Destructive Chewing
Chewing is very much dependent upon the dog's preferences: some possess an inborn need to chew as a form of enjoyable action in itself, and others appear to have no desire to chew at all except if they are driven to it from pure boredom.
The expression “destructive chewing” might sound redundant, simply because - because of its nature! - just about all chewing is damaging. Your dog possesses powerful jaws filled with sharp, pointy teeth: almost anything he begins to chew on is more than likely going to display the results of it within a minute. Therefore, simply to make clear, whenever I use this phrase “destructive chewing”, I’m talking about unacceptable chewing: the type of chewing that’s centered on your personal property as well as things around the house, as opposed to your dog’s own allocated toys and chews.
The three main reasons why dogs chew:
The majority of dogs possess a purely natural wish to gnaw. It's pleasurable, it passes the time, as well as being a self-rewarding, self-reinforcing pastime (for instance, if he’s chewing on an item that tastes great.)
Chewing gives a nervous, bored, or lonely dog an effective outlet for his feelings. For an anxious dog, the repeated action of chewing is calming - it is the doggie equivalent of comfort food.
Dogs that under exercise frequently make use of chewing as a means to burn up nervous energy and providing themselves something to do.
How to prevent destructive chewing
Dogs are actually completely able to learn to not chew up your things - you need to simply put in a little work initially, that’s all.
1. Seize control of the problem: look after your own personal possessions. Your first thing you should do is to dog-proof your property. Even though you may well have the best-behaved dog on the planet, there’s still absolutely no reason to check his self-control - since of course, all dogs check out the world using their mouths.
Dog-proofing the home requires you to take anything you don’t wish to finish up in his mouth, and rendering it unavailable. Take into account his proportions as well as his agility when determining whether or not something’s out of reach: can he jump? Can he climb, or leap onto something else to get to the wanted item? Just how tall is he when he stands on his back legs.?
Typical targets in your home include books, eyewear, clothing, shoes, garbage, and small crunchy appliances like cameras, cell phones, and remote controls.
It ought to go without having to say that all foodstuff must be put safely and securely away: do not leave snacks on low tables (or even countertops - you’d be amazed just how acrobatic your dog can be when there’s food available!), place all food into storage containers or the pantry. Wash your dirty dishes clean of any food scraps before leaving them next to the sink.
2. Stop him from discovering the delights of illegal chewing. The more often he is able to take a jaw full of a forbidden material - a chair-leg, a pillow, a running shoe - the more often he will aim for those things in the future. If you're able to stop him from chewing your things to start with, it’s much easier for him to recognize what is expected of him. Basically, what this means is limiting him within a dog-proofed area until you’re convinced that he understands the house rules.
3. Don’t set him up for failure by clouding the boundaries between his things (OK to chew) and your things (definitely not OK to chew). Don’t give your dog cast-off clothes, shoes, or towels to chew and play with: sensibly, you can’t possibly assume that he will be capable of telling the difference regarding your current shoes and the one he’s got in his mouth which you gave him five minutes earlier.
4. Give him plenty of appetizing options to your stuff.
Should his surroundings be comparatively empty of desirable, suitable chewing objects, you will not be able blame him for concentrating on your property. Keep in mind, the majority of dogs must chew; if he's an adolescent (under three years) or a puppy (under one year), his requirements are going to be even more evident. Embark on a toy and chew shopping spree, and then give him two or three to play with at one time. Rotating available toys every few days will help keep things novel and exciting for him.
5. Invest plenty of time in active supervision. Of course, it could be simpler for you just to always keep him penned in his dog crate, run, or perhaps the yard - however , that’s uninteresting and awful for him, and not enjoyable for you either (had you wanted a dog which you don’t have to interact with, you’d have acquired a goldfish, correct?) He can’t discover exactly what you want of him if he’s having to spend all his time boxed up in the dog-proof zone: he needs the chance to check out the boundaries of what you expect, so he can fully grasp what’s acceptable and what’s not.
6. Whenever you find him chewing something unacceptable, stop him simply by making a loud noise: clap both hands or perhaps make an “Ah-ah-aaaah!” noise. Then you should, instantly give him an appetizing and dog-appropriate substitute (a rawhide bone or another chew toy); the moment his jaws close around it, praise him generously. There is absolutely no better way of getting your dog to grasp that chewing “his” toys results in praise from you, but anything else results in trouble.
- Maintain a productive attitude –
Most importantly, make sure to ensure that your targets sensible. You’re not necessarily perfect yourself, and neither is your dog: there is almost certainly going to be at least one incident where a valued item is damaged by his curiosity.
Especially in the beginning of the relationship, he is continually trying to understand what is expected and what's not: therefore it will take some time before he's totally trustworthy (and possibly even then, if he’s left by himself for too much time or perhaps he feels ignored, he may well choose your things over his to use up his time and jaws with.) Make sure you give him enough time to understand the rules, and lots of ‘you-time’ to help him learn quicker - and don’t overlook the need to take safety measures and keep things out of his reach until he’s got used to the chewing rules!
For further information about dog training techniques and the ways to correct problem dog behavior (such as chewing), take a look at Secrets to Dog Training. It is a comprehensive handbook for dog ownership as well as being developed to fast-track your dog’s learning.
You can visit the Secrets to Dog Training site by clicking on the link below:
http://bit.ly/Destructive-Chewing
