep Your Dogs From Chewing On Furniture By Containing Them In A Safe Space
If your dog is particularly rambunctious, especially when left alone, then you may need to build a special place to contain your puppy.
Use baby gates or a separate room or a playpen to create a safe space for your dog where he cannot get to any of the items he likes to chew on.
Make sure to leave ample chew toys and food puzzles in the area to keep your pooch engaged and happy.
