Dogs chew on a normal basis, but sometimes the chewing can get out of control. If your dog destroys items around the house, determining the reason for this behavior will help you choose the most effective means to stop it.
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Prevent Boredom
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Some dogs chew because they're bored. Take your dog for daily walks and let it run around in the yard or at the dog park. Physical exercise will help your dog burn off the energy that could lead to unwanted behavior. Keep your dog's mind busy with puzzle toys. Mentally stimulating your dog will tire it out. The more active your dog's brain and body are, the less likely it will be to resort to destructive chewing to relieve boredom.
Provide Substitutes
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Frustrated dogs will chew whatever is near them at the time. If your dog wants to chase a cat it sees outside but is stuck in the house, it will grab the closest item to chew on instead. Watch your dog closely for this kind of behavior. When you figure out what frustrates your dog, have a toy ready to give it before it can start chewing on another object. If you're not in the room, keep toys around so that your dog is more likely to grab one to chew rather than your furniture.
Avoid or Eliminate Stress
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Some dogs chew due to stress. If you can determine what causes your dog to feel stressed, keeping your dog away from that object or situation could be enough to stop destructive chewing. If your dog exhibits other behaviors such as urinating in the house or howling, it could be suffering from separation anxiety. Help your dog associate your leaving with something positive to reduce anxiety. Use puzzle toys containing treats to distract your dog when you walk out the door. By the time your dog works its way through the puzzle toy, its stress levels should be considerably lower. Your dog will start to become happy and excited when you're about to leave instead of anxious and miserable. If this doesn't work, contact a professional dog trainer or behaviorist in your area for further help.
Redirect Behavior
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Your dog might not realize that the object it's chewing on is forbidden. When you see your dog chewing something it shouldn't, give it an appropriate item to chew on instead. Redirecting your dog's behavior, along with keeping inappropriate objects out of your dog's reach, will reduce destructive chewing. Don't confuse your dog by letting it chew on an old pair of shoes or similar worn out items. Throw these out when you're ready to get rid of them. Your dog doesn't understand the difference between those shoes and your brand-new pair that are off limits.
Crate
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To prevent serious damage in the house or possible injuries to your dog from chewing when you're not home to supervise, you should put your dog in a crate with a few toys. Give your dog time to get used to being in a crate before you leave it alone.
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