Whether or not we like it, most dogs chew. No matter how much we don’t want them to they are going to end up chewing on something. So how can you get your dog or puppy to stop trying to eat everything and destroying stuff? Let’s look at some tips.
Why Do Dogs Chew?
Really, dogs chew for several reasons, and in dog training, it is always best to look at the basic reasons why in order to stop it.
Filling a toy with good stuff is all up to your preference and knowing what your dog loves. Just like us, your dog wants something to do, and since they can’t really work a remote control to watch Netflix then they go with the easiest thing, and that is chew.
So I would like to say first off if your dog chews something when you are not able to correct them while they are doing it, it is too late. You just need to put your puppy away, clean up the mess and move on (no matter how mad you may be, puppies make mistakes).
How to Stop Chewing?
To stop or prevent chewing in your puppy there are 3 things you have to do. Manage their time, provide a fun environment, and get your pup more exercise. Managing your dogs time is about preventing them from being able to chew. Providing a fun environment is about setting them up for success. And of course exercise is the cure all for most dog problems!
Managing Your Dog’s Time to Prevent Chewing
Managing your dog’s time is focused on integrating multiple training concepts into one place. First and foremost if your puppy is a chewer you should religiously be following the 3 Rule of Houseteaching, I will recap them here but please ensure that you read some of our blog posts and podcasts about the 3 Principles of Housetraining that go into more detail.
Rule 1: Inside With You on Leash
Wow, Rule 1 sounds so weird to new people, but then they try it and realize it fixes literally 90 percent of the problems you are having. It is as easy as taking an old leash you don’t really use anymore, cutting the handle (so it doesn’t get hung up on things), clip it to your dogs collar and let them drag it around. If you have a dog that is prone to chewing things, you should always have one eye on them so that you can prevent them from taking the opportunity to chew something. It basically becomes such as a remote control for your performg. You no longer have to grab at your dog, you no longer possess to chase them to get something away, they can no longer sneak away and chew something. You can view now why this is Rule 1?
Rule 2: Outside With You on Leash.
Now, this rule is more related to good house training practices more than it is for chewing. But, it can also help here by giving you an opportunity to work with your dog on Leave It and Come when called so that it can translate to being helpful at home.
Rule 3: When You Can’t Be With Your Dog, They Go in a Crate.
Getting back to the rules that help chewing, this is a big one. Think of your crate as your dog’s home. It is the safe place for them to go so that they don’t hurt themselves or any of your things. Some people view the crate as punishment, but honestly dogs are den animals and prefer having a nice quiet place to go to (especially if the crate is not used for punishment). I would also point out that even if your dog does not enjoy the crate it is dramatically better for you to come home to a dog that is been in the crate for a couple hours and is happy to see you and ready to come out as composed to coming home to a chewed up dining room table and everyone is upset! Just remember, dogs are not really birds! A crate is a temporary place for them to stay, not for long term stays.
So you can see that starting with the 3 Rules of Housetraining you can prevent most things from happening. But there is one key to doing this definitely, you still have to pay attention to your dog!
Why should you do this? It always amazes me how quickly a puppy can get something in his mouth!
Provide a Fun Environment
Even after working with people most of my life I am still amazed when talking to someone about their dog chewing and I ask what kind of toys they have and their answer is “I don’t know” or “well, they have one of those rubber bones. But he doesn’t really like it”. Well, are you really surprised that he chews on your kids toys and the pair of shoes you just bought?
First and foremost, your dog should have as good a selection of toys and chew items. My rule of thumb is that they should have as many chew items in direct relation to how voracious about playing and chewing they’re.
My 2 goldens always enjoyed chewing, but weren’t over the top about it, so we only had 4 or 6 bones in the house (of course it had to be even numbers so that they could work together on splitting them up). My moms pair of golden retrievers on the other hand exist with a chew bone in their mouth, so she literally has a bucket full of them! Not because they chew them all up, but because it keeps them interested in the fact that there is “that one bone” they want, and I have seen them dig through the whole bucket pulling out bones only to drop it because it isn’t the one.
Personally my bone of choice is the sterilized hollow bone. They come in either filled or unstuffed variety so that if your pet has particular allergies you can fill it yourself. Speaking of, a toy with a filling is a perfect way to keep your dog entertained whether at you feet, in the crate, or heading off to board for the weekend. The biggest reasons we see dogs chewing are boredom, stress, and fun! Between hollow bones, kong gadgets, and various other busy toys you have lots of choices for what to leave for your pet. If you google kong filling recipes you will come up with a treasure trove of ideas. Personally the simple ones work for me, a little dab of natural peanut butter (make sure that anything you use does not contain xylitol as a sweetener) deep inside the toy with a few treats jammed down in there would always keep my puppies busy for hours trying to get all the good stuff out!
For the hot time of year, I use this great recipe from Canine Mind for creating a frozen stuffed kong toy. But just remember it melts! So its best if used outside.
Kongs can also be filled with water or cooking stock and frozen in hot weather. Along with becomeing a cooling and soothing treat for teething puppies, it is a great way to provide liquid to dogs that need to be crated when left.
To prepare and freeze a liquid-filled Kong:
- - Plug the small end of the Kong with a good-sized lump of peanut butter. So when we bought her a puzzle game it was made of wood and plastic so that she could not easily rip apart.
- - Next, place the Kong, small end down, into a mug.
- - Fill the up-turned Kong with liquid.
- - Put the mug into the freezer.
- - When the liquid is frozen, the Kong is ready to serve.
- Of course a Kong doesn’t have to be filled with liquid to be frozen. Any stuffed Kong can be frozen, and a frozen filling will provide a longer-lasting treat.
Another good option for keeping your dog busy while you supervise them are any of the puzzle style toys. Depending on how voracious a chewer and destroyer your dog is should dictate what material the toy is constructed of. For dogs that don’t get frustrated and tear things, the soft gadobtains like the Outward Hound Hide a Bee are lots of fun. But for our lovely boxer-lab mix we have at home, Zoey, she would happily outsmart the designer and tear it in half to get to the sweet toys inside. You could also use a piece of cheese or sausage to do this, so long as it provides a good seal. (Of course that doesn’t mean she didn’t try to rip one of the little doors off when she got mad at it!) There are usually also a bevy of hide a treat and treat dispensing toys which will challenge your canines mental abilities in order to get themselves a snack.
Just remember that as fun since these toys are, they are not for unsupervised play time. If you have a diligent chewer they will take all of these toys as a challenge and eventually decide that chewing the item is more fun that trying to get what is inside!
Exercise Your Puppy
Just like the 3 Rules of Housetraining this one is simple and will fix most of your problems. It is no secret that puppies need LOTS of exerces will bee, and depending on the breed may need LOTS AND LOTS of physical exercise. But as with the lack of toys it amazes me how many people come in and don’t see this correlation. If you are having problems with chewing, and you are managing your puppy and you have provided a great environment, then really get out there and exercise your puppy!
We have written multiple articles about good games to play, please make sure you check those out. But if you cannot or are not able to increase the amount of exercise your puppy gets please consider taking them to daycare at least one or two days a week. You would be amazed at just how much that can improve their overall behavior, because as Margaret always says “A tired dog can’t chew!”