Whether a dog is young or old, it is common for dogs to chew. If your dog is a puppy, he is likely chewing to relieve the pain of incoming teeth ( how to handle teething in puppies? ). If the dog is older, your dog may be bored, anxious or frustrated. Either way, it is often extremely frustrating for us as the pet parent. Dog chewing can be serious behavioral problem. So, what is causing your dog’s chewing and how do you stop a dog from chewing?
Causes of Dog Chewing
Your dog chewing could be due to separation anxiety. When does the chewing occur? If it occurs while you are away, this could be completely possible. Dogs who chew due to separation anxiety are often attempting to relieve their stress. Your dog may also simply be hungry. Is your dog getting enough to eat? What do you feed him? Also, as discussed above, if your dog is a puppy he may simply be teething!
Manage the Chewing in Dogs
Chewing in dogs is very common since it’s natural to their behavior. In the wild, dogs are continuously chewing in an effort to maintain jaw and tooth health. They chew for a number of reasons; to provide stimulation, to relieve boredom, to relieve stress. In this case, your dog simply needs to learn what he is allowed to chew on and what he is not allowed to chew on. Obtaining several dog toys is highly recommended to avoid the chewing behavior. The Kong toy is highly recommended as it provides a significant amount of stimulation and is not easily broken, even by large dogs.
If you dog is chewing because it is young and teething, the dog is likely to stop chewing around six months old. There are now special teething toys developed specially for puppies to prevent the chewing of inappropriate items. Ice cubes have also been highly recommended for puppies. Many puppies tend to enjoy chewing on the ice as it relieves the pain of the incoming teeth and provides adequate stimulation.
To add to the above suggestions, you can also prevent dog chewing by using deterrents. There are now deterrents available which you can spray items with you do not want chewed. He may lick the item but will then likely spit it out and stay away from the sprayed items. The deterrent can be applied to the item every day for several weeks to ensure the dog permanently refrains from it.
Did you find this information about how to stop a dog from chewing useful? Share this article with your dog-loving friends!
Amber Johnson, Animal Behaviorist
Miss Amber Johnson has many years of experience with pets and is a licensed cat and dog nutrition and behavior specialist. She currently collaborates with PetPremium where she counsels clients in pet behavior and nutrition. The statements made in this article are the personal opinions of Miss Amber Johnson and based on independent experiences and could be different from the opinions of PetPremium Pet health Insurance or any other pet health insurance provider.
