Stop Your Dogs Chewing

We are going to talk about how to stop your dogs chewing because it can be a destructive behavior causing  seriousness tension in your home. Dogs have strong powerful jaws that are full of sharp teeth. With in minutes a dog can leave an unrepairable mark on just about anything. Its best when talking about how to stop your dog from chewing, to focus more on what to chew rather than trying to stop your dog from chewing at all.

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The top reasons dogs chew.

1. It is natural for dogs to chew, it passes the time when they are bored, If it taste good it can be self-rewarding, no to mention its just plain fun for a dog to chew.

2. The repetitive chewing action can sooth your pooch when they are dealing with emotions that need an outlet like, boredom, anxiety or loneliness. It like comfort food for you and me.

3. An dog needs regular exercise, without it, your dog will find other ways to use up nervous energy and boredom. The next best thing to a dog is chewing.

How to stop your dog from chewing on your stuff.

Dogs can easily learn not to chew on your nice things. It will take a little effort on your part but it can be done.

Dog-proofing your home should be your first step. Just as you would baby proof your home for a new baby. Make sure that you keep the things that could be tempting for a dog to chew on out of range for him or her. Take their size and ability to jumper into consideration. Can he or she jump on to something nearby to reach a desired object? How tall are they when they stand on their rear legs?

Things you want to protect are: books, clothing and shoes, garbage, cameras, cell phone and remote controls.

Never under estimate a dogs ability to get to food. Don't leave snacks on low tables or counter tops. If you can't put all of your food into the pantry then get containers that snap shut. Even left over food on plates in the sink can temped your dog to unthinkable feats to get at it. So, at least rinse your plates off if you haven't the time to wash them.

Limit the chances of something getting chewed on by limiting their access to chew on something. That means when your away confine your dog to a space free of tempting chew toys like wooden table legs or corner baseboards and walls. As your pet learns the rule of the house, you can gradually open more of the house up to them.

Try not to confuse your dog by blurring the lines between what is o.k to chew on (an old shoe) and what's not (your new shoe). Its best not to introduce any type of towels, shoes, pillows and such. How can your dog really know the difference between your old running shoes and the ones just bought.

Have good alternatives for him/her to chew on. Go on a shopping spree and get many different dog toys for them to chew on. Give your dog two or three toys to play with at a time and rotate them out with fresh toys to play with every couple of days. After a couple of days, the first set of toys will be fresh toys again.

Remember adolescent dogs (under three years old) are more apt to chew and puppies (under one year old) have an even greater need to chew.

Your dog should get a lot of active supervision.(playing, running and petting.) Sure it is much easier to keep them in a crate, dog run or back yard but its awful boring of you and for your dog. If you didn't want a pet to interact with you maybe you should have gotten a pet fish. Your dog will ever learn its boundaries if it is kept in its dog proofed room or zone. He or she will learn what is acceptable behavior by interacting with you.

The hardest part in my opinion is; When you catch your dog chewing on something unacceptable. You can automatically feel your blood rushing to your head and the urge to strangle your dog but don't! The best thing to do is get their attention to stop and give them an acceptable alternative right away with a great deal praise as soon as they take the chew toy you gave them. You need to instill in your dog that chewing on their chew toy equals praise from you and anything else means trouble.

Try to remember that no one is perfect and no dog is perfect. There are going to be mistakes and more than likely your dog will damage something that is dear to you. Spend plenty of time teaching your dog the ropes and rules. Soon you will develop an unconditional love for one another. But any dog left alone too long or neglected can turn its boredom onto your things.

  

 For more information on dog training techniques and how to deal with problem dog behavior (like chewing), check out Secrets to Dog Training. It’s the complete manual for dog ownership and is designed to fast-track your dog’s learning.
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