Teaching your dog not to chew

Chewing is something that comes naturally to every dog. Every
dog feels the instinctual need to sharpen its teeth and hone his
biting skills. Chewing on the right things, like specially
designed chew toys for instance, can even help the dog clean his
teeth and remove plaque.

Even though chewing is natural and healthy, that does not mean
that the dog should be given carte blanche and allowed to chew
everything in sight. It is vital for every dog to learn the
difference between the things it is OK to chew on, like toys and
ropes, and the things that are off limits, such as carpets,
shoes and other items.

When working with a new puppy, it is advisable to keep the puppy
in a small, puppy proofed room for at least a few weeks. This is
important not only to prevent chewing but to properly house
train the puppy as well.

Older dogs should also be confined to a small area at first.
Doing this allows the dog to slowly acquaint him or herself to
the smells and sights of the new household.

When you set up this small, confined area, be sure to provide
the puppy or dog with a few good quality chew toys to keep him
entertained while you are not able to supervise him. Of course
the dog should also be provided with a warm place to sleep and
plenty of fresh clean water.

As the dog is slowly moved to larger and larger portions of the
home, there may be more opportunities to chew inappropriate
items. As the dog is given freer access to the home, it is
important to keep any items that the dog or puppy should not
chew, things like throw rugs, shoes, etc. up off of the floor.
If you forget to move something and come home to find that the
dog has chewed it, resist the urge to punish or yell at the dog.
Instead, distract the dog with one of its favorite toys and
remove the inappropriate item from its mouth.

The dog should then be provided with one of its favorite toys.
Praise the dog extensively when it picks up and begins to chew
its toy. This will help to teach the dog that it gets rewarded
when it chews certain items, but not when it chews other items.

Teaching the dog what is appropriate to chew is very important,
not only for the safety of your expensive furniture and rugs,
but for the safety of the dog as well. Many dogs have chewed
through dangerous items like extension cords and the like. This
of course can injure the dog severely or even spark a fire.

Most dogs learn what to chew and what not to chew fairly
quickly, but others are obviously going to be faster learners
than others. Some dogs chew because they are bored, so providing
the dog with lots of toys and solo activities is very important.
It is also a good idea to schedule several play times every day,
with one taking place right before you leave every day. If the
dog is thoroughly tired after his or her play session, chances
are he or she will sleep the day away.

Other dogs chew to exhibit separation anxiety. Many dogs become
very nervous when their owners leave, and some dogs become
concerned each time that the owner may never come back. This
stress can cause the dog to exhibit all manners of destructive
behavior, including chewing soiling the house. If separation
anxiety is the root of the problem, the reasons for it must be
addressed, and the dog assured that you will return.

This is best done by scheduling several trips in and out of the
home every day, and staggering the times of those trips in and
out. At first the trips can be only a few minutes, with the
length slowly being extended as the dog’s separation anxiety
issues improve.