Dog chew on household items. What should I do?
Does your dog chew on household items? From past 15-20 days my dog is doing this and I tried a lot to deter him from my things but no improvement. He also have plenty of chew toys but instead of playing with them he usually chew wire, doors, shoes, carpet, bed etc. How can I stop him from chewing on household items?
Hi Sanjay
I'm fairly new to this forum, but I have been training dogs (to the gun, untill I saw the light) for nearly 30 years. What I'm about to say is my view only and what I have had personal success with.
In my experience when dogs start on the furniture and your new boots they are usually doing one of two things. Trying to overcome boredom or attention seeking and I have done a few different things. Lets start with chewing..... I like to keep things natural, by that I mean using natural products that a dog would not usually chew on because they naturally don't like them. This means you have to find something that your dog avoids like the plague.
In all but one case I have found that citrus tends to be the one, roll an orange across the floor and encourage your dog to play with it like a ball and watch his reaction. If like the dogs I have done this to your dog picks it up and then spits it out there's a good chance it's the taste. But dogs have pallets like us, so it could be the texture or both, but one thing it's unlikely to be is the fruit itself more the skin or the oil given off by the skin. Try pricking the skin and then rubbing it on something your dog has taken a liking to and see if it stops chewing that item, if so then rub it on other things, but change the fruit because they will get used of it. In tandem with this, keep a couple of toys in a carrier bag along with some favourite edible treats, your dog will soon start to associate those toys with a nice taste and prefer to chew on those rather than your slippers.
But you still have to address the underlying issue..... I agree with the last comments, all toys out at the same time breeds familiarity and that in turn leads to boredom. Try taking your dog for a walk at different times and to different places so it breaks routine, keep a toy back and only use it on walks. My dog has a solid rubber ball and a frizby that he only gets on walks and his focus stays on them and me, this not only addresses the boredom issue, but also the attention seeking, because not only is the dog focused on you, but you are focused on him by giving him the toy as a treat for as long as the walk and then praising the dog when it brings the toy back. Think dog..... Wow, my favourite toy and a fuss!!! Doggy Nirvana.
I hope this has some effect, like I say, it has worked for me in the past.
What a great answer Popeye.
Do you work? Does he get a good long walk before you leave in the morning? If so, he should be fine in a crate for no more than 4 hours. Even better if someone can easily come home at noon and let her out for a spell.
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You say that the dog has plenty of toys. Are the toys left lying about or do you keep one or two out at a time? It might be best to rotate the toys, only leaving one or two different types of toys out at a time so he doesn't get bored. I keep the dog and cat toys in a box and swap them round every now and again. My pets act as if they have found a long lost friend and play with the toys for longer than if they had constant access to them. Only allow your dog to play with the toys in certain areas such as the living room mat. Don't let him play with these toys near items that he might chew, such as shoes or on the sofa or under tables if he chews furniture. Interact with him and give him lots of praise when he plays with his toy. There are sprays that you can buy that you put on the items that he chews to make them unappealing to him. Veterinarian’s Best Bitter Cherry Spray, Bitter YUCK! No Chew Spray and Chew Guard Spray are some of them. You don't want to stop him from chewing as that is natural for dogs, it's just a matter of encouraging him to chew the right items. You might find that the dog can tolerate some of the sprays and you may have to try a couple. When you first use the spray/paste put some in the dogs mouth by putting it on a piece of cloth and putting it in his mouth. Remember you are only using the cloth to put the stuff in his mouth, don't keep it in, the dog might choke. Take his water off him for an hour so he can't get ride of the taste, then give him the water back. He may sound like he's going to be sick, but don't worry that's natural. If you think about how you would feel after tasting something vile then you will know what is a natural reaction. Get a spray bottle and squirt him on the back of the neck when he chews something he shouldn't and he will soon associate chewing that item with an uncomfortable feeling. DO NOT let him know it is you doing it so get out of the way quietly and quickly. Be patient and persevere. Good luck.