Chewing is a behavior that all dogs naturally engage in. Chewing is not always a bad thing, it is quite the opposite as it provides a good outlet for boredom or stress as well as keeps their teeth clean, strong and healthy. This behavior can quickly turn into a problem when your dog begins to chew on things like furniture and other household items instead of their appropriate toys. If we want to figure out how to fix this problematic behavior we have to understand why our dog is chewing on things.
Teething:
All dogs go through a teething phase when they are puppies and this is when they lose their puppy teeth as their adult teeth grow in. When teething begins, your puppy can have some discomfort that needs to be relieved through chewing. This also helps the adult teeth push through the gum line and also helps the puppy teeth fall out. The most important thing is to provide acceptable alternatives for your puppy to chew on. It’s not how many toys you have that is important but the variety of textures and firmness so that your puppy can have options that satisfy the teething pains. Make sure to have softer toys like stuffed toys or tugs but also firm toys such as kongs or nylabones. If you notice your puppy chewing household items, try to redirect them to a toy instead and make it extra fun for them. Gating or restricting access to things can also be a preventative measure that can work great for preventing your puppy from being able to chew on items in the first place.
Stress:
Dogs can get stressed for many different reasons but one of the most common is separation anxiety. Other factors are things like moving to a new home, changes in routine, or hormonal changes. Signs of stress include pacing, excessive drooling, whining, and excessive grooming. This can be a more complex fix that usually requires training or veterinary advice depending on severity. At Seek we see these behavioral problems often, especially post covid, and would be happy to help improve the quality of life for your dog. We can help determine if the stress requires training or if medication should be prescribed by your vet.
Boredom:
Boredom is the most common cause of excessive chewing in dogs after they are done teething. Dogs require a lot of physical and mental stimulation and if they don’t get that, they will turn to alternatives such as excessive chewing. We can avoid this by giving our dog proper exercise through walks or play sessions. Remember that a walk is a very slow pace for a dog naturally so it is better to do faster paced play such as fetch or tug. Mental stimulation should also not be discounted as this can be very stimulating and tire your dog out just the same as physical exercise. You can do a training session with them or engage in a fun mental game that requires problem solving. Another option is doggy daycare where they can play throughout the day with their friends and are guaranteed to come home exhausted.