How to Stop Your Dog From Chewing Everything

Many people want to have a dog that obeys them, guards their house, plays with them and is a good companion. Thinking of this, people get one for themselves. But, what if, one day you return home and find out that it has chewed on each and everything in the house. What would you do in such a situation? Let us take a look at some ways to deal with it.

After getting most of your favorite set of things destroyed be it slippers, novels, clothes, toys or anything else, you may even want to let go of the dog. But then it can be hard to overlook the amount of happiness it got to your life. And do you know that most of the dogs have a habit of chewing? And what do you think can be the reason for it?

The reason why dog's chew is because,

• The teething, which usually happens in pups and young dogs. Their teeth are growing and tearing through the gums which makes them feel uncomfortable and makes their gums sore.

• Another reason for why dog's chew on things is because of boredom. If your dog doesn't have a company to have fun with, then what other choice does it have?

• As we like to get familiar with the surroundings around us, even the dog wants to explore their surroundings. Like we use our hands to touch, feel and understand things, dogs use their mouth and teeth. It is their way of knowing as to what is appealing, what tastes good, what tastes bad, what is fun and what is not!

The same things apply to babies right? They take everything and put it in their mouth, they want to explore and which is why they end up tearing important papers or playing with their food. Even pups are like small babies. You need to help them understand what is good and what is not. Here is how you can do that!

Stopping your dog from chewing on everything, needs a lot of patience, supervision and attention. Remember, the only reason why your dog is chewing on everything that is coming his way is because he is curious about it. Or may be because he is teething and chewing helps him feel better. So, the first step would be to know the reason. Give him a lot of time.

Play a lot with your dog and spend some quality time everyday to train him. If you think teething or some dental problem could be the reason behind his chewing, consult your vet at the earliest. Nevertheless, let us take a look at some effective tips on how to stop your dog from chewing on wood, shoes, furniture books and everything that comes its way.

Get him lots of chewable toys from the store. These toys are specially designed to cater to their chewing needs when they are teething or just for having some 'dog fun'! There are specialized dog toys for aggressive chewers like hard bones, rubber toys, etc., that can divert their attention from your regular stuff.

Do not give him your old socks or shoes to chew on as he won't be able to distinguish the new and the old. He would just recognize your scent and will end up chewing on anything that seems appealing to him, even your brand new shoes!

Keep things out of the dog's way. Imagine if you were a dog and wanted to explore your new house and you see shoes lying on the way that smell so appealing, there are socks, slippers, books, tasty wooden furniture, wouldn't you want to chew on them? So store your chewable things properly and keep them out of the dog's way; give him plenty of toys to chew on.

You can't pick up the sofa and the table and store it in the closet, can you? Well, there is a way to stop your dog from chewing on those things as well. Get a bitter tasting spray, which could be a bitter apple spray, vinegar spray, or even alcohol.

First, test it on a safe spot on the furniture if it causes damage to the finishing. Once you are sure it's OK, go ahead and apply this spray on the furniture so that every time your dog puts his mouth on it, the bitter taste prevents him from going further.

Ok, what would you do if your dog gets hold of your favorite slipper and won't just let it go. Would you scold your dog, or pull the slipper from his mouth? Well, pulling things doesn't really go well with dogs as the more you pull, the more he will tighten the grip.

So, make use of the barter system! Every time your dog manages to get a hold on your slippers, just go inside, get his chewable toy, probably rub it with some peanut butter and offer it to her. The moment the peanut butter attracts him, he will drop the slippers and then you can say, 'Thank you baby!'

See, if you really want to help your dog becoming more disciplined and not being a devil chewing on your things, then make sure that you spend a lot of time with it so that it has other things to do rather than going sniffing around the house and chewing on stuff.

Secondly, you need to train your dog by always presenting chewable toys only when your dog feels like chewing...which would be all the time for the first 9 months. Remember that the chewing problem is due to teething. Thirdly, you need to praise the dog and give him treats when he let goes of your items, and chews on the toy that you have got for him.

Never punish or scold your dog as that will make the dog more anxious and make him act adversely. So, be very patient with your dog, spend a lot of time playing with him and give him a lot of toys to chew on. It is the initial months that need a little work and commitment. It will be the perfect friend that you always wanted your dog to be as it grows up.