On a number of occasions, you may have caught your dog or puppy chewing on your upholstery or even your favorite pair of shoes. This is quite a tricky situation for it pains to see your precious pet friend destroy something that you love so much. Good news is, you can easily get your puppies or your dogs to stop chewing. But, before doing so, you first need to understand what prompts them to chew.
What causes dogs to start chewing:
Usually, most puppies start chewing on a number of things around the house when they are teething because chewing helps in relieving the pain. On the other hand, the older dogs chew for various reasons such as to clean teeth, keep jaws strong, relieve frustration and anxiety, find missing nutrients or combat boredom.
How to stop your dog from chewing:
- a) When the puppies are teething, the most ideal way of ensuring that they don’t chew on your precious fabrics is to offer them something to chew. These may include special dog chew toys for teething pups, ice cubes or frozen wet clothes. What makes frozen substances ideal for chewing is that they help in numbing the teething pain. The older dogs can on the other hand be provided with rawhide bones, pig ears or bully sticks, among others.
- b) Assuming that the dog’s chewing is prompted by smell (fabrics that smell similar to their food), you should find a safe and lockable storage for them. You should also work towards ensuring that your furniture, carpets and other fabric within the house remain clean and smells fresh.
- c) If the dog seems to chew out of boredom, the solution is to mentally stimulate him/her. The perfect way of doing this is by exposing her to plenty of physical exercises and most especially with other dogs.
- d) If the dog’s chewing is brought about by lack of a given nutrient, the key is to buy foods that are rich in that nutrient. To know this, you’d have to check the nutritional value of the food you are feeding them.
- e) Assuming that the chewing is being prompted by stress, it’s wise that you first find the cause of the stress and, eliminate it or cease exposing them to stressful situations.
- f) Also, use of sprays and/or repellents like special dog repellents and bitter apple spray can repulse the dogs from chewing your precious fabrics.
What not to do:
While trying to stop your dog from chewing, never resolve into punishments, confining them into one area for long periods of time or, muzzling their mouth.
Way forward:
Since chewing is something that dogs of all ages engages in, the most ideal way of tackling this problem is to divert their attention or, give them an alternative. After all, it’s never about whether they chew but rather, what they chew.
Is your dog chewing on everything? Do you have any tips? For more on dog training, click the links below!
When To Take Your Dog To A Trainer
Teach Your Puppy To Stop Jumping On Everyone
