My Dog Chews When I Am Not Home

Dogs, especially puppies, like to chew. Chewing is what dogs do. They use their mouths the way humans use their hands. They investigate and explore using their mouth. When a dog is bored or left alone for long periods of time, it may chew simply out of boredom -- as a way to occupy themselves until their owner gets home -- or the dog may be suffering from separation anxiety.

  1. Boredom

    • When a dog is bored, it wants to be stimulated and chewing is stimulating and fun. Chewing can also be an indicator that the dog is stressed or anxious, which may be due to the fact that it's home alone. A well-exercised dog is less apt to chew, because he's worn out.

    Denning Instinct

    • Designate an area in the house that he can have all to himself. Dogs have a denning instinct, so let your dog establish a den. You can always put it in a crate while you are gone; although some dogs may throw a fit if you crate them. If you do put the dog in a crate, make sure he has something acceptable to chew on and not your shoes. Rawhide knots and beef marrow bones are good choices. The fact that these items change shape

      and morph into depressions and lumps keeps the dog interested and engaged.

    Anxiety

    • When you get ready to leave, put your dog in the crate, say "See you soon," and don't make a big production of it. Now leave. After you have done this for a few weeks, try an experiment. Put him in the cage and leave the door open. Leave the house for 10 minutes. When you come back, if the dog has roamed around and destroyed items this is probably not an indication that he is lonely and bored when you are gone, but anxious about being separated from you.

    Pack Animal Mentality

    • Dogs are pack animals and they don't like being left alone. Because they are pack-oriented, they can become anxious when left alone and they may also feel as though they must defend their territory, which results in chewing.

    The Crate

    • The crate is your dog's den. Do not use it for punishment purposes. He must feel secure and happy when he's in the crate.