How To Stop Your Dog From Chewing Up Your House

Every dog likes to chew things. It is up to you to teach your pet what he is and is not allowed to chew. You do not want this behaviour to become a problem. If want to know how to stop a dog from chewing the first thing you need to understand is why dogs chew.

Dogs chew for a variety of reasons. If they are young they may be teething, which any owner will tell you can be a trying time. Some dogs chew out of boredom or loneliness. Once you have figured out why your dog is chewing you can start to correct, or at least curb the behaviour.

Make sure that your dogs have chew toys. These are his toys that he is allowed to play with and abuse.

Remember that if you do not catch your dog chewing don’t bother scolding him. Unfortunately, if you come home and discover your shoes in pieces it is too late to correct the dog. Any reprimand at this point is meaningless to the animal. Owner’s will claim that their dog knows that he has done something wrong when they come home and find something chewed to bits. The truth is, the dog knows that the owner is angry and upset, just by the tone of voice that the owner is using. Sadly, the dog has no actual clue as to why his owner is upset.

If you have a young dog try not to give him any opportunity to chew on things that he is not allowed to. If you have to be gone, put the dog in a crate or in a run where he can’t get into trouble. When you are home you can start monitoring his habits. Leave him in a different room and watch how he behaves. If he starts chewing immediately go in and correct the problem. Leave him in different rooms and vary the lengths of time that he is there. This will also help to train the dog to get used to not having you around all the time.

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If you do catch the dog chewing, give a sharp ‘no’ command, or use the ‘leave it’ command. Then be sure to give the dog one of the toys that he is allowed to chew on. Praise the dog when he chews on the appropriate thing.

If your pet has taken a particular liking to a piece of furniture, you might try rubbing something on it that your dog finds distasteful. Many people like to use bitter apple, but if this does not work try hot sauce or something else you know your dog does not like.

Most of all be patient and consistent and in no time your dog chewing problems will be a thing of the past.

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