How to Keep Your Dog From Chewing up your valuables

The reader will learn the basics of preventing chewing damage and planning a crime free day for their puppy or dog.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• crate, exercise pen, or dog gate.
• interactive dog toy

1. Recognize the problem. They stalk, pounce, and kill. Sometimes they sneak up slyly and attack quickly. Other times they work on it a little bit in the morning, more at lunch, and get the job done before you arrive. Are we talking about animals out in the wild? Not at all. Instead we’re talking about wild animals in the house, your house. You’ve seen them. They look like regular puppies, but the moment you turn your back, they turn into chewing monsters!

2. Identify the reason. Dogs chew on valuable items for one basic reason – they enjoy chewing. To prevent destruction of your property you need to know three things.
   
   1. Dogs love to chew.
   2. How to be prepared.
   3. How to protect items.

3. Implement the solution. Plan ahead to prepare and protect your stuff. To prepare your dog’s day, you need to get a few training tools. In their puppy days – which continue even when they look fully grown – all dogs enjoy chewing on items. Sometimes it is for fun, other times for teething purposes. You have to plan for this by taking these steps.
   
   First, select an area that he will spend his day in. You can purchase a dog gate to change a spare room into his room, an exercise pen to set-up his spot in the middle of a room in use, or a crate to act as his den. Whichever you choose, it is necessary to select a spot for him and to restrict his movement.
   
   Second, provide him with entertainment. A dog needs something to do. Young dogs need something to chew. Get some interactive dog toys that can be stuffed with treats to challenge him during the day. This increases mental stimulation and gives him something to chew. The best one is the Kong toy, with Buster Balls, Freeze and Chew, and other toys being good choices as well.
   
   Third, scan your home for items in danger. Anything that is reachable is in mortal danger of being devoured by small, but really sharp, puppy teeth. Power cords, chair legs, shoes are all trembling with fear. The prescription? Pick up loose items and put them out of reach. Then buy bitter apple spray and apply it liberally to items that cannot be moved.
   
   Following these simple steps will protect your valuables.

Tips & Warnings

• Invest in long lasting rubber toys, such as products made by Kong. These can be filled with treats, peanut butter, and dog food. They last a long time and keep your dog entertained.
• Buy a crate that is adjustable. When they are young, puppies still have a lot to learn about house manners, especially peeing inside. Buy a crate that has an adjustable divider so that they will have just enough room to rest, but not enough to eliminate in one spot and kick back in another. There are a variety of options, including designer crates, chrome crates, exercise pens, and dog gates. These not only make your dog happy, but they save you money in the long run.
• Plan ahead of time what the house rules will be. Decide what he can get away with (getting on the furniture, begging) and what he cannot (barking at guests) and stick to your plan. Keep in mind that the more rules he gets to break, the more annoyed you’ll feel down the road. Dogs are frustrated by rules that change, not rules that stay the same.
• Mix up the toys you give him. It is tempting to buy one and be done with it, but variety is the spice of life.
• Be wary of rawhide chew toys. They can swell up inside your dog and cause potentially serious intestinal issues.
• Don't let your dog enjoy old shoes, socks, etc. They will not know the difference between old and worn out and new and valuable.

[Psalmist4M]

on 8/31/2008 Great article, I learned you must spend plenty of time with them and take them for walks once a day. This really helps. Well written article. Thanks, cherylgoff.com