March 27th, 2020 by
It’s completely normal for dogs and especially puppies to chew things - after all their teeth are their equivalent to our hands! While it may be frustrating when your dog is chewing things around the house that they really shouldn’t be, it isn’t that difficult to stop them - keeping your dog happy and healthy, and preventing your house from getting destroyed!
Why Does Your Dog Chew?
There are many reasons why dogs chew. Puppies chew to help them explore new environments, and also to help ease pain from teething! Adult dogs can chew things for a number of reasons such as boredom and anxiety, but it’s important that they chew to help keep their jaws and teeth strong!
Puppies chewing might seem to be annoying – especially if they chew table legs, cables, or anything else that you don’t want them to! However, it’s important that you allow this to naturally happen. The best way to stop a puppy from chewing things that either; aren’t safe for them to chew, or are just things around the house that you’d rather not be destroyed from sharp little teeth is to redirect their chewing!
How Do I Redirect Chewing?
This is quite simple, whenever your pup tries to chew something you don’t want it to – give it a toy or a dog chew. This will redirect their chewing onto something that will fill their need and keep them safe! Some great things for teething puppies include; frozen carrots (keeps them busy for longer!), a frozen tea towel with knots tied in, puppy safe dog chews (these are softer than adult ones so not to damage their teeth) or dog toys. Always supervise your puppy when giving them anything like this, just to make sure they don’t choke or swallow anything they shouldn’t! Redirected chewing should always be praised – reinforcing the behaviour so they learn they are being a good dog!
Why Does My Older Dog Still Chew Things They Shouldn’t?
Adult dogs can sometimes be a little trickier to stop from chewing things they shouldn’t. If they have been allowed to chew things from a young age it could just be a habit for them. If your dog is bored or lonely this can lead to destructive behaviour – chewing and ripping things up! Anxious dogs also like to use their mouths to destress. Chewing and continuous licking releases endorphins so calms and comforts your dog. Older dogs can still have their chewing redirected – but if not used to this they may still get bored of whatever you use for them to chew on, so it is best to change it up at least weekly. Different things to chew on will help keep your dog stimulated, keeping his/her mind active which in turn will tire them out… a tired dog is a happy dog!
What Can I Do if my Dog Continues to Chew?
Of course, sometimes your dog is just being naughty when it chews. If your dog is completely in a habit of chewing things, why not try our Chew Repel – safe for dogs and puppies from 6 weeks old! Chew Repel is a quick and easy way to stop your dog from chewing things around the home as it has a bitter lemon fragrance that smells nice but tastes nasty to dogs, thus deterring them from chewing whatever has been sprayed with it! It’s alcohol-free and safe to use on any surface around the home, from wooden furniture to fabric curtains! To use Chew Repel; first shake the bottle well, before testing an inconspicuous area of the surface you wish to use it on. When this has been left to dry for a couple of minutes (to ensure no discolouration) you can then spray an even coat of Chew Repel across the surface you want to prevent your dog from chewing on.
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