7 Tips for Dealing with Destructive Chewing Dogs
 

When kids tell their teachers that their dogs ate their homework, teachers tend to not believe them. But the fact is, some dogs will chew on anything and everything in sight!

I've heard story after story about dogs that chewed up everything from iPhones and remote controls to shoes, furniture and toys. You name it and, at one time or another, a dog has probably chewed on it.

Is your dog a destructive chewer? Has he destroyed things in your home or personal items, like clothes, shoes and electronics?

It's a real problem.

The fact is, dogs LIKE to chew. So, if you don't give your dog his own personal things to chew, he will be forced to satisfy his natural instincts by chewing the things around him ... YOUR things! And trust me, he will find plenty of things that are pleasing to chew.

Destructive chewing can be a very difficult behavior to deal with, but here are some tips that may help:

1. Give your dog a good quality chew toy. Make sure he has plenty of toys and that he knows what is acceptable to chew on and what is not.

2. Rotate your dog's toys so he doesn't get bored with the same toy.

3. If your dog chews up toys, choose durable toys that are nearly indestructible, such as Kong® brand toys.

4. Make sure there are no removable parts that can be easily torn off and ingested.

5. Avoid toys that are small enough for your dog to swallow or too large for him to play with comfortably.

6. When you first give your dog a new toy, supervise his play to make sure that he plays with it appropriately.

7. Choose washable toys. Between the dirt and drool, your dog's chew toys can become pretty disgusting ... not to mention a natural breeding ground for unhealthy bacteria.

A good chew toy will satisfy your dog's natural urge to chew, help keep his life interesting and keep him contentedly entertained for hours on end. It can also help break your dog of those destructive chewing behaviors.

By Dr.Jon

Re: 7 Tips for Dealing with Destructive Chewing Dogs
 

Just go for toys made safe for toddlers. Might save you some ringgits.

Re: 7 Tips for Dealing with Destructive Chewing Dogs
 

I need some advice here...
My puppy loves to chew, he doesn't destroy things in the house, as I bought a lot of chew-able toys for him. But when he gets excited, he will start to chew on my fingers! I tried to stop him by saying 'NO' to him but this 'chewing' still goes on, and lately it became worst, he starts to bite my arm/feet or the clothes I am wearing. {cry} What should I do to stop him from chewing/biting me?

Re: 7 Tips for Dealing with Destructive Chewing Dogs
 

jooi,
It is normal for most puppies to nip when they are babies...plus when they are about 2+ months they start cutting their adult teeth and it's rather uncomfortable, chewing helps. But we do not want to accidentally TRAIN the puppy that nipping or chewing on HUMAN body parts is an acceptable idea.

Have an assortment of safe, acceptable puppy toys available (within reach) and substitute one of the pups OWN toys for your hand. Also, if the pup ignores the toy and still goes for you....in addition to yipping, STOP THE GAME, TURN AWAY, IGNORE THE PUPPY for a few moments...NO YELLING or grabbing the muzzle IS NEEDED...ending THE GAME is what Mom dog would do and it is understood by all puppies and dogs as a non-verbal warning. If you have to, say nothing, but get up and remove yourself from reach, turn away, that body language is understood.

Your puppy bites for several reasons:

He is playing.
He is Alpha.
He is hungry.
He is exploring.
He is over-stimulated and excited.
He is scared or angry.
He has herding tendencies
He is teething
You should not stop a puppy

Re: 7 Tips for Dealing with Destructive Chewing Dogs
 

Hi, thanks for the advice!
I have successfully reduce the frequency of my puppy 'looking' for my finger. Now I just need to make sure that I have 2 toys with me when I sit down, because when 1 toy is out of reach, he will come looking for my fingers. Now, he is happily chewing his toy on my leg.

I tried the 'turn away' a couple of times at the beginning, but every time I did this he will bite my pants trying to play 'tug of war' with me. So I stop doing this.