Dealing With a Dog's Destructive Chewing

It is one of life's greatest joys to know the love and companionship of a dog. They follow you around with deep admiration in their eyes. They get excited when you come home. A lick on the face and the wagging of their tail confirms that you are everything good in the world to them. Such a simple and complete love.

At times, however, living with a dog can also be one of life's greatest frustrations. Dogs chew. It's instinctive to their nature, and until you teach them otherwise, they see no difference between your couch and a chew toy. To them, it all looks like fair game for a chew session.

There are several reasons a dog will chew. You have to understand first why he's chewing before you can determine how best to handle it. A young dog will chew to relieve the pain caused by incoming teeth. This teething phase is usually complete by the age of six months.

But your dog's chewing behavior will not necessarily end once your dog passes the age of six months. A dog's mouth and whiskers are, for all intents and purposes, his hands and fingers. He will use them to explore and understand the world around him. He must have some way to find out what tastes good, what stings, and what bites back.

Grannick's Bitter Apple

You can use deterrent sprays on objects you do not want your dog to chew, but it cannot be your sole means of addressing destructive chewing. Your dog will also need to learn what it is okay to chew. When you catch him chewing something he is not allowed to chew, intervene with a sharp "no" and give him a bone, rawhide or toy that he is allowed to chew. Then praise him. Eventually, he will make the connection that it is okay to choose some things, but not others.

Adult dogs instinctively chew to keep their teeth clean and jaws strong. But sometimes, chewing can become excessive. Some of the top reasons for excessive chewing in dogs are:

Boredom

Lack of exercise

Separation anxiety

Many dogs will chew excessively when they are bored or have pent-up energy. The quickest and most effective defense against chewing from boredom is to give them plenty of exercise. Get outside and take long walks. Let them enjoy playtime with other dogs. Keep your dog's mind engaged through training exercises. Playing fetch and tug with him will help burn off excess energy.

Chewing can be a sign of separation anxiety. One of the best ways to help deal with it is to make sure your dog has plenty of chew toys, bones or rawhide available to him whenever you must leave him. 

We might wish otherwise, but sometimes we must leave our dogs at home for extended periods of time. At least until you get his destructive chewing under control, use a crate or confine him to a small area like a bedroom when you leave. The laundry room is not recommended because there are too many tempting smells to try to taste in there.

Whether he's home alone or you are with him, make sure any shoes and clothing are put away. Shut the closet and bathroom doors. And, most importantly, give him things that he is allowed to chew. You can find many great toys and treats online. By reading buyer reviews, you can determine which toys stand up to aggressive chewing.

Do not give your dog cooked bones or any bones from fowl, such as chicken. These bones are dangerous. They have a tendency to splinter, which can cause harm to your dog's mouth, throat and entire digestive system.

If your dog is eating strange things and nothing you do works to divert his behavior, see your vet. He may be suffering from a nutritional deficiency or a gastrointestinal issue.

If you take care of your dog by giving him lots of exercise and long-lasting, durable toys to chew, you will spend many more of your days enjoying his love and adoration rather than suffering through the frustration of inappropriate chewing.

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Depression In Dogs: 5 Signs You Have To Watch Out For

We all experience depression at some point in our lives. Stress at work, bills to pay, losing someone and other problems can easily dampen our spirits. Dogs feel the same way and can even spiral into depression just like us. A few common causes of depression in dogs include loss of an owner or a fellow dog, welcoming a baby or another dog, moving into a new house, being left alone for several hours daily and lack of stimulation, among other things.

Here are 5 warning signs to watch out for to know if your dog is depressed:

Change in Appetite

People deal with stress and sadness in different ways. Some lose their appetite while some stress eat and this is how it is with pets as well. If you feed your pet at regular times each day and notice a change in his eating habits, he is most likely feeling emotional. While some eat their way through their sadness, most dogs lose their appetite and lose a few pounds.

Change in Sleep Pattern

While dogs love to sleep, they try hard not to in your presence (especially when you've just come home from work). Normally they would want to play with you and try to get your attention. When he continues to sleep and ignores your presence, he is likely feeling depressed. The same goes when he is the opposite - when he is restless and can't sleep through the night.

Loss of Interest

Dogs love to play with toys, run around and go out for walks. A red flag of depression is when your pet suddenly loses interest in the things that used to excite him. Usually he will ignore you and his toys and he has to be dragged outside for his daily walk.

Hiding

Like us, our pets are not in the mood to socialize when they're sad or depressed. Hiding in a quiet corner in the house or an upstairs bedroom may mean that he's sad.

Being destructive

Some dogs let out their sadness by being aggressive and destructive. While chewing on random stuff may be a sign of boredom, making a mess and excessive chewing might be a sign of depression.

When your fur baby shows a sign or two mentioned above, it doesn't mean that he's depressed. It is still best to get the opinion of your vet for the right diagnosis. In the meantime, shower your dog with love and attention, make sure that he's active and most importantly, don't forget the treats!

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Depression-In-Dogs:-5-Signs-You-Have-To-Watch-Out-For&id=9705024

How To Stop Your Dog From Destroying Your Back Yard

Destructive behavior in dogs is not only frustrating to deal with but can also be a sign that something is wrong with your dog's health or lifestyle. Here are a few of the most common causes of this type of behavior as well as tips on how to stop your dog from destroying your back yard.

Boredom

Boredom is one of the leading causes of destructive behavior in dogs. When dogs don't have enough to keep them occupied, they will find their own way to entertain themselves. Unfortunately, this often means digging holes in your otherwise perfect flowerbed or lawn, clawing at your brand new fence or chewing on your deck railings.

Putting an end to destructive behavior caused by boredom starts with finding ways to keep your dog occupied. Consider investing in a treat dispensing toy. These toys can be filled with bits of dog food or sticky snacks like peanut butter and are a great way to keep your dog busy for long periods of time. Additionally, be sure that your dog is getting plenty of exercise and that he gets lots of love and attention when you are home.

Separation Anxiety

Many dogs become fearful and anxious when left alone. This fear and anxiety often manifests itself as destructive behavior. A dog that suffers from separation anxiety may bark, urinate, defecate, scratch or dig excessively while you are away.

One way of easing separation anxiety is by making the experience of being alone more pleasurable for your dog. For instance, you could give them a special treat every time you leave the house. Treat dispensing toys are an ideal choice since they often keep your dog occupied for long periods of time. Just be sure to only give the treat when you are leaving so they start to associate delicious food with being alone.

Kong Stuffed with Frozen Peanut Butter

You can also ease their anxiety by being calm when you leave and when you arrive home. Instead of talking in an excited voice and getting your dog all riled up, make it seem like your leaving is no big deal.

If neither of these tactics work, you may want to consider enrolling your dog in doggy daycare. This allows them to interact with other dogs and people, preventing the types of situations that often lead to destructive behavior

Getting your dog to stop destroying your back yard starts with understanding what triggers him to act out in the first place..In most cases, when you address issues such as boredom or separation anxiety, the destructive behavior will stop on its own.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Stop-Your-Dog-From-Destroying-Your-Back-Yard&id=9055303

Why Does My Dog Chase Its Tail?

Just about everyone has witnessed a dog chasing his tail. It is always good for a chuckle, and this could be exactly why your dog is doing it. Often chasing his tail is just a humorous little game, but sometimes it could be a sign of something more serious. It is important to understand the underlying reason why your dog may be chasing his tail.

If your dog is very young it is likely he is just going through a temporary phase. Often when puppies discover their tails it is something new that they can play with. This is perfectly normal.

Normally tail chasing will subside as the dog gets older. They may still revert to this behavior from time to time for attention. If they discover that chasing their tail will get you to laugh and pet them they will continue to do it. Again, this is normally harmless unless it becomes a real habit.

Excessive tail chasing could be a sign that your dog is not getting enough exercise or is suffering from boredom. Often if a dog is confined to a small space, or lacks an appropriate level of exercise they could fall back on this behavior.

Other times it can be a sign of an injury, flees, or another cause of discomfort on their tail. If tail chasing is not a usual activity for your dog you should investigate if it suddenly starts happening.

Check the tail area for injury, rashes, or a cause that could lead to your dog trying to catch his tail. If there are no visible signs of the cause you should try to increase your dog's activity level. Incorporate walks in the park and additional play time. If boredom or excessive energy is the culprit this should clear it up. If exercise doesn't work and there are no physical signs of discomfort it may be time to consult your veterinarian.

Tail chasing sounds very harmless, but this sudden change in activity in an older dog can be a warning sign of greater problems. Your dog could be suffering from anxiety or psychological issues.

Often the behavior starts when there is an irritant on the tail. When he catches it in his mouth there is some relief. Later, he could resort to this activity when faced with other threats because catching his tail provided relief in the past. If the activity is not stopped early it could be difficult to prevent in the future.

If your dog suddenly starts chasing his tail, do him a favor and investigate. Hopefully he is just vying for your attention, but in some cases it is a warning sign of a larger problem.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Does-My-Dog-Chase-Its-Tail?&id=9021163

Is It Separation Anxiety or Boredom?

Separation anxiety is a serious problem that can create many problems for dogs and their owners. I have been helping dogs and owners for years with separation anxiety; in fact I have several vets who send me clients regularly.

The first thing you have to figure out is the dog suffering from separation anxiety or just plain old boredom. I get calls from clients quite frequently who feel their dogs have separation anxiety but they don't. They are simply badly behaved.

With genuine separation anxiety a dog can't stand to let you out of his sight when you're together in the home. He probably follows you from room to room. He may chew on things that have your scent, especially when you're gone. Your dog may become so stressed by your absence that he will use the bathroom in the house when you're not there. Your dog will cry, whimper and whine every single time you leave him alone in the house, even if you leave him for periods less than 30 minutes. This can even occur when there are other people in the home. He may ignore them and cry for you. These are signs that your dog may have a genuine psychological problem.

Other behavior is often mistakenly called separation anxiety. When your dog follows you to the door or barks and cries in the house when you first leave, this is sometimes mistaken for separation anxiety. However, this behavior usually subsides almost as soon as the owner is gone. It may be undesirable behavior but it is not true separation anxiety. Your dog may sleep while you're gone or, in some cases, pursue destruction in the house. Most of the time your dog acts out in destructive ways not because you are gone but because he is bored.

If you feel your dog is suffering from separation anxiety there are a few techniques that may help. Here are the things you can do.

1. Start of with obedience training. I feel that this gives the dog confidence and a job.

ADAPTIL (DAP) Collar - Dog Appeasing Pheromone

2. D.A.P. (Dog Appeasement Pheromone) collar. It comes in different forms but I like the collar since it stays with the dog.

Start changing your behavior. Examples include:

1. When you leave your home, give your animal something that smells like you. An old t-shirt, a pillowcase or a towel you've used will all work.

2. Be sure not to make a big deal out of departures and arrivals from the home. Ignore your dog for the first few minutes when you get home and the last few minutes before you leave, even if it is difficult.

3. Practice "Sit/Stay" and "Down/Stay" as frequently as possible, thereby teaching your dog that you can be in different places and be happy and calm.

4. Find the dogs trigger... like grabbing your keys or purse. Do that over and over to desensitize the dog. Do some exercise where you walk outside and then come right back in. We are trying to make the dog realize you are coming back.

5. Leave a radio talk show on so it sounds like somebody is home.

6. Leave the television on.

If the dog is not responding you should talk to your veterinarian about medication for your pet. One of the medicines used for this problem is Clomicalm. Clomicalm merely "takes the edge off" so the dog can relax.

One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of dogs that suffer from separation anxiety can not be crated. They simply go crazy and try to destroy the crate sometimes hurting themselves. Other dogs with this problem enjoy their crates. I always suggest the plastic airline type crate because it gives more of the den effect.

I hope this information will help you solve some your dog's separation anxiety.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-It-Separation-Anxiety-or-Boredom?&id=8331878