Dogs will always chew, FACT! Chewing is a natural canine behaviour.
But how to stop a dog from chewing your expensive leather sofa or your hand rather than that nice rawhide chew takes some effort! Dogs need to learn what they can chew and what they are not allowed to chew, rather than being taught not to chew at all.
WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP MY DOG CHEWING? To stop a dog from chewing, it is best to start training your dog as soon as possible, as with all dog obedience problems.
The reason why a puppy will chew is because they are teething between the age of 14-28 weeks and chewing helps to ease the pain and also helps with proper jaw and teeth development.
What is your dog chewing? Is he chewing your shoes, your furniture, his paws? You will find that you'll have to move some items out of your puppy's reach, until he's grown up at least.
Many people will give a dog an old shoe as a chew toy.
BAD MOVE! If you allow him to chew one shoe, your dog will assume he has the green light to chew ALL of your shoes! If your dog is constantly chewing his paws, check them to ensure he hasn't got grit or dirt in them as this would irritate him.
A common problem for dogs is to have a blockage in their anal glands.
This is something for a qualified vet to deal with.
To stop him chewing furniture, either remove the item from the room when you're not at home or use a chewing deterrent, such as a bitter apple spray.
Just spray this onto the item and your dog won't go near it as they hate the taste of this stuff! WHAT THINGS ARE GOOD FOR MY DOG TO CHEW? Most destructive dog chewing is done whilst the dog is home alone.
It is important that before you leave the house your dog is fed and has some good exercise.
If you can tire them out before you leave, they'll be too tired to chew! Just letting your dog out in the back garden isn't enough, they need a good run in the local park or field.
Your dog needs to have a variety of chewing toys of different shapes and textures.
Kongs are great as you can stuff them with tasty treats such as peanut butter or cheese.
Your dog will have hours of fun trying to lick the stuff out! When looking at how to stop a dog from chewing, it's important to remember to use a sharp "NO" or another word when your dog chews something that he shouldn't.
Reward your dog with a "GOOD BOY" when he's chewing his own things.