Destructive Behaviors: Chewing

They may chew up our slippers and shed hair on the sofa, but dogs? ability to always get their way without causing conflict is a lesson to us all, according to a new bookOne of the most common but misunderstood behaviors in our pet companions is destructive behavior, specifically chewing.

If your pet is a puppy, it is understood they are teething and are using chewing as an outlet to soothe the pain and keep themselves entertained.  But if your dog is older and suddenly starts to have a dramatic change in behavior, in order to zero in on behavior changes, you often need to look at what happened at home when it started.  Start with some of these simple questions:

1) Has your household gone through any major changes lately?  (divorce, child off to college, construction, death of a family member, etc.)

2) Has your schedule gone through any major changes? (new baby, new employment, new significant other, etc.)

3) Has anything altered your dog’s eating and exercising routine? (new food, less frequent exercise, etc.)

4) Does your pet have any new health issues?

If you answered YES to any of these, you could be on your way to understanding your dog’s new behavior.

Sometimes destructive behaviors have an easy fix – give the dog more exercise or attention; take away the “bad” item and give them a “good” item to chew.

Some more suggestions:

  • Try putting Bitter Apple on some items to see if the unpleasant taste keeps your dog off these items.
  • Change where your dog is staying when you are not home.
  • Provide new bones or toys; change the toys out so the dog does not get bored with them. Some toys can be very good for your dog’s energy as well as their teeth.
  • Try leaving a TV or radio on for the dog that it is not too loud.
  • Daycare once a week may be a good physical outlet – only if your dog is well socialized with other dogs.

Dogs often behave destructively to relieve pent-up energy, boredome, stress, anxiety or fear, or to get attention from you. If you have tried many of the above things without marked success, it is time to work with your vet and trainer to start finding solutions for your dog.