Dog Chewing Problems

dog chewing problems

Dog Chewing Problems

Most Common Reasons For Dog Chewing Problems

Chewing is one of the most common dog behaviors and its roots, similarly to biting, can be traced down to the teething period. During that phase in a dog’s life he experiences a lot of itching and pain associated with growing his first set of teeth and chewing is a great way to find a temporary relief.

dog chewing problemsFor a mature canine chewing is a way to explore the world around him. Dog’s mouth plays a similar role to human’s hands – it allows him to find out what’s the shape, density and taste of the items he comes across.

Another reason for dog problems chewing is boredom. Canines chew things because it is a great way to kill time. That is why your dog spends hours damaging your furniture and chewing on your shoes. Try to put yourself in his position – you’re left alone for 8 hours, with no one to play with and nothing to keep you entertained. At some stage you would start looking for something to do and for an average dog chewing is a very attractive option.

Last reason for your chewing dog problems is the anticipation anxiety. You may have noticed that your pet has always something in his mouth when you arrive home from work. This is because he learned that you regularly come back home at a specific hour and around that time he becomes really excited and nervous about it. He starts to chew things around him because for him this is one of the easiest ways to release the inner tension, stress and accumulated energy.

 

How To Deal With Dog Chewing Problems

Unlike biting, dog problems chewing cannot be eliminated entirely. This is because your dog’s well being and good health are dependent on this activity. Don’t try to force him out of this habit or you will end up with a frustrated animal that turns to barking and biting in order to release stress.

If you want to stop dog from chewing you need to identify which of the above scenarios applies to your pet and take appropriate steps that will ensure you get the best results. I share some of the most effective ways to deal with dog chewing problems in other articles on this website. Before we move on to this stage of the process let me mention two more things that you need to know about dog chewing problems.

 

Important Facts About Dog Chewing Problems Part 1 –  Don’t Play Aggressively With Your Pet

Such behavior is the easiest way to make your four legged friend confused as to what he’s allowed to do and can significantly slow down the training process. If he can bite and chew while play-fighting with you, why can’t he do the same thing on other occasions? What’s more, tug of war, wrestling and other aggressive games can result in your dog accumulating piles of energy that he’ll have to get rid of somehow and chewing may be one of the easiest solutions. If you don’t want to make dog chewing problems worse avoid aggressive games. It’s as simple as that.

 

Important Facts About Dog Chewing Problems Part 2 –  Don’t Hit Or Scream At Your Dog

Screaming or hitting your dog will only cause more stress in his life and you already know how canines release it. Punishing your pet for something he had done hours before you found out about it is pointless because he is not able to mentally link his past actions with your present anger.

Ok, enough of the theory about dog chewing problems, let’s take action to stop this annoying behavior! First, read the remaning articles in this section where I discuss some of the most effective tips on how to stop a dog from chewing.

Next, make sure to implement those tips with patience and consistency as these two things form the basis for all dog training methods.

 

Dog Chewing Problems Are Only A Tip of The Iceberg

You may have noticed that your dog indulges in other undesired behaviors such as excessive barking, biting, eating poop, etc. In order to eliminate those bad habits check out our dog behavior section.

 

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