subject: How Do I Stop My Dog From Chewing Wood? [print this page] Is your dog's chewing out of control? Does your dog especially like chewing wood? Dogs naturally like wood because of the smell, taste, and the texture. But don't despair, you can train your dog not to chew on your things. The following are a few techniques to help eliminate part of that chewing problem.
Proper Amount Of Daily Exercise.
Depending on your dog it will need anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours of exercise per day to get rid of excess energy. Examples would be taking him on a brisk walk, taking him somewhere where he can run, or swim. Playing fetch can be a great exercise, just remember not to use a stick, if your trying to get him away from chewing wood.
Dogs Need Mental Stimulation.
Working breeds such as German Shepard's, Rottweilers, Boarder Collie's, and others are very prone to become bored easily. When a dog is bored this can lead to destructive chewing problems. There are some very good brain
stimulating games available. You can check with your vet, or your
local pet store to find these products.
Puppies are Like Babies.
I'm sure you've noticed babies like to put everything in their mouths. Puppies are a lot like this also. They explore their world, check out smells, textures, and taste with their mouths. The most important step here is to puppy proof your home. Remove all the temptations that you possibly can until you get your puppy is trained not to chew on your things.
Puppy Teething Last a Long Time.
Puppies start getting their baby teeth around 3 to 4 weeks. Then around the age of four months they start teething again, until around 18 months to two years old. They need to chew during this time, and you can help them by providing something cold to help the pain and soothe the swollen gums. Some people like to soak washcloths in water then freeze them. You can also put raw
hides in the freezer this works well to.
Okay so we have talked about sufficient exercise, keeping your dog from being bored, and puppies teething. Now we need to talk about training. This is not something your dog learns on his own. You will need to teach him the difference between your things and his things.
