How Do I Break a Great Dane's Habit of Chewing Everything?

Dogs chew for many reasons. Puppies chew because they are teething. Dogs may not have been taught what to chew on, or they may be bored or seeking attention. The giant Great Dane will cause more destruction than a small dog if it chews on something like your couch. However, with patience you can correct the behavior.

Things You'll Need

  • Chew toys, including one with a food compartment
  • Leash
  • Crate or grate
  • Chewing deterrent spray, such as Bitter Apple
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Walk through your home and place anything you don't want chewed, like shoes or eyeglasses, out of the dog's reach.

    • 2

      Give your dog its own toys to chew and always praise it when it does. Teach it to use them first by using the toys to engage in play.

    • 3

      Supervise your dog while it is in the house. Keep it on a leash so that you can monitor what it is chewing. Confine your dog to a crate or a gated room while you are out of the house. Provide it with safe, acceptable chewing options, like a food-filled chew toy, while you are gone.

    • 4

      Make a loud noise to distract the dog if you catch it chewing on something that is off limits. Replace the object it was chewing on with something acceptable to chew on and give it lots of praise for chewing on the acceptable toy.

    • 5

      Spray furniture legs, walls and other areas with a deterrent spray, like Bitter Apple. Monitor the dog once the article has been sprayed to make sure you used enough deterrent. If you catch the dog chewing an area that has been sprayed, make a loud noise to distract it, give it one of its chew toys and praise it for chewing its toy.

    • 6

      Exercise your dog. Great Danes are big dogs that require a lot of energy, so take yours for a run, to a dog park or on a long walk every day. Your dog may be chewing out of boredom or to get attention; exercise and play will alleviate boredom and tire it out. A tired dog is a good dog.