subject: How To Stop Dogs From Chewing [print this page] It is natural for dogs to chew, it's a completely normal canine behaviour. Dogs will chew to explore, they use their mouths like people use their hands. Destructive chewing can be a real problem though as it can be very expensive AND dangerous if your dog was to choke on something! THE THREE SIMPLE STEPS FOR HOW TO STOP DOGS FROM CHEWING: PREVENTION Generally, most destructive chewing will happen when the dog is left alone in the house. If you have chosen to keep your dog in a crate then your house will be protected but if your dog has full use of a room or even the whole house then you need to remove the temptation to chew! Keep anything of value out of reach. Don't leave wires hanging around, your dog would love to have a chew on those! For items that you can't move, such as your sofa or dining table, use a chewing deterrent such as bitter apple spray. Just spray this on the item and your dog won't go near it because they hate the taste of this stuff! ENTERTAIN Most dogs chew out of boredom so you need to figure out how to stop dogs from chewing the wrong things. If your dog is alone, he needs to have something to chew. Never give your dog an old shoe to chew on as he will then think he has the green light to go and chew ALL of your shoes! Make sure your dog has a variety of things to chew in different shapes with different textures. Kongs are great as you can fill them with goodies such as marmite or biscuits and your dog will be entertained for hours trying to lick the stuff out! If your dog is a puppy and he is teething, put a wet cloth in the freezer and give it to him. The cold will feel great against his sore gums! REWARD If you really want to figure out how to stop dogs from chewing, it's up to you to teach them wrong from right. Your dog loves to learn and will want to please you! Always use a sharp "NO" or other command when you find your dog chewing something that he shouldn't be. Don't shout at your dog or hit him. It's important to reward your dog when he is chewing something that's ok. But don't interrupt his chewing session! This should help you on your way to figure out how to stop dogs from chewing!
