I got my first dog as an adult when I was twenty-three. Moonshadow was six months old at the time - already lean, lanky, and full of life. Over time, she became one of those perfect companions to whom all other dogs are forever compared: sweet, mellow, and fun-loving. For the first six months of our life together, however, our relationship was hardly ideal. In fact, there were many days when I genuinely debated sending my sweet Moon right back to the shelter where she'd come from.
The major issue? Chewing, hands down.
Before you can set up your personal paradise, in which you and your dog and your family and friends all peacefully cohabitate, there may be some obstacles. One of those obstacles is most definitely chewing. It's hard to make your place the ideal when you have no books lower than the fourth shelf on your bookcase, and all of your plants have to be suspended from the ceiling. Is it possible to have a great house and still have dogs? Absolutely. But it does take some work.
There are three common reasons dogs chew your stuff: Lack of exercise, separation anxiety, or - particularly in the case of teething puppies - simply because it feels good. The first thing you should do is determine which of these three issues is most likely to blame for your dog's chewing issues. If it's a lack of exercise, you need to prepare yourself for a harsh reality - dogs need to move. High energy dogs like terriers, especially young ones, may need a couple of long walks a day and a rigorous play session besides, while larger dogs or less active breeds may do just fine with a single long walk each day. Check out this Wednesday's blog for some ideas on how to make sure your pup is getting the exercise he or she needs, without either of you overdoing it. In the meantime, though, simply make a mental note as to whether your dog's chewing problems are related to exercise or some other problem.
Now that you've determined the root of your dog's problems, it's time to go about solving the issue. The first thing you need to know: You won't stop a dog who loves to chew, from chewing. So rather than trying to stop them from a natural behavior that is instantly gratifying, you need to find something that they love to chew more than your favorite shoes. There are a lot of alternatives out there. Those I have had the most success with are Kong toys stuffed with cheese or frozen peanut butter, marrow bones, and assorted stuffed toys. Provide a few alternatives, and give plenty of praise every time your pooch shows the slightest bit of interest in them.
The second thing you need to do is set your dog up for success. This means that, at least initially, you'll have to do a little puppy-proofing - they should have zero access to whatever you don't want eaten. If your dog is used to being crated, that's an easy solution. If he's not, you'll need to set up a space that's distinctly dog-friendly whenever you're out of sight. Provide plenty of chewy toys, lots of encouragement, and keep a close eye out whenever your pup is back in the great wide open.
Remember in all of this that accidents will invariably happen. If you find a shoe that's been chewed and your dog is nowhere in sight, don't bother any kind of reprimand. Dogs live in the moment - if you come up to them with shoe in hand and tell them they're a bad, bad dog, they will associate whatever they are doing in that instant with the reprimand. They will not, however, have the slightest idea why you're yelling at them and waving your shoe around. If you actually come upon your dog while chewing your shoe, go to them, gently remove the shoe, and then provide a firm "No. Bad dog." Screaming and, particularly, physically reprimanding your dog are counter-productive to training of any kind. Immediately after reprimanding your pooch, provide him with an acceptable chewing alternative and give lots of praise as soon as they show any interest.
Try this approach, along with a longer, more rigorous walk in the morning before work, and you'll be amazed at how many shoes you're able to save. If you do find no change in the behavior, then you just may be looking at a pup with some severe separation anxiety. If that's the case, read next EnvironMental Monday's post, when I address the issue of canine separation anxiety and provide a few tips for dealing with the issue.
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