Dogs are man's best friend, but not when you are looking at the splinters of your fence littering your yard. You still love your dog, but as far as best friends go, you're not feeling that cozy right now. It is natural behavior for dogs to chew on things. You need to teach your dog what he can and can not gnaw on. Once this is learned through behavioral training and tactics, you will once again call him your buddy.
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Distasteful Training
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When Fido is chewing on the fence boards and you tell him, "no," he might stop for a minute but get right back to his chew fest. Lemon juice in a spray bottle can be your rescue remedy. Unsweetened lemon juice is sold in bottles at your supermarket. Put a solution of half lemon juice and half water in a spray bottle. Spray the area once every few days until your dog no longer makes a play for the fence. The lemon juice is very tart and dogs despise its taste. It is not harmful to animals or plants.
If you need to cover a large area, use a garden sprayer--a container that uses a hand pump system. They are sold in hardware and garden stores. If lemon juice becomes too big of an expense, you can use vinegar. Its only drawback is the smell that will linger in your yard for a few hours.
Tabasco sauce, or any other type of hot sauce, mixed with water also does the trick. Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of half hot sauce and half water. Spray it on the fence to discourage your dog from chewing. One taste of this substance and the dog will not go near it again. This could be costly for a large area.
Behavioral Training
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Spending time in the yard with your dog is important when training him not to chew the fence. You need to verbally correct him and hand him a replacement toy for chewing. Praise him when he listens to your command. A dog toy called a Kong is a great product to use in this training. It is a hollow hard rubber toy in which treats can be inserted. Your dog has to work hard to get at the treats. Kong products are sold at most stores that carry dog toys. You can also use rawhide chews, rawhide bones, or any other dog safe chew toy to distract your pet.
Your dog will learn not to chew your fence with time and effort on your part. For the harder to train dog you might have to stay outside with him during his time in the yard for the first week or so. Correct him when he goes for the fence and bring him in immediately.
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