About Your Dog's Destructive Chewing

The act of chewing appears to be a matter of a unique activity among dogs: some have an inborn desire to chew as an enjoyable activity by itself, and some seem to have little need to chew whatsoever unless they’re driven to it because of simple boredom.
The phrase “destructive chewing� could sound repetitive, because – by its very nature! – any chewing is damaging. Your pup has powerful jaws full of sharp, pointy teeth: nearly anything she sets out to chew on is probably going to show the effects of it inside of a minute. So just to make this clear, whenever I use the phrase “destructive chewing�, I’m talking of inappropriate chewing: the kind of chewing that’s centered on prized possessions and household items, rather than on your dog’s own designated toys and chews.
The three primary reasons why dogs chew:
- Most dogs possess a innate want to chew. It’s enjoyable, it passes the time, and it’s a self-rewarding, self-reinforcing activity (for instance, if she’s chewing on something that's tasty.)
- Chewing allows for a tense, bored, or lonely dog with an outlet for your dog's emotions. To a nervous dog, the repetitive act of chewing is soothing – it’s the doggie equivalent of comfort food.
- Underexercised dogs often use chewing as a method of using up nervous energy and giving themselves an activity to do.
- How to prevent destructive chewing -
Dogs are absolutely able to learning not to chew your property – you just have to put in a bit of effort first, that’s all.
1. Take command of the situation: manage your own possessions. Your first step should be to dog-proof your home. Even if you own the best-behaved dog in the world, there’s still no cause to test her self-control – after all, dogs experience the world with their mouths.
Dog-proofing your home means taking whatever you don’t want to end up in her mouth, and making it unavailable. Consider her size and agility whenever deciding if something’s out of reach: can your dog jump? Can she climb, or leap onto something else to reach the desired object? How tall is your dog when standing on your dog's back legs?
Common targets in the home include magazines, eyewear, clothes, slippers, trash, and small crunchy gadgets like cameras, cell phones, and remote controls.
It should go without saying that all food has to be put securely away: don’t leave snacks on low tables (or even countertops – you’d be amazed how acrobatic she can be when there’s food at stake!), put all food into containers or the pantry. Rinse your dirty plates clean of any food scraps prior to leaving them by the sink.
2. Prevent her from learning the joys of illegal chewing. The more times she manages to snatch a mouthful of a forbidden substance – a chair-leg, a pillow, a running shoe – the more readily she’ll target those items in the future. If you can prevent her from chewing your stuff initially, it’s much easier for your dog to realize what you expect of her. Practically speaking, this means keeping her in a dog-proofed area until you’re sure of your dog's understanding of the house rules.
3. Don’t set her up for failure by confusing the boundaries between her stuff (OK to chew) and your stuff (not OK to chew). Don’t give your dog cast-off clothes, shoes, or towels to chew and play with: realistically, you can’t really expect her to be able to tell the difference between your current shoes and the one your dog's got in your dog's mouth that you gave her a few minutes ago.
4. Provide your dog with lots of tasty alternatives to your stuff. If your dog's environment is somewhat barren of attractive, appropriate chewing toys, you can hardly blame your dog for targeting your possessions. Keep in mind, most dogs need to chew; if your dog's an adolescent (under three years) or a puppy (under one year), your dog's needs will be even more pronounced. Go on a toy and chew shopping spree, then give her two or three to play with at a time. Alternating the available toys every 1 or 2 days will keep things novel and interesting for her.
5. Spend much time in active supervision. Yes, it might be easier for you to just keep your dog penned up in her crate, kennel, or the yard – but that’s boring and horrible for your dog, and hardly much fun for you either (if you desired a pet that you don’t need to interact with, you’d have gotten a goldfish, right?) She can’t learn what you expect of her if she’s spending all her time contained in the dog-proof zone: she needs the opportunity to explore the boundaries of your expectations, so your dog can comprehend what’s appropriate and what’s not.
6. When you catch your dog chewing anything inappropriate, interrupt her by making a loud noise: clap your hands or make an “Ah-ah-aaaah!� sound. Then, instantly hand your dog a tasty and dog-appropriate alternative (a rawhide bone or other chew toy); as soon as your dog's jaws close around it, praise her lavishly. There is no better way to get your dog to understand that chewing “your dog's� toys equals praise from you, but all else brings trouble.
- Maintain a productive attitude -
Above all, remember to keep your expectations realistic. You’re not perfect, and neither is your dog: there’s likely to be at least one incident where a cherished posession is damaged by her curiosity.
Especially in the first stages of your relationship, she’s still learning the ropes: it’ll take awhile before she’s completely reliable (and even then, if your dog's left by herself for too long or feels neglected, she may choose your stuff over hers to occupy her time and jaws with.) Remember to give her time to learn the rules, and plenty of ‘you-time’ to help her learn faster – and don’t forget to take precautions and keep things out of reach until she’s got the hang of the chewing rules!