What is the best way to prevent our dog from chewing things?

Question

Our dog is now 1 year old and when my wife and I are at work, we want to leave him out of the crate and free to roam certain parts of the house. What is the best way to prevent him from chewing the furniture, walls, etc...?

Answer 1

If he's used to his crate, why let him out? Dogs chew for a few reasons, one of which is, they're bored. Another is because you left them alone. And another is when they're puppies and are teething. If you truly want to let them out, give them their own space, filled with things they can chew without being naughty. It would be best if they had a fenced in area outside, one with shelter and a fence that little children couldn't stick their fingers through, and one that couldn't be jumped by your dogs or anyone else's either. If you can't do the outside thing, then giving them their own room to roam is best. If you don't want them chewing on things, then it would be best that you keep those things from them, removing the temptation. I would think, that as long as their crate is big enough for them to move around in, they'd be safer in there, though I do understand why you'd like to let them roam around, getting a little exercise. I've seen too many stories about how dogs often punish the owner for leaving them alone, by chewing on woodwork, furniture and electrical wiring. I'd really be hesitant to find out if your dogs were among those who have this problem. I think it also depends on the breed too, as some breeds seem more disposed of doing damage than others. I have a Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie) and though I trained her in a crate, we were slow in allowing her freedom to roam when we were gone. She's nine now, and does just fine when we're gone. We started with giving her her own room for several months. Then, we allowed her out at night. A little at a time, we allowed her to stay out of her room when we were gone, for a couple of hours at the beginning, and worked up to 8 or 9 hours when it looked like she was handling it well. She's never had an accident or an incident with chewing. Of course, she's never been a chewer either, not since losing her baby teeth. I guess it's a matter of trial an error. I would just introduce it gradually, letting him out when you go to the store or for short trips and see who that works. <*)))><

Answer 2

Dogs typically love their crates. Instead of leaving him out, try giving him more interesting things to do in the crate. If you don't want to do that, try getting some baby gates and gating off a room that doesn't have much in it, like a kitchen, and leaving him in there. Again with lots of fun, appropriate things to chew on and investigate. It is funny you mention walls... my dog at 4" holes in our drywall. It was pretty crazy. We got her some new toys and rawhides and it stopped.

Answer 3

no reason to leave him out of the crate ,, if you feel you must i would wait until 2 yrs. of age,,,, by crate training him you are teaching him to be non-destructive while u are away,,, 1 year olds are still pretty inquistive and he could easily learn some bad habits while u are at work.... he should not be playing and entertaining himself while u r away - he should be resting so he will be ready to play with you when you get home,, and he can rest in his crate
You can practice during the weekends , by leaving him loose in the house while you run to the store,, or go outside and do yardwork,, etc. be careful too much freedom too fast will result in anxiety and possible destruction from your pup

Answer 4

mix up a spray of hot pepper and spray this on what he likes to chew, but normally when a dog chews when you are gone it is because they are insecure that you are returning it is best to keep them in a cage while you are gone this becomes their secure area

Answer 5

I have this spray stuff that you spray on whatever the dog is chewing on. They hate the smell and they will stop

Answer 6

get him toys that he can chew. i had a dog that i gave one of my old boots from the military and he loved it and never chewed on any other boots or shoes.

Answer 7

shut him in just one safe room and leave him with plenty of chewy bones and toys that he can chew

Answer 8

put ur dog in a kenal or train him or buy a fence and keep him outside all day.

Answer 9

ok... when your home and you see him bite things, smack his nose quick, if he does it again you do it again... also you can almost tempt him by putting something hes not allowed to bite or chew right in front of him then when he bites it u smack his nose again.... repeat until he chooses not to bite it.

Answer 10

Most normal dogs will bite and chew. While you cannot completely erase this behavior, you can regulate it and influence the dog’s behavior. To control your dogs’ chewing behavior, you should know why he chews or bites. Chewing habits can you unnecessary inconveniences because your dog may chew your socks, shoes, books, money etc. Chewing not only harms your household possessions, but it can affect your dog’s health too because he may chew items like electrical wires or pointed objects.

Reason of chewing
Usually dog’s chew when they are teething. Teething causes irritation based on what the dog chews. When the growing teeth pierce your dog’s gums, it causes an unusual feeling and is a painful experience. To overcome this pain, the dog will chew anything. Your dog may also develop food habits due to chewing. Psychologically, dogs chew to relieve stress and anxiety.

Benefits of chewing
Chewing does result in the release of endorphins, body chemicals that can help calm your dog down. Chewing also removes plaque from your dog’s gums and teeth, making them healthier and strong.

Tips to stop your dog’s chewing
•Do not let your dog chew on things by keeping them out of his reach. Allowing your dog to chew old things will not help you in any way because it encourages the behavior. In addition, chewing old things also encourages him to chew other objects, possibly new ones, later on.

•Provide chew toys to your puppy to keep him away from the things you don’t want him to chew. You should also keep his sleeping and playing areas clear of anything you do not want him to chew. Chew toys are healthier and helps keep your dog’s teeth strong, clean and free of plaque. You should be creative when training your dog not to chew. One solution is to use hollow chew toys and fill it with your dog’s favorite treat as reward.

•Do not try to take anything away from your dog that he is chewing because he may hurt you.

•Place his chew toys directly in front of him to introduce them to him and encourage him to chew on them.

•Praise your dog whenever he chews the “right” thing like his chew toys. This helps your dog differentiate between he things he can chew and those he cannot.

•Use crate training to control your dog’s chewing habits. Whenever your dog is alone in the house, you should leave him in crate to prevent him from chewing anything other than his chew toys.

•Keep things you do not want your dog to chew out of his reach.

•Vary your dog’s choice of chew toys. Like people dogs do get bored with the same toys. Therefore, keep a variety of chew toys for him.

•Prevent your dog from chewing your furniture by using anti-chew spray. This spray sends out a strong smell but is not harmful to your dog. Talk more to your veterinarian about these sprays if you cannot keep out things you do not want the dog to chew out of his reach.

Most normal dogs will bite and chew. While you cannot completely erase this behavior, you can regulate it and influence the dog’s behavior. To control your dogs’ chewing behavior, you should know why he chews or bites. Chewing habits can you unnecessary inconveniences because your dog may chew your socks, shoes, books, money etc. Chewing not only harms your household possessions, but it can affect your dog’s health too because he may chew items like electrical wires or pointed objects.

Reason of chewing
Usually dog’s chew when they are teething. Teething causes irritation based on what the dog chews. When the growing teeth pierce your dog’s gums, it causes an unusual feeling and is a painful experience. To overcome this pain, the dog will chew anything. Your dog may also develop food habits due to chewing. Psychologically, dogs chew to relieve stress and anxiety.

Benefits of chewing
Chewing does result in the release of endorphins, body chemicals that can help calm your dog down. Chewing also removes plaque from your dog’s gums and teeth, making them healthier and strong.

Tips to stop your dog’s chewing
•Do not let your dog chew on things by keeping them out of his reach. Allowing your dog to chew old things will not help you in any way because it encourages the behavior. In addition, chewing old things also encourages him to chew other objects, possibly new ones, later on.

•Provide chew toys to your puppy to keep him away from the things you don’t want him to chew. You should also keep his sleeping and playing areas clear of anything you do not want him to chew. Chew toys are healthier and helps keep your dog’s teeth strong, clean and free of plaque. You should be creative when training your dog not to chew. One solution is to use hollow chew toys and fill it with your dog’s favorite treat as reward.

•Do not try to take anything away from your dog that he is chewing because he may hurt you.

•Place his chew toys directly in front of him to introduce them to him and encourage him to chew on them.

•Praise your dog whenever he chews the “right” thing like his chew toys. This helps your dog differentiate between he things he can chew and those he cannot.

•Use crate training to control your dog’s chewing habits. Whenever your dog is alone in the house, you should leave him in crate to prevent him from chewing anything other than his chew toys.

•Keep things you do not want your dog to chew out of his reach.

•Vary your dog’s choice of chew toys. Like people dogs do get bored with the same toys. Therefore, keep a variety of chew toys for him.

•Prevent your dog from chewing your furniture by using anti-chew spray. This spray sends out a strong smell but is not harmful to your dog. Talk more to your veterinarian about these sprays if you cannot keep out things you do not want the dog to chew out of his reach.