How to Handle a Dog That Chews

A dog will chew on items as a way of exploring its environment. A puppy may chew on objects to relieve the pain of teething, and an older dog chews to strengthen its jaws and clean its teeth. In some situations, natural chewing can turn into excessive, destructive chewing due to stress, separation anxiety or boredom. Prevent your dog's destructive chewing by training it not to chew on unacceptable items and to keep it from accidentally ingesting a non-food item.

Things You'll Need

  • Inedible chew toys
  • Edible chew toys
  • Taste deterrent spray for dogs
  • Tissue
  • Dog teething toys
  • Washcloth
  • Ice cubes
  • Dog puzzle toy
  • Peanut butter
  • Cheese
  • Dog treats
  • Empty can
  • Coins
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Instructions

    • 1

      Give your dog a variety of chew toys. Make sure to purchase size-appropriate toys for the dog. Larger dogs require toys large enough that they cannot ingest them. Small dogs need toys they can fit in their mouths. Vary the textures, providing some made of non-edible materials, such as non-edible chew bones or rubber chew toys, and some edible items, such as pig skin rolls or rawhide bones. Praise your dog when it chews on the toys.

    • 2

      Put away any items your dog can chew on, such as shoes, clothing or knickknacks. Tuck away dangerous items, such as electrical cords, by securing them to the wall or placing them behind furniture where your dog cannot access them. Throw away garbage in a covered trash can and place dirty clothing in a covered laundry hamper.

    • 3

      Spray items you cannot put away with a taste deterrent, also called bitter spray, that contains natural ingredients that taste unpleasant to your dog. Place some of the spray on a tissue and put it into your dog's mouth. The dog should spit the item out and will then associate the smell with the unpleasant taste, leaving alone items that smell of the chemical. Refresh the spray every two to four weeks.

    • 4

      Give teething dogs special chew toys that you can fill with water and freeze; ice cubes; or frozen wet washcloths. This helps to relieve the pain of teething for puppies between the ages of 3 to 4 weeks old and 4 to 5 months old, according to Vetinfo. It also gives the young dog an acceptable outlet for its chewing behavior.

    • 5

      Fill a puzzle chew toy with a delicious treat such as peanut butter, cheese or dog treats and give it to your dog before leaving during the day. Hide other filled treats around your home to get your dog to explore the area, find the treats and prevent boredom. For underweight dogs, increase the portion of food you give it. Give those on a calorie-restricted diet more of a lower-calorie food or give the food in a puzzle toy to make the dog work to get to the food inside.

    • 6

      Watch your dog's behavior. If you see the dog chewing on something unacceptable, calmly remove the item from your dog's mouth and replace it with an acceptable chew toy. Clap your hands or shake an empty can filled with coins to distract your dog from the item, causing the dog to drop it if you do not feel comfortable removing the item from your dog's mouth. Pick up the item and give your dog a chew toy.