How do I Get Dogs to Stop Chewing Things?

The dog who chews up his owner's things is such a common plot device ("The dog ate my homework," anyone?) that it's easy to see why someone might accept it as the norm. But you don't have to live with a destructive chewer -- with some tools and training, your dog can be well on its way to eschewing your shoes.

  1. Confine, Confine

    • You wouldn't hand a 5-year-old a chocolate chip cookie and tell her not to eat it, would you? Well, your dog feels the same way about that big open house just chock full of delicious tastes and textures to be explored. To keep the dog (and your leather sofa) safe, confine it in a dog-proof area or a kennel while you are out of the house. This ensures that, at least while you and your dog are in the training stage, nothing will be destroyed.

    Do Some Shopping

    • Your dog chewed up your running shoe, your dining room chair leg and the lid to your cake pan. Quick, what do all these things have in common? That's right, they're not dog toys. Maybe your dog just needs some better chewing options. Time to take a trip either to the local pet store or online and select a variety of chewing toys. You should end up with about eight or 10, and mix textures, sizes and flavors. Maybe one rubber chew, one squeaky, a few rawhide bones, a rope chew, a few nylon chew bones, a stuffed animal ... you get the idea.

    Box Things Up

    • The Washington, Pennsylvania, animal shelter suggests that you designate a toy box for your dog's toys. Teach it to embrace and love this box by hiding treats in the middle and encouraging it to rummage through by digging around and imploring "Go look in your box." When the dog finds a treat or a toy and selects it, praise it highly. Eventually, you will be able to use the "Go look in your box" command to encourage it to occupy itself when necessary.

    Discipline with Love and Common Sense

    • You come home to a shredded newspaper and a guilty-looking dog. Should you discipline it? The answer is no. Dogs don't have the abstract thinking skills to connect the shredded newspaper with your reaction -- your dog will be perplexed and assume there was something wrong with the manner in which it greeted you. Next time, put the newspaper where the dog can't reach it.

      What about if you witness your dog shredding the same newspaper? In this case, once you've smacked yourself in the head for leaving the newspaper where the dog can get to it, gentle discipline is in order. Give your dog a firm, "NO. No chew. Fido, NO CHEW the newspaper." Then, take the newspaper away and offer a chew toy instead. When your dog accepts the chew toy, praise him. "GOOD, Fido! Good, Fido, to chew the toy."

      Never strike a dog -- not only is it just bad form in general, but it can lead to your dog becoming more nervous and thus more likely to chew on anything it encounters.

    Protect Repeat Victims

    • If your pooch has a penchant for the coffee table, it will take extra discouragement for it to leave it unchewed. In this case, use a bitter-tasting training aid. Sold at most pet stores and in many online retailers, substances such as Bitter Apple taste so foul that generally just a sniff of the coated object is enough for your dog to decide that chewing it might not be such a great idea.