How do I stop my dog from chewing? Keep your dog happy with chewing toys, exercise, using a little dog psychology.

Destructive chewing is a behavioral problem and needs training to overcome. Puppies and grown dogs may exhibit this problem. Puppies may chew out of boredom, to expand their energy, teething or out of curiosity. Grown dogs chew because of stress, separation anxiety, fear, phobia, social isolation, boredom, attention seeking or playfulness.

For a puppy, you can puppy-proof its confined area. Remove all tempting objects. It is easier to confine your pup in a big cage or crate in your absence. Whenever you’re around, keep an eye on it and supervise over its activities. Provide chewing toys for teething pains. Correct its behavior immediately if you catch it chewing unsuitable objects.Consistent correction will teach it to chew only its toys.
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Dog chewing problems and furniture can be frustrating and destructive. Teach your pet by positive reinforcement.

It’s a given fact. Dogs are like humans, and they become bored. If not kept stimulated in their environment, they will look for something that will give them hours of play. This unfortunately happens to be your furniture, shoe, the leg of a chair or table, etc. The reason dogs chew is mainly our fault, since we don’t give them enough toys or don’t have time to give them our undivided attention. Most families today work outside the home and therefore spend less time with their pets. The ultimate price is coming home to find that your pet has chewed a hole in your sofa or has eaten your favorite shoe.
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Advice on stopping your dog’s chewing problem. Insight into why they do it, and the advantages of rewards over punishment.

Coming home to find another pair of leather shoes, a belt or the table leg of great-grandmother Nell’s chewed beyond recognition has been the cause of so many pet and owner relationship problems. Too many times the urge to launch the peacefully sleeping puppy with the belly full of leather out the back door has resulted in the puppy being an “outside dog” instead of a member of the family.

It must be understood that puppies have an overwhelming natural instinct to investigate new things and to chew. So many relationships between the owner and the pet could be salvaged if the owner would stop and consider the puppy in the same light as a crawling infant.
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