Chewing. Here are some crowd sourced ideas that will help.
Dog have the instinct to chew. Chewing is normal and necessary behavior. Dogs often chew to alleviate boredom. Another reason dogs chew is that they miss you when you are gone. Because your belongings hold your scent and are often fun to chew (e.g. shoes) that is what pets go for. With patience, this behavior can be changed. There are many ways of curbing chewing
behavior. 1CR
____Find out the Reason for Destructive Chewing and Change the Situation. 1CR
1. There are too many toys around the house mixed in with the kid’s toys, your belongings, etc. 2.The dog has too much
freedom in the home before learning appropriate behavior. 3. Boredom. Lack of enough mental and physical stimulation
during the day. 4. Bad habits begin by giving old slippers, shoes, etc. as chew toys. 5.Excessive attention or pampering
is given when the owner is home with the pet. 6.Over-emotional owner departures and homecomings. 7. Frustration
at being physically restricted. 8. Your pet may be responding to human emotional upsets in the home that do not even
involve the pet. 9.There are delays in feeding your pet. 10. The pet is experiencing separation anxiety. If your dog is
chewing due to extreme separation anxiety, this must be worked through slowly with the help of a pet behavior expert.
Your pet may not only cause damage to your house, but also to himself. Punishment only makes matters worse. 1CR
____Be Consistent! If there is something you do not want your pet to chew say “No!” every time you catch him chewing
on it. The habit of chewing the wrong objects often starts by pet owners being inconsistent. Laughing when the dog or
puppy is caught chewing something like a shoe often reinforces chewing behavior. 1CR
____Redirect Your Pet. Say “No!” and quickly give the pet a chew toy that is appropriate for chewing. Praise your pet
with an enthusiastic voice and pet him for chewing the right object. Just like children, animals need to learn what is
and is not right to play with. Pets will learn very quickly if you redirect and praise appropriate behavior consistently.1CR
____Create a Pet Toy Library. Certain favorite toys only get “checked out” to entertain your pet when you leave home
for any length of time. Simply put out your pet’s favorite toy (rawhide, catnip, etc.) when you leave and put it away as
soon as you return home. This method may work especially well for people whose pets mostly chew when their owners
are not at home. 1CR
____Maintain Chew Toy Novelty. Keep several of your pet’s favorite toys on hand and rotate the one’s he has access to.
Instead giving your pet all his favorite chew toys at the same time, exchange a new one or two new ones for an old one
that is put away for a while until it regains its novelty. Change the toys every couple of days so that, to your pet, it seems
like there is always something new to chew. 1CR
____Change the Type of Chew Toys Your Pet Plays with. Ask salespeople at any pet store to direct you to the
most popular or durable dog and cat toys they have. Ask your friends and colleagues what toys their pets prefer. 1CR
____ Make Your Pets Present Toys More Appealing. Then say, “Good, chew! Good, chew!” enthusiastically when they
chew the right toy. Soon, all you will have to say is “Chew!” and your pet will respond. It is often difficult for pets to
understand why chewing one thing is good while chewing other, similar, things is not good. Help pets learn by making
his own chew toys more appealing. Spread peanut butter or anything else tasty on the toy. Let the toy soak in beef or
chicken broth. Even rubbing the toy in your hands to get your scent on it may help. 1CR
____Make Your Dog’s Present Toys More Interesting. Pull the chew toy on a string to get you pet’s attention. (Please do not let them eat the string. Please remove it after training. )Then say,
“Good, chew! Good, chew!” enthusiastically when they chew the right toy. There are pet “puzzle” toys available at pet
stores, simply ask the store clerk to direct you to the most popular. For example, there are rubber balls with holes in the
middle where you can put treats. These can keep your dog occupied and entertained for hours. 1CR
____Make the Wrong Things to Chew Taste Bad. Pet stores sell a variety of pet repellants, which will not harm your dog.
Bitter apple repellant seems to work well. Put the repellant on any object you want to keep our pet from chewing. Dogs do
not like the taste and learn what objects to avoid. 1CR
____Use Perfume to Keep Your Dog Away. Most dogs do not like the smell of perfume and cologne. Mix one part perfume or
cologne with ten parts water and spray the mixture on the objects you do not want your pet to chew. Cheap perfumes and
colognes work best and smell worst. You may be able to find some at your local thrift shop or dollar store. 1CR
____Keep Chewable Items Out of Reach. Pick up newspapers and shoes from the floor. Move chewable items from lower
shelves or countertops. Putting the temptations out of reach really helps and becomes a habit for you. 1CR