What Can We Do for Dogs That Chew Up Carpets?

Coming home from work and finding the remnants of an expensive Persian rug is a frustrating yet surprisingly common experience for many dog owners. Chewing is a normal behavior for both puppies and adult dogs. Teach a dog about inappropriate chewing is critical for the sanity of the owner and for the safety of the carpets.

  1. Natural Instinct

    • Dogs explore the world with their noses and their mouths. Chewing is a tool of exploration. A dog that chews a carpet may simply be exploring the scents within the carpet with its mouth instead of its nose. A dog might also chew the carpet simply to keep its teeth clean and jaws strong. While arising from natural instinct, carpet-chewing can be destructive and therefore must be discouraged through training.

    Isolate the Cause

    • Exploration is one cause of carpet chewing. Others include physical or psychological reasons. Physical reasons include teething, gum problems, or dietary issues; carpet chewing provides relief from pain or hunger. Psychological reasons include boredom, frustration or separation anxiety. Addressing the underlying cause may eliminate the inappropriate chewing.

    Dog/Puppy Proofing

    • One method of preventing carpet chewing is to dog/puppy-proof the carpet by blocking access to the carpet. For example, block off carpeted rooms using a door or a baby gate. Unfortunately, blocking sometimes stimulates interest and therefore has the potential to amplify the problem. Similarly, in a fully carpeted house, this method may be impossible.

    Training

    • Stopping a puppy or adult dog from chewing the carpet means training the dog about appropriate chewing. This training involves chew toys. One technique is to place a favorite chew toy beside the chewed carpet. When the puppy or dog moves to chew the carpet, tell the dog "no" and direct it to the chew toy. You may also use a taste deterrent on the carpet to discourage chewing. A taste deterrent is a substance which the dog finds abhorrent, such as bitter apple. Commercial taste deterrent products are available in pet stores.