Chewing is a natural behavior of a dog and is never a problem for the dog. It only becomes a problem for us when they chew on inappropriate items and personal belongings. Below are some ideas on how to stop your dog from chewing everything? Dogs, especially puppies at a young age, need to chew – that is a fact of life!
Why Does My Dog Chew?
Chewing is a part of the normal growth and development of a dog – helping teeth and gums develop properly as the puppy grows into adulthood. Puppy’s baby teeth start to fall out at around the four to five month age and chewing helps the dog to get relief from sore gums during this process as well as enabling the baby teeth to fall out and the adult teeth to come through. This is the reason why a puppy needs to learn to be soft when biting and mouthing humans or other animals – refer to our page on Teaching Your Puppy About Biting Behavior.
Chewing is necessary throughout the whole of the dog’s life in order to keep gums and teeth healthy. Chewing on raw marrow bones helps keep their teeth and gums free from disease, although there can be a risk of sharp splinters of bone being swallowed or piercing the gum.
Destructive chewing can occur if a dog is in a stressful environment and chewing helps relieve them of that stress. The dog could be bored and if there is not enough mental stimulation then chewing is a way to pass the time of day. Or, the dog may suffer from separation anxiety and chewing helps relieves that stress factor.
Dogs will always chew – it is dog owners who need to manage what their dogs chew on.
Dogs Chewing Toys
Does your dog chew destructively? Try these recommended chewing toys and set your dog on a pattern of acceptable chewing behaviour!
Check out the huge range of Kong Chew Toys:
at Chewy.com
at Vet Products Direct in Australia
at Pet Planet in the UK
at Amazon.com
Thick, natural rubber to provide your dog with a real chewing workout. Red toy is one tough toy – and a black toy is even tougher. Kong’s revolutionary ‘beehive’ design makes it bounce unpredictably in every direction. Your dog will love his Kong Toy as-is, or as a special treat, you can stuff the hollow end with kibble, treats or peanut butter. He’ll go crazy!! Water Kong comes with an attached throw rope. Kong’s exclusive red natural rubber is puncture resistant, super bouncy, and chewer friendly. It is unmatched for resilience, durability, and bounce. Kong satisfies a dog’s natural need to chew and also cleans teeth and conditions gums. The thick, flexible walls keep springing back for more! Kong rubber is non-toxic, nonabrasive, non-splintering, and does not get sharp when chewed. Kong toys are enthusiastically used and recommended by veterinarians, trainers, dog professionals and satisfied customers world wide.
Kong Toys now available now at:
at Chewy.com
at Vet Products Direct in Australia
at Pet Planet in the UK
at Amazon.com
Here’s KONG’s legendary, tough natural rubber in a ball designed to hold food or treats for added fun. You can even put dog toothpaste in the grooves to help clean teeth and gums as your dog chews and chomps. Irregular shape means it will bounce and roll unpredictably to keep your dog interested.
Bully Sticks from Best Bully Sticks are a wholesome, natural dog chew your dog will love that is healthy for them, too!
Has your pup gone vegetarian? Shop now for top-quality and healthy fruit, vegetable or fish-based dog treats and chews at BestBullySticks.com!
How To Deter A Dog From Destructive Chewing
Puppies:
- Use an errorless training management program from the day you bring your new puppy home.
- Confine the puppy to areas where you can observe what he is doing and don’t leave valuables lying around.
- Have a few chew toys available for the puppy at hand all the time. Make sure one of these toys has space for placing dog treats in it.
- Play with the puppy often, using these chew toys for fetching and retrieving.
Petsafe Sportsmen Latex Meeze Duck Dog Toy from Chewy.com
The PetSafe Sportsmen Latex Meeze Dog Toy is sure to keep your pup occupied for continuous playtime fun. Made of soft latex, these toys make a loud squeak sound when squeezed and the creature’s features extend and wave as the toy inflates back up. The different extending features give your dog lots of places to grab when playing a game of fetch, or just chewing their boredom away.
Or check out the other Petsafe Sportsmen Latex Dog Toys here!
- If you need to go out make sure that your puppy is confined in a safe, secure place where he is not able to be destructive and leave chew toys stuffed with food or treats.
- Praise your puppy when you see him chewing the dog toys.
- If the puppy does get a hold of something he shouldn’t have, distract him with something which he can have. Teach the puppy to ‘give’ by exchanging treats for what he has taken.
DOGGIE CHEW TOYS STARTING AT $2.49!
Older Dogs:
- If you do catch your dog in the act of chewing something he is not supposed to have, don’t yell and scream or smack him – punishment does not work. Just simply offer him a toy or distract your dog by another activity and encourage him to play or chew that instead. Our toys page gives some great ideas on how to keep your dog occupied with chew toys.
- Give your dog a raw marrow bone or Spoil your Dog with Chew Treats from BestBullySticks.com on a regular basis. Even better still, why not Sign Up Today And Become A BestBullySticks Rewards Program Member! This will keep him occupied for hours plus it’s good for their gums and teeth.
- By giving your dog attention, exercise and playing with your dog will all help to alleviate stress and boredom your dog.
VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE – made from the toughest, industrial strength natural rubber; solid, shock absorbing design; puncture resistant and virtually indestructible for even the strongest, behemoth-like dogs! ★★★ With a LIFETIME REPLACEMENT GUARANTEE, feel free to put it to the test! ★★★
AGGRESSIVE CHEWER APPROVED – this industrial strength natural rubber chew toy has been tested and approved by German Shepherds, Pitbulls, Mastiffs and many other aggressive chewers
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GREAT CHEW, FETCH, OR TUG OF WAR TOY – 6.5 inches in diameter and 1.25 in thick; give it to your dog and watch them put it in between their paws and chew on the end, use it for fetch, or even tug of war and keep your dog entertained for hours
LIFETIME MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE – if you’re ever not 100% satisfied, get an instant, no questions asked refund (simply contact us on Amazon on our website)
If destructive behaviors become habitual it is more difficult to correct as the dog gets older. It is better to manage the behavior from when they are puppies to avoid these problems later on.
If you still have a problem after the above, then you might like to try rubbing or sprinkling some vaseline, cayenne pepper, paprika on the things your dog is not allowed to chew. Dogs generally don’t like these smells getting up their noses and hopefully this might help to prevent him chewing your things. These are just a few ideas on how to stop your dog from chewing everything.