Why does your dog chew everything? There isn’t a single answer to that question. Dogs chew for a variety of reasons. Some just seem have an an inborn need to chew. They find it pleasurable. Others seem to chew only if they are bored.
Is there a difference between “Chewing” and “Destructive Chewing”? I suppose it’s up to the beholder. When you get right down to it, chewing is destructive by its very nature!
Your dog has strong jaws full of sharp, pointy teeth. Puppies especially have very sharp teeth, and a strong chewing instinct. Just about anything your dog starts to chew on is probably going to show the effects of it inside of a minute.
Today’s guest author is Debbie Jacobs, creator of Fearful Dogs.
Are there a lot of fearful dogs out there or am I just noticing them more? Since Sunny landed in our living room, and settled into the corner, my “shy dog radar” seems to have been fine tuned.
At the pet shop recently a young woman was browsing the dog treat section, her black and white dog, a young adult, was doing the same. When I turned to speak to the woman, making small talk about “kids in candy stores” her dog took one look at me, ducked his head and stepped back, his eyes locked on my face. I’d seen that look enough to know that I should not return the stare and immediately turned my head. The dog resumed his sniffing of the various dried, animal body parts available to him.
Chewing is a natural activity for puppies. Just as babies explore the world through their mouths, puppies explore and learn by chewing. Trying to get your puppy to stop chewing is a losing battle. Instead, focus on redirecting your puppy.
- Puppy proof your house
- Exercise your puppy
- Teach your puppy to be calm
- Don’t make a big deal about comings and goings
- Stay calm yourself
- Give your puppy appropriate chewing alternatives
Rest assured, your dog is perfectly capable of learning not to chew up your things. But, it will require a little effort on your part.
Step one of stopping destructive chewing is to dog proof your home. Even the best-behaved dog in the world, fall to temptation. Why test her? In short, if you won’t want it in her mouth, store it out of reach. Can she jump, climb, or leap onto something else to reach it? How tall is she when standing on her back legs?
Highly prized chew toys include:
books (even my bible wasn’t safe!)