Help With My Doberman's Chewing

Doberman pinschers are large, athletic dogs known for their sleek, powerful bodies. Owners often dock their tails and crop their ears. However, dobermans are sensitive dogs, and this can manifest in problems such as destructive chewing. Like other dog breeds, chewing can be a difficult habit to break in your doberman, but it's not impossible.

  1. Reasons

    • There are a myriad of reasons your doberman pinscher is chewing on things. Your dog could be dealing with separation anxiety if you leave it alone for a long period of time. Your dog may also be suffering from some sort of fear or phobia, causing it to chew as a nervous habit. Your doberman may be chewing to get your attention or it could simply be bored. Dobermans need a good deal of exercise or they will get bored.

    Simple solutions

    • The first step in preventing chewing is to remove access to any item you don't want your doberman to chew up. Move things such as shoes, books and remote controls to a place your dog can't get at them. Next, buy some toys, which look clearly different than a normal household item, and give them to your doberman to play with. Give your doberman plenty of attention and exercise. If your dog is satisfied, it will be less likely to chew.

    Other solutions

    • If your dog is chewing items you cannot move, such as furniture, try to coat it with something like bitter apple, cayenne pepper or hot sauce. If you catch your doberman chewing something, tell it "no" firmly. Introduce a chew toy in place of whatever it's gnawing on. Give it positive enforcement as he's chewing the toy. Taking your dog to obedience school can help abate chewing. If your doberman's chewing is anxiety-based, such as during a thunderstorm, a veterinarian can prescribe anti-anxiety drugs to help calm it.

    Don'ts

    • Disciplining your dog after it has done something wrong is pointless. If you catch him the act, telling him "No" can be effective, but if time has elapsed, your dog will have no idea what he did wrong. If you punish your dog after the fact, he will likely associate the punishment with whatever behavior is currently doing. Hitting your dog will also not help him stop chewing, but will likely frighten him more.