Why does my dog chew everything in the house?
Chewing is a normal behaviour for dogs. Your dog's mouth is
equivalent to our hands; it is used to explore the environment,
to grasp food, and to relieve boredom and tension. Occasionally
dogs will chew household items in response to a medical problem.
The most common medical cause of excessive chewing is irritated
or painful gums due to teething in puppies or gum disease (gingivitis)
in older dogs. A single destructive episode may be caused by
inflammation of the stomach or oesophagus. Excessive chewing
and destruction can also be the result of psychological stresses
such as anxiety or phobias. Finally, chewing problems can be
caused by the owner. For example, if you allow your pet to chew
on old socks and stuffed animals, your dog may not be able to
differentiate these items from new towels and couch pillows!
How do I recognize destructive
chewing behaviour and determine its cause?
Frequently, chewing problems begin as "a cute game"
the puppy plays, and the behaviour is ignored. However, as soon
as something valuable is destroyed, the behaviour becomes a
problem. First, have your pet examined by your veterinarian
to rule out an underlying medical cause. Your veterinarian can
also help you determine if the chewing is related to an underlying
phobia or to separation anxiety. Phobias should be suspected
if the destruction is directed toward windows or doors (escape
behaviour). Separation anxiety should be suspected if the chewing
occurs only when the dog is left alone or if there has been
a recent change in the owner's schedule (new job, new baby,
etc.).
Are there any secondary problems
associated with destructive chewing?
Yes. Aside from physical damage to your property, your dog
may swallow foreign objects (clothing, plastic, etc.). This
may result in serious medical complications.
What can I do to eliminate destructive
chewing?
Since chewing itself is a normal behaviour, you must allow
a proper outlet for chewing. This is most easily accomplished
by providing appropriate chew toys for your dog. A chew toy
is "appropriate" if it is safe, interesting, and
significantly different from your own possessions.
Examples include Kong toys, Nylabones, and large rawhide
bones or strips. Offer your dog a large variety of toys until
you discover what it likes. To make toys more appealing, hide
small pieces of food inside (this works especially well with
hollow Kong toys). This keeps the dog occupied for a longer
period as it tries to work the food out of the toy. You may
also coat the toys with food such as marmite, bacon grease,
peanut butter or cheese.
To train your dog, provide both appropriate and inappropriate
items in a confined area that you can monitor. At first, lay
out nine chew toys and one inappropriate item, such as a shoe.
Tell your dog to "get your chew toy" (or whatever
command you choose). Whenever your dog picks up a chew toy,
give it a food treat, a pat on the head or verbal praise.
Whenever it picks up your shoe, scold it until it drops the
shoe, then praise it and repeat the command "get your
chew toy". If you do this consistently, you can gradually
decrease the number of chew toys while increasing the number
of inappropriate items. In about two weeks, you should be
able to lay out one chew toy and nine inappropriate items,
and your dog should consistently pick up only the chew toy.
Keeping your dog busy and tired may also help prevent destruction.
Teach your dog to play fetch; this is a great way to wear
your dog out without wearing yourself out! However, do not
play tug of war with your pet because this encourages aggressive
behaviour. If your dog has already developed a chewing problem,
booby-trap items that you do not want chewed. Apply the items
with a mixture of cayenne pepper and water, Japanese wasabe
sauce, or with bitter citronella sprays.
If you catch your dog in the act of chewing an inappropriate
object, immediately reprimand it. Do not scold your pet after
the act, since your pet will not connect the punishment with
the chewing. Remember to praise your dog every time you see
it spit out an inappropriate item. If your dog chews rubbish,
place empty aluminium cans on top of your rubbish bin. Your
dog will associate the startling noise of the cans falling
with the rubbish and will stay away from it.
Finally, supervise your dog at all times while it is learning
which items are appropriate to chew. If this is not possible,
confine your dog to an area safe from destruction. Remember,
even bathrooms and kitchens contain doors and cupboards that
your dog may chew. For that reason, you may want to train
your dog to be confined in a cage or crate.
Key Points:
• Chewing is a normal behaviour for dogs.
• Have your veterinarian eliminate any medical and
psychological problems.
• Provide appropriate chew toys.
• Booby-trap inappropriate items.
• Consistently reward appropriate chewing behaviours.
• Supervise or confine your dog.
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