Wall Chewing

Question
Hi,
My Chow is a 6 year old male who is neutered. We recently moved into a new home and believe he may have had some anxiety issues moving. In my old place, he would routinely bite the mail slot when mail came in. In our new place, the mail slot is outside the house. After 2 months of settling in, we noticed chips off the wall near the front door. We figured it was because he heard the mail, but noticed it could be any noise outside the door. He has always been the shy, nervous, fearful dog particular to the Chow breed, but our wall is a mess. Please help with any suggestions. The bitter apple spray does not work. Placing an object in front helps, but we are looking for a more permanent solution. Thank you.

Answer

Hi Jacqui,

If you aren't around to supervise your dog when he starts chewing at the wall, you can't expect something like Bitter Apple, or another such product to stop the chewing. Your dog needs you to give him a "correction" in the form of a prompt, firm "NO!", or a squirt in his face from a squirt bottle to shock him into stopping from chewing, if he's a persistent chewer.  After correcting your dog, give him something appropriate to chew on, such as a Kong toy or Nylabone, for example. Offer your dog praise when he's quietly chewing on the appropriate chew toy, so he comes to understand what you want from him.

When you can't be around to supervise your dog, preventing him access from the wall he's been chewing on by using a child gate, or crating your dog is about the only sure-fire method of preventing the unwanted behavior.

Be sure to give your dog a little more exercise, particularly before you leave him alone in your house. If you use up some of his energy, he'd be less inclined to chew the wall. That said, you should not trust him not to chew, and also be using the child gate or crate even with the extra exercise. The exercise will help him not take up the chewing habit in other areas of your home! Also, give your dog something to do in your absence. A Kong toy or Buster Cube stuffed with tasty treats will keep your dog occupied for quite a while, as he works to get the food out. That form of toy is mental stimulation for a dog. A dog that's not mentally challenged can take up undesirable habits to fill the time they have on their hands. You can read more about the ways to provide your dog with more mental stimulation, to help stop this chewing habit:

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/mental-stimulation-for-your-dog/page1.aspx

http://dogtime.com/activities.html

Best of luck,
Patti