What Can I Do About a Dog That Tears Up Toys?

Dog owners can correct problem behavior in their pet using one of two strategies. You can manage the dog's environment; for example, if a dog tears up toys, you can make sure that you keep the dog away from the toys. Or you can teach the dog more acceptable behaviors; train him to stop tearing up toys, or to only chew the toys that you allow him to chew.

  1. Find the Root of the Chewing Problem

    • If the dog doing the chewing is actually a puppy of six months or younger, he may be teething. In this case, you want to allow the dog to chew and give him appropriate toys to do so; this will help him through the teething process. Chewing on a frozen wash cloth has a soothing effect for a dog that is teething. Other reasons a dog may tear up toys include separation anxiety and boredom, or it could be fear-related. Diagnosing the motivation for the chewing can be helpful in finding the best solution.

    Manage the Environment

    • To keep a dog from tearing up toys, you may consider eliminating temptation from his environment, particularly when the dog is unsupervised. For example, when you leave the house, put the dog in a room free from toys that the dog can destroy. Or make sure that any materials like shoes, toys and other valuable (and chewable) items are safely out of the dog's reach.

    Buy Heavy-Duty Toys

    • It's not necessarily a bad thing that the dog has the impulse to chew. If the dog is teething, it's healthy and normal for him to chew. Also, chewing can serve as valuable exercise for a dog, or help the dog deal with anxiety. For these reasons it can be a good idea to acquire heavy duty toys that the dog can chew and play with without destroying. Many of these items are on the market and are less destructible for larger dogs or dogs who may be more aggressive chewers. Heavy-duty rubber toys that you fill with treats for your dog are a popular option.

    More Tips

    • Bitter-tasting sprays are available commercially. If you want the dog to avoid mouthing certain items, spray these items with the bitter-tasting product. Also, provide the dog with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation; if the dog is happy and tired, he's less likely to make mischief, including tearing up toys. Finally, it's a good idea to teach the dog the command "Give." When the dog puts a toy in his mouth that you don't want him to have, give him a treat in exchange for the toy, then give him praise. Eventually wean him off the treats and just offer praises for obeying the "Give" command.