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Destructive Chewing
Learn why dogs need to chew and teach what to chew on instead!
Introduction - Read This First!
Before getting upset with your new dog over chewing on the furniture, it’s important to understand WHY dogs like to chew. Once you understand what’s going on in your dog’s head it’s so much easier to understand how to fix annoying chewing behaviors. As always, being supportive and understanding is better than getting mad!
Recommended Products In This Lesson:
Overview Video: Vet Opinion On Chewing Options
Why Do Puppies Chew?
Puppies chew for the same reasons that babies chew on things – they’re teething!! Have you ever noticed how sharp your puppies teeth are? There are other reasons too. Most of them are listed here:
- Teething
- Boredom
- Learning About The World
- Helps To Relax
- No Bite Inhibition
For more information on the last item on the list – Bite Inhibition – check out our page on PLAY BITING for why puppies (and sometimes adult dogs) play too rough, and what you can do about it.
Why Do Adult Dogs Chew?
Adult dogs chew on things for a lot of the same reasons puppies do. Chewing (and other repetitive actions like licking) help them to relax, so adult dog should be encouraged to get their excess energy out with chewing – but only on appropriate things. We’ll talk about those later.
- Boredom
- Nervous/Anxious
- Hungry
- Helps To Relax
So Then What's OK For My Dog to Chew?
Overview
Now that you know what your dog likes t chew the most, you can pick the right types of toys that will help them learn what to chew on and what not to chew on. Some of these options are rubber and safe to chew on, and others are are edible and have no chemicals, so they are easy to digest.
For Puppies and Small Dogs
These options are smaller and softer versions of the chews for adult dogs. Perfect for puppies with sharp little teeth! Make sure to supervise your puppy the first whenever you give them anything new.
For Adult Dogs
These options are best for the average adult dog. They’re made of harder materials and can take your dog a while to finish them. The best options for dogs to chew are the texture of wood (somewhat hard) and are fully digestible when consumed. Use these as a nice snack or to burn off some extra energy if your dog hasn’t been able to exercise as much.
For BIG Chewers
These options are ideal for very strong dogs with powerful jaws and a lot of energy to let out. These can work for most adult dogs, but may be too difficult for many. Recommended for big and powerful dogs!
Why Does My Dog Chew On The Furniture???
Think of all the things that your dog might already be chewing on around the house – what do they have in common?
Most of the things dogs like to chew on have a good texture like wood or leather that they can dig their teeth into. Think of how wood is not too hard and a teething puppy can bite down really hard on it. Here are some examples of toys you might have for your dog that can be fun, but won’t help very much with chewing.
What If I Catch My Dog Chewing Something Bad?
Pro Trainer Principles:
Avoid A “Correction Loop”
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Wait 5-10 Seconds After Any Correction Before Rewarding
Whenever you are using both positive reinforcement and light corrections (like in leash walking!), it’s very important to wait 5-10 seconds after any correction before giving a reward for the right behavior.
Think of it like this: if your dog does something bad (like pull you on the leash), then gets a correction (like luring them back to your side), and then a treat immediately, what are they learning? That’s right, they learn to pull you again! Instead do this:
wait 5-10 seconds after a correction to reward
this rewards for the 5-10 seconds of GOOD behavior, instead of rewarding immediately, which rewards the BAD behavior.
The simplest solution to problem chewing is to make sure you have good chews ready all the times.
If you catch your dog chewing on something they shouldn’t, like the furniture, you can use a light punishment like a mean voice and say “NO!” (WHAT IS PUNISHMENT)
After that you have to wait 5-10 seconds before give your dog the appropriate thing to chew on. It should look something like this:
How To Prevent Chewing When You're Not Around
Overview
Now of course you're not always going to be around when your dog wants to chew on things. You have 2 options to help you when you're not at home:
Crate and Chew!
If you just got your puppy or adult dog, it’s important that they learn to like being in the crate for short periods of time, especially when you’re not home. Review the lesson on ALL ABOUT CRATES to make sure your dog likes going in the crate. Then you can use one of the chew toys mentioned before for them to chew on when you’re not around.
Bitter Apple For Management
As you start to give your dog more freedom around the house when you go out, you can ensure they don’t learn to chew on furniture and other things.
But remember that these sprays are only management tools, and should be used in combination with good training to teach your dog what they should chew on instead. Otherwise, they will learn to eat the bitter spray too in a couple of weeks!
Pro Trainer Principles:
Fixing Behavioral Problems Requires Both Training and Management
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Train When You Can, Otherwise Use Management
Behavior modification, for rude behaviors or fears, takes time and effort. Sometimes you don’t have the time to do training, so you should use management techniques and tools to remove your dog from difficult situations. This way they can’t repeat the bad behaviors and lose the good progress you’ve been making with training.
For example, if you want to have friends over, take the time to make sure your dog is rewarded for sitting politely, but if you don’t have the time to do that training, put your dog away as people arrive so they aren’t encouraged to jump up.
Still Have Questions?