How to Stop Your Dog From Unwanted Chewing

If your dog is chewing everything in sight, chances are you it is your fault! Yes I said it...you are to blame. If you give your dog an old shoe to chew, a sock, or even a toilet paper/paper towel tube...dogs cannot differentiate between old shoe and new shoe, get it? If the chewing is not spawned from a bad habit you helped create, it more likely that the cause is anxiety.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patience
• Time
• New Habits
• Last resort, chew deterrent spray

1. No More Guilt Chews
   Puppies that are teething need something to chew on. That makes sense but when they grow older, giving them chew toys is like sticking a child in front of a TV because you cannot be bothered. Guilt sticks (aka chew sticks) handed out to dogs 'home alone' (dangerous by the way; they could choke on it) or because you are not spending timing walking or playing with your dog enough is adding to the problem. Invest in a heavy duty chew proof rubber ball. Your dog can gnaw on it and chase it around while you are out. There are not many things in your house that look like a ball so later, there will not be any confusion.

2. More Time With Fido
   Dogs tend to chew out of anxiety, especially if your dog is more mature. My dog recently started chewing everything...carpet, chairs, shoes, baseboards, me! She never chewed those things as a puppy. So why now? I recently started leaving her alone more. Dogs are pack animals by nature, they do not like being left alone. It's creates a great deal of separation anxiety. But we have lives, we have to leave them sometimes, so what is the answer?
   
   1) A good amount of recreation time with your dog.
   2) Right before you have to go out, take your dog for a quick walk even if it is just up the street and back.
   3) Plenty of praise as you leave.
   4) I leave my television on for my dog as she is inside and the sounds/images keep her company. It is plugged into a high end surge protector/fire guard and out of my dogs reach.

3. 
    
   Copyright 2009 Diana D'Amico

   Bad Habits
   Starting out right will save a lot of time later. When my dog was a pup I thought it was 'cute' to give her a toilet paper roll (see pic above), but it was not so cute when a year later she tore it off the handle into a million pieces. I laid the imprint with TP 101, a year later she graduated with honors! So do not give your puppy or dog something to chew on one time and expect them to understand it is off-limits later on.

4. Limit their space. Giving a dog too much space is not being nice, it overwhelms them. Some people crate train their dogs but personally I never crate my dog for over an hour. If I am going to be gone long, I leave my dog in a small room -suited to the size of the dog and remove all possible chew temptations.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have tried everything and your dog is still chewing the wrong things, try chew deterrent sprays.
• Do not use cayenne pepper, etc. It can really burn your dogs mouth, how would you like it?

Resources

• http://dogparkcentral.blogspot.com/