How To Stop Your Dog Chewing Up Your Stuff

Dogs love chewing things, and if you have a dog who makes a habit of it you'll know how frustrating, not to mention expensive, it can be.

But, as annoying as it is, you need to understand that your dog is not chewing your stuff to spite or anger you. Chewing is just a natural way in which dogs experience the world.

So, instead of punishing the dog, try to see things from his perspective, then take steps to correct the behavior.

Why Dog's Chew

There are a number of reasons why dogs develop the chewing habit. One that you probably don't want to hear is that you taught him to do it! Remember that old shoe you gave him when he was a puppy?

Your dog may also simply be bored, due to a lack of mental stimulation. Or he may be missing you and suffering from separation anxiety when you're away.

These are all common reasons why dogs chew things.

The good news is most of them are quite easy to address, and along with some commonsense housekeeping measures will soon bring your dog's chewing under control.

Here are some things you can do to stop your dog chewing;

Access Control - Limit your dog's access to a small section of the home while you're out. Or, better still, buy a dog crate and crate train him.

Training - Teach your dog what he is allowed to chew and what is a no-no. Every time you catch him chewing something he shouldn't, take it away and replace it with a strip of rawhide. Then, when the starts chewing the rawhide praise him, so that you re-enforce the desired behavior.

Aversion sprays - Repellant sprays, like bitter apple or cayenne pepper, will deter most dogs. Use these in conjunction with other methods, rather than as a standalone solution.

Set Boundaries - This is more of a general rule of canine obedience, but a dog who knows his boundaries is less likely to take things that don't belong to him.

Your dog should know what he is allowed to do and what is not allowed, for example, jumping on the couch without permission. You'll be amazed at how easily most dogs accept rules that are applied consistently.

Exercise - A frustrated, bored, and under-stimulated dog is much more likely to turn to destructive behaviors, so be sure that your dog gets plenty of mental and physical stimulation.

Dogs love to chew, always have, and likely always will. But by following the simple guidelines above you will ensure that your dog's chewing is controlled and directed away from your valued possessions.

You'll find lots more dog training tips, and other dog information at dogsanddogtraining.com