Stop Dog Chewing Destruction NOW

By HelloLife

When a human is bored and wants to spend time entertaining oneself in a solitary fashion, they have a variety of options to keep them entertained - reading a book or playing a game for example. Dogs, however, relieve boredom a different way - like chewing a book or a game.

Dogs chew. It's just a part of life for them. But knowing what to chew on may not always be as obvious an answer.

A Dog's Need to Chew

Chewing actually serves an important function. Dogs need to chew in order to maintain healthy teeth and gums, and to maintain good jaw strength. Puppies chew to get though painful teething periods. However, while chewing is important to a dog's well being, destructive chewing is a habit that needs to be controlled and disciplined. There are four steps to lead a dog into more constructive chewing.

The Fours Steps of Chewing

The four steps of stopping destructive chewing are: Prevent, interrupt, redirect, and praise.

#1.Prevent: Dog owners will be absolutely stunned with the level of creativity that dogs can show in making chewing selections, because anything goes. For this reason, it is important to dog-proof your home - especially if you have a puppy. If you can remove it from their reach, do so. It also helps to use a deterrent spray.

#2. Interrupt: "Leave it!" "Drop it!" and "No!" are three vitally important commands to teach a dog. It is important to help a dog differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable. This may include supervised sessions where you leave out items that are yours and allow your dog to approach and using one of the three commands above if they try to chew them.

#3. Redirect: If you catch your dog chewing items that aren't theirs, first interrupt and then redirect. Show them a favorite toy they can do with as they please (like chew them to bits). Once the inappropriate item has been removed from their mouth, replace it with an appropriate toy. A dog will prefer certain toys over others,so it is important to figure out which ones are the favorites. Toys such as ropes or rubber balls stuffed with food are usually good for the teeth.

#4. Praise: An obvious but crucial step, praising a dog for good behavior will get them to repeat more positive and acceptable actions.

Continued Chewing Problems

If a dog is still chewing after attempting to modify their behavior, it could mean that there is a larger underlying issue. Excessive chewing is usually the result of nervous energy. This is usually a sign of lack of exercise. As with people, dogs need exercise and to go outside. Setting up a solid exercise regimen will help to get rid of some of that nervous energy, and well as maintain proper canine health.