My dog chews on stuff. How can I stop this? Old yeller style is not an option...?

Answer 1

buy the dog toys. you can spray this bitter stuff they sell at pet shops on the things you dont want the dog to chew.. i did this for my puppy, and she learned... many things got destroyed before i discovered that spray.

Answer 2

"Dogs often chew to relieve stress and excess energy. If your dog chews on something that is off-limits, say 'no' or 'eh' in a low voice. Then immediately give your dog a safe chew toy. Praise him for good behavior. Remember to give your dog safe chew toys instead of old household items like old shoes, because that could encourage him to also chew on new shoes. You will also want to avoid rough play and games like 'tug of war' as this can encourage aggressive behavior."

If that doesn't work, you can coat the chewed items or the items you want your dog to stay away from with tabasco sauce or hairspray something else unpleasant-tasting to remove the temptation to chew.

Answer 3

Lots and lots of toys!!! If your dog has his own belongings he will be less likely to go after yours! My Pit Bull does not chew or destruct anything. Why? Because in each room she has at least 5-10 chew toys. When her toys are not around, she has learned to deal without. Find out what your dog likes to chew on, and get him toys with a similar feel.

Answer 4

Puppies may be just as much work as human babies - maybe more so because puppies can't wear diapers and they have very sharp teeth! It's definitely true that, similar to infants and toddlers, puppies explore their world by putting things in their mouths. In addition, puppies are teething until they're about six months old, which usually creates some discomfort. Chewing not only facilitates teething, but also makes sore gums feel better. Although it's perfectly normal for a puppy to chew on furniture, shoes, shrubbery and such, these behaviors can be a problem for you. A puppy won't magically "outgrow" these behaviors as he matures. Instead, you must shape your puppy's behaviors and teach him which ones are acceptable and which aren't.

Discouraging Unacceptable Behavior
It's virtually inevitable that your puppy will, at some point, chew up something you value. This is part of raising a puppy! You can, however, prevent most problems by taking the following precautions:

Minimize chewing problems by puppy-proofing your house. Put the trash out of reach, inside a cabinet or outside on a porch, or buy containers with locking lids. Encourage children to pick up their toys and don't leave socks, shoes, eyeglasses, briefcases or TV remote controls lying around within your puppy's reach.
If, and only if, you catch your puppy chewing on something he shouldn't, interrupt the behavior with a loud noise, then offer him an acceptable chew toy instead and praise him lavishly when he takes the toy in his mouth.
Make unacceptable chew items unpleasant to your puppy. Furniture and other items can be coated with "Bitter Apple" to make them unappealing (see our handout: "Aversives for Dogs").
Don't give your puppy objects to play with such as old socks, old shoes or old children's toys that closely resemble items that are off-limits. Puppies can't tell the difference!
Closely supervise your puppy. Don't give him the chance to go off by himself and get into trouble. Use baby gates, close doors or tether him to you with a six-foot leash so you can keep an eye on him.
When you must be gone from the house, confine your puppy to a small, safe area such as a laundry room. You may also begin to crate train your puppy (see our handout Crate Training Your Dog). Puppies under five months of age shouldn't be crated for longer than four hours at a time, as they may not be able to control their bladder and bowels longer than that.
Make sure your puppy is getting adequate physical activity. Puppies left alone in a yard don't play by themselves. Take your puppy for walks and/or play a game of fetch with him as often as possible.
Give your puppy plenty of "people time." He can only learn the rules of your house when he's with you.

Answer 5

There are sprays you can get, such as bitter apple or bitter lime, that taste bad and discourage dogs from chewing whatever it's sprayed with. Buy some chew toys for your dog and when you catch him chewing on something he isn't supposed to have, take it away with a frim "No" and give him something he IS allowed to have.

Answer 6

When my dog was a puppy she use to like to chew on furniture....chair legs, coffee table legs, ect. Even the wicker furniture and corners on the walls. I used dawn dish soap and smeared it all over these areas. She stopped chewing, and hasn't chewed in about 1 year. Good luck.

Answer 7

First you need to enroll in a good obedience class. This will teach you about dog behavior and how to teach your dog. Once you have gained the knowledge you teach the dog the "leave it" command, then give the dog something appropriate to chew on. Very easy once you understand dog behavior and how to train your dog to be reliable with commands.

Answer 8

First of all, I'm glad you won't shoot the dog over this.

When your dog is chewing on something you don't want it to, give it a chew toy and praise him/her when s/he chews on it. Give it plenty of chew toys, that way it'll find something that's more fun to chew on than your couch.

Good luck!

Answer 9

We used hot sauce on all things our dog would chew on like, chair legs, drawer knobs ext.. He hated that, and stopped right away. Good luck!

Answer 10

soak hot peppers in water and use a spray bottle to mist on things you dont want chewed up.