When a dog or puppy picks up the habit of chewing and destroying everything in sight, it’s usually the pet owner’s household that suffers the most. Pieces of furniture, shoes, gadgets, and even garbage may not be spared by a dog who wants to chew on something.
To stop your pet from causing further damage, you must be willing to make certain changes in and around your household. We discuss the changes you should consider making in greater detail below.
Keep Items Out of Your Dog’s Reach to Prevent Destructive Chewing
Your dog may be chewing everything they can get their paws on. In that case, one temporary solution to the problem would be to limit the number of things that your dog or puppy can reach.
Go through your home and remove any items kept on shelves, laundry baskets or cabinets that are accessible to your pet. Grab them and keep them in a temporary storage chest or relocate them to higher shelves and cabinets. You can also store the items in a room that your dog cannot access while you are away.
Use a Spray to Stop Your Dog from Chewing Your Furniture
Not everything your dog can chew is an item you can easily move from one room to another. We’re talking specifically about the pieces of furniture you have in your living room or dining room.
So, what can you do to stop your dog or puppy from chewing through the legs of your coffee table or couch? One possible solution involves using a spray.
Look online and you’ll find all kinds of anti-chew sprays that you can use on furniture to discourage destructive chewing. If you prefer not to rely on items with mysterious chemical compositions, you can also use household concoctions. Mixtures that contain vinegar or citrus juices can repel dogs. Spray some of those mixtures onto your furniture to protect them.
Before you use these sprays, you should be aware that they could damage your furniture. If you want to avoid damaging your furniture, you should consider alternative methods of discouraging your pet’s destructive chewing.
Confine Your Dog to a Crate or a Room
Instead of taking steps to keep items that can be destroyed away from your pet, you can also do the opposite. Consider limiting your dog’s access to common areas inside your home so they are unable to do any substantial damage.
So, how should you go about doing that?
Keeping your dog in a crate is a potential solution (read our two crate training articles {part 1 & part 2} to learn more). Dogs that have already been through crate training should be able to stay in one again with relatively little issue. Continue keeping them in the crate until they drop their destructive chewing habit.
You can also keep your dog in an empty room until they stop chewing everything around them. Place their food and water inside the room so they are able to remain comfortable.
Avoid keeping your dog isolated for too long. According to this article from the American Kennel Club, dogs shouldn’t be alone for any longer than eight hours. It’s also a good idea to check on your dog periodically so they don’t feel lonely.
Pick Up Some Toys for Your Dog
Lastly, you can also get some new toys for your dog if you want them to refrain from destructive chewing. It helps to keep a few things in mind if you’re shopping for dog toys.
For starters, avoid getting any toy that your dog can easily destroy. Aside from being a waste of money, toys that can be easily destroyed are problematic because they can turn into choking hazards. If that happens while you’re away, you could end up returning home to the site of a tragic accident.
The toys you’re getting also don’t have to be chew toys necessarily. The key thing to consider is the toy’s ability to keep your pet entertained. Get something that your dog or puppy will prefer to chewing your belongings so they can shift their focus to a less destructive habit.
Changing your dog’s home environment is an effective way to discourage destructive chewing. Implement the changes we mentioned here and see how well they work on your pet. Once your dog adjusts to the changes, their desire to chew everything they see may disappear completely.
Do you need help with destructive chewing? We are here to help! Take advantage of our free Ask A Trainer zoom call or learn more about hiring a dog trainer on on our dog training service page.
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