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Posts Tagged ‘dog chewing’

When you come home and your most prized possessions have been chewed up by your new puppy,it can really make you rethink your decision about getting a dogSometimes it is a shoe or and item of clothing left out but it can also be something more expensive like a cell phone or a remote control from the tv It can also be something unreplaceable like your mail that has a check in it for money or tickets for the best show in town. Understanding how to train your dog to prevent this kind of behavior can help prevent unneccessary loss of valuable personal itemsJust remember that your dog does not chew for malicious reasons-in other words, he is not trying to get back at you for something

You cannot start yelling at your dog when you come in the door and find him lying beside the chewed up items. Reinforcing positive behavior teaches you how to take a bad situation and turn it into a positive one with no punishment for you dog. Chewing is not something your dog does so that he can intentionally be a “bad dog”. It is up to you as a dog owner to get to know what it is that your dog enjoys chewing and then you can provide these dog specific chewies and leave them in a specific area that you have designated as a “chewing allowed” area. Providing a dog with the proper outlet for his need to chew things is a natural and positive approach to your dog training.  

There are a combination of training tactics that can be used when approaching dog chewing Some dogs are chronic chewers and don’t care what they chew and will destroy your home if allowed One solution for chronic chewing is to make the items or areas that your dog is prone to chewing as foul tasting as possible with products such as sprays and solutions These substances come in different forms from sprays to ointments and they work to discourage your dog from going back to that area because the taste is very bitter and bad to your dog. Pet stores and catalogues sell them and one of the more popular flavors is bitter apple.

When your dog runs out of things to do and needs to channel his energy somewhere,chewing is a very common outlet for this type of boredom. This mostly occurs when they are left home alone for long periods of timeCrating your dog can be a solution while you are away from the home, providing it is only for short periods of time. Leaving your dog in his crate should feel familiar and calming for your dog. Most dogs look at their crate as a den and become very relaxed and fall asleep. It is not a bad idea to leave some chewies in his crate with him. Just remember,that this solution is not intended to be used for extended periods of time A dog needs to exercise and relieve himself throughout the day and it is not healthy to keep him in a crate for the entire day. If your dog isn’t crate trained yet visit dog obedience university for instruction on this.

What dog doesn’t take a good opportunity when he sees it? If a piece of steak drops on the floor, chances are he will sweep in and help clean it off the floor for you The same can be said of tempting chewable items. When you leave items on the floor on low lying coffee tables you are extending an invitation for your dog to grab it and do what he wants with it. After all, it was left there for him , wasn’t it? I had a friend who left her expensive pair of Oakley sunglasses on her weight bench and she came home to find her Wiemeriener happy to see her and $200 tangle of chewed plastic. The way a dog explores his world is by using his nose and his mouth.  Try to remember to put things away that you value , out of your best friend’s reach.

Tiring your dog out by having some fun exercise sessions will give him balance and make him less prone to vent energy off in undesirable ways. When a dog is tired he is less likely to get in trouble. A tired dog is a happy dog. A happy dog means a happy owner.

When you dog has free range to run loose in the house make sure that he has plenty of chew toys, such as kongs, rawhides, and dental chews to gnaw on There are some really cool puzzle toys out there that let you put a treat inside of them that make it so your dog has to roll it around on the floor and really work at it with his tongue to get the treat inside out. When he is busy with such things, he won’t be eyeing your chair legs the same way.

A dog is a dog but some breeds can be a bit more prone to chewing than others. If you can focus in on why your dog is chewing it will help you figure out what solution to use to stop your dog from chewing. Is he bored? Does he have to much freedom? If you have to leave him home all day and it is too long to crate him, consider bringing him to one of the many doggie daycares available for the day. Not only will this tire him out, but he will be getting socialized as well. He will be so worn out by the time he comes home, the last thing on his mind will be chewing anything!

For other excellent solutions and guidance that go into more detail about dog chewing and how to deal with it check out the best dog training courses found online today.

The act of chewing seems to be a matter of individual preference among dogs: some have an innate desire to chew as a pleasurable activity in itself, and some seem to have no need to chew whatsoever unless they’re driven to it out of sheer boredom.

The phrase “destructive chewing” may sound redundant, because – by its very nature! – all chewing can tear things up. With a mouthfull of sharp, pointy teeth: just about everything will show the effects of her chewing. So just to clarify, when I use the phrase “destructive chewing”, I’m referring to inappropriate chewing: the kind of chewing that’s focused on your own possessions and household items, instead of on your dog’s own designated toys and chews.

The three main reasons why dogs chew:

– All dogs have a natural desire to chew. It’s fun, it passes the time, and it’s a self-rewarding, self-reinforcing activity (for example, if she’s chewing on something that tastes good.)

– Chewing provides a nervous, bored, or lonely dog with an outlet for her emotions. To a dog the repetitive act of chewing is soothing just like we eat comfort food.

If dogs are not exercised to burn up their excess energy they often turn to chewing to give themselves something to do.

– How to prevent destructive chewing -

Dogs can learn not to chew your things – you just need to work at it.

1. Take control and manage your own possessions. Just like with a child you need to dog-proof your home. Even if you have the best-behaved dog in the world, there’s still no reason to test her self-control – after all, dogs explore the world with their mouths.

Dog-proofing means if you want it then make it unavailable for her to get. Consider her size and agility when deciding whether something’s out of reach: can she jump? Can she climb, or leap onto something else to reach the desired object? When standing on her back legs how tall is she?

Small crunchy appliances such as cell phones, cameras and remote controls and eyewear, shoes and garbage are often targets in the home.

It should go without saying that all food needs to be put securely away: don’t leave snacks on low tables (or even countertops – you’d be surprised how acrobatic she can be when there’s food at stake!), put all food into containers or the pantry. Make sure you scrape out plates and rinse them before leaving them by the sink.

2. Prevent her from learning the joys of illegal chewing. The more times she gets to have forbidden substances such as a pilow, shoes and carpet runners the more readily she will grab them in the future. If you can prevent her from chewing your stuff in the first place, it’s a lot easier for her to understand what you expect of her. Practically speaking, this means confining her in a dog-proofed area until you’re confident of her understanding of the house rules.

3. Don’t make it harder for her by blurring the boundaries between her stuff (OK to chew) and your stuff (not OK to chew). Don’t offer your dog cast-off clothes, shoes, or towels to chew and play with: realistically, you can’t possibly expect her to be able to tell the difference between your current shoes and the one she’s got in her mouth that you gave her five minutes ago.

4. Give her lots of different, good tasting alternatives to your things. If she doesn’t have anything to play with, you can hardly blame her for targeting your possessions. Just think, most dogs need to chew; especially if she’s an adolescent or a puppy. Go on a shopping spree and pick up several toys and chews so that you can give her two or three at a time. Rotating the available toys every few days will keep things novel and interesting for her.

5. Spend a lot of time in one on one supervision. Yes, it might be easier for you to just keep her penned up in her crate, run, or the yard – but that’s boring and horrible for her, and hardly much fun for you either (if you wanted a pet that you don’t need to interact with, you’d have got a goldfish, right?) She can’t learn what you expect of her if she’s spending all her time boxed up in the dog-proof zone: she needs the opportunity to explore the boundaries of your expectations, so she can understand what’s appropriate and what’s not.

6. When you catch her chewing something inappropriate, interrupt her by making a loud noise: clap your hands or make an “Ah-ah-aaaah!” noise. Then, immediately give her a tasty alternative such as a rawhide bone or chew toy; when she takes it praise her. There is no better way to get your dog to understand that chewing “her” toys equals praise from you, but everything else equals trouble.

– Maintain a productive attitude -

If nothing else, keep your expectation realistic. You’re not perfect, and neither is your dog: there’s likely to be at least one incident where a cherished item is damaged by her curiosity.

Particularly in the early stages of your relationship, she’s still learning the ropes: it’ll take awhile before she’s completely reliable (and even then, if she’s left by herself for too long or feels neglected, she may choose your stuff over hers to occupy her time and jaws with.) Remember to give her time to learn the rules, and plenty of ‘you-time’ to help her learn faster – and don’t forget to take precautions and keep things out of reach until she’s got the hang of the chewing rules!

For more information on dog training techniques and how to deal with problem dog behavior (like chewing), check out Secrets to Dog Training. It’s the complete manual for dog ownership and is designed to fast-track your dog’s learning.

 

 

Dog training can be trying and a learning experience for you as well. The initial part of puppy training is the hardest, after that passes it gets easier. Once you have trained your dog to obey your commands you will be less likely to have to worry about him taking off on you and meeting with an accident. Once you get past the rough patch of dog obedience training, you will see that you can now relax and truly enjoy your dog and the time you have with it. It can be a bit stressful to complete the initial phase of dog training no matter how long it takes. This is the main reason that it is critical to ensure that you have all of the necessary assistance.

Teaching your puppy housebreaking is just one thing that you absolutely need to do, although sometimes it may seem like a never ending process. If you give up on the training you will find that there could be a lot of serious consequences to face such as:

• Destroyed furniture
• Accidents all over the house
• Biting
• Aggressive behavior

In order to make sure that you are giving your dog the best chance at a happy and well-behaved life then you have to be the strict parent of your pet. Dog training is the process of teaching a dog right from wrong. Sadly there are people who assume that dogs automatically know the difference between right and wrong but this is simply not true. The problem with that assumption is that dogs only know what their instincts are and this is why we as the owners have to take advantage of dog training. The dog does not instinctively know the human rules about being allowed on furniture in a home.

We, as the owners and the teachers of the pets, have to slowly and patiently walk our pets through dog training in order to teach them the way we live. Your dog is eager to please, but won’t know what to do until you teach it. Dog training will condition your dog to do what you want it to do and teach him not to do what you do not want. It will also show the dog how to receive your affection and little extra treats every once in a while.

Sources for Dog and Puppy Training Advice:

• Classes
• Books
• DVDs
• Magazines

Although there are a lot of wonderful dog training classes out there that will teach you about housebreaking and dog biting, it is important to know that these classes are mostly for information. You will not get overnight success by attending any class. The real work will take place once you are at home with your dog. Anything you learn at the dog training sessions must be repeated at home to be effective.

When you are dog training it is best to get a hold of any book, DVD, etc. Ensure that you pay attention to all the advice you receive and apply it wisely. Some breeds of dogs are easier to train than others so it is difficult to put a universal time frame for successful completion of dog training. With persistence and consistency, you should see results from the dog training very soon.