Coming home to shredded pillows, chewed up shoes, and destroyed furniture is any dog owner’s worst nightmare.
While it’s normal for dogs to chew as a way to relieve boredom and expend energy, excessive chewing can quickly become a destructive and expensive habit that damages your home and belongings.
But don’t worry, there are solutions! We’re breaking down 7 proven tactics and training methods to stop your pup from turning your living space into an unsightly, tooth-marked war zone.
Solution #1: Exercise
A tired dog is a well-behaved, calmer dog with less pent-up energy to exert through destructive chewing.
If your pup isn’t getting enough daily exercise and an outlet for their energy, they’re far more likely to take their boredom and excess energy out on your belongings while you’re away.
Make sure your dog is getting an adequate amount of physical exercise every day through activities like leash walks, runs, backyard play sessions, or energetic games of fetch. The amount will vary based on your dog’s age, size, and breed.
Younger dogs under 2 years old and high-energy working breeds like Huskies, Border Collies, and Australian Cattle Dogs may need up to 2 hours per day of vigorous exercise! Don’t skip this crucial step.
Solution #2: Mental Stimulation
In addition to sufficient physical exercise, dogs desperately need regular mental stimulation and enrichment activities to keep their minds engaged and active to avoid destructive boredom-induced behaviors like excessive chewing.
Get creative and try rotating different food puzzle toys filled with kibble or treats that make them work for their food. Simple toys like snuffmats, wobble dishes, and Kong toys stuffed with doggy snacks keep their minds busy.
You can also teach them new tricks using positive reinforcement training, play indoor games like hide-and-seek with treats, or provide food-dispensing toys that make them problem solve and work a bit for their meals.
An engaged, stimulated mind means less time and inclination to spend chewing up your couch cushions!
Solution #3: Provide Appropriate Chew Toys
Even though it may seem counterintuitive, purposefully providing a variety of appropriate, dog-safe chew toys and outlets can actually curb your pup’s urge to chew on household items. Dogs have an innate need to chew for dental health, anxiety relief, and expending energy.
Opt for affordable, durable items like basted food-grade chew bones, rubber chew toys stuffed with treats, large durable stuffed animals, and woven rope toys.
Always supervise chewing sessions and take away any chews that get ripped into small pieces that could become choking hazards if ingested.
Bitter-tasting anti-chew sprays formulated with natural deterrents like cayenne can discourage chewing on off-limits household items while encouraging chewing on approved toys.
Solution #4: Confinement When Unsupervised
One of the most effective ways to prevent destructive chewing of household items is to simply limit your pup’s access and ability to chew on forbidden objects when he can’t be directly supervised.
If you have to leave your dog alone, crate training or confining them to a small, dog-proofed room or area is essential. Their space should be cozy and comfortable with bedding, water, and an assortment of approved chew toys so they don’t get bored and destructive.
Just be sure not to leave your pup confined for extended periods – maximum 4-6 hours for an adult dog with a proper potty break in the middle. Puppies under 6 months old require even more frequent bathroom breaks and freedom to move around.
Solution #5: Deterrents
If your dog has developed an intense, persistent fixation on chewing certain household items like chair legs, shoes, or window sills, making those objects inaccessible or using taste and scent deterrents is key.
Spray or wipe surfaces with commercial or DIY anti-chew liquids containing unpleasant, non-toxic tasting ingredients like vinegar, cayenne pepper, or menthol extract. The foul odors and tastes will teach your pup those items are off-limits.
You can also strategically place items your dog has already chewed on around the house and coat them in a deterrent spray – your pup will quickly learn which objects are absolutely forbidden through association.
Solution #6: Training
Basic obedience training does far more than just teach your dog to sit, stay, and come when called. It teaches vital impulse control, builds confidence, and strengthens the bond between you through the use of positive reinforcement methods.
Commands like “leave it,” “drop it,” “settle,” and “go to your mat” discourage destructive, obsessive behaviors like indiscriminate chewing by rewarding an alternate, calm behavior.
Science-backed, reward-based training using treats, praise, and patience is proven far more effective than yelling, scolding, or using punishment when eliminating unwanted chewing habits. Punishing a dog for chewing often does more harm than good.
Solution #7: Doggy Day Care or Dog Walker
For households where everyone is away for long stretches of 8+ hours per day due to work, having a dog walker stop by midday or enrolling your pup in a doggy day care facility can work wonders at preventing boredom that leads to destructive chewing.
The stimulation, exercise, social interaction, and frequent potty breaks provided by dog walking services or day cares prevents pent-up energy from building up with no outlet – which is often what causes dogs to take out frustrations on household objects.
Interactive play and environmental changes give them a much-needed break from being confined at home alone with nothing to do but wreak havoc on your sofa pillows!
Conclusion
With some time, effort, and patience, even the most prolific destructive chewer can learn to keep their chompers to themselves and quit making a meal out of your home!
However, it’s crucial to first rule out any potential underlying medical issues or behavioral problems like separation anxiety, since excessive chewing is often a stress response. Consult your vet if the destructive chewing seems extreme.
For most dogs, a combination of daily aerobic exercise tailored to their breed and age, environmental enrichment through food puzzles and training games, providing a variety of acceptable chew outlets, deterrents for off-limits items, and management solutions like crating or doggy day care while unsupervised will curb any destructive chewing habits.
By meeting your dog’s needs for sufficient physical and mental stimulation while also teaching clear rules around which items are okay to chew, you’ll have a happier, more content pup who keeps their gnawing to dog toys rather than your favorite pair of shoes.
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