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What Causes Dogs to Chew? Ways to Keep Your Dog From Chewing
from:A dog's normal behavior is chewing. Obviously, it is not
acceptable to permit your dog to chew clothing, furniture,
stuffed toys, shoes, or even the remote control. Dogs can even
chew a hole in a house large enough for it to escape; an
occurrence that once happened with the dog of a friend of mine.
A computer mouse and numerous remote controls were also victims
of chewing by the same dog.
Understanding why dogs chew is the first step. During the
teething stage, puppies will often want to chew. A dog will put
anything in its mouth to make the pain disappear, similar to
what baby children do during their teething stage. When dogs age
into adults, their chewing habits are usually attributed to
boredom or separation anxiety. Some dogs chew as part of their
play ritual, and others chew just because the item tastes
particularly good. Regardless, chewing behaviors from adult dogs
are an undesirable trait.
Here is a list of some of the more destructive habits of dogs.
* Teething * Mouthing * Boredom * Fear * Play * Attention
Seeking * Just tastes Good
All puppies go through the teething stage. For human children,
there are topical gels available that parents can rub on the
gums to alleviate pain and discomfort. This same type of topical
gel has been used on puppies by a number of veterinarians.
Teething is a natural stage of puppy development, and there are
many products to assist the puppy during this time. There are
manufacturers of hard rubber and plastic toys who specifically
design their products for puppies that are teething. A few
at-home techniques include giving your puppy normal ice cubes to
chew on, or to tie a damp wash cloth into a knot and freeze it.
Give it to the puppy to chew on when he seems to be experiencing
discomfort. Often. the frozen washcloth technique only works for
small breed puppies. One idea, that avoids confusion as to what
is his and what is yours, is to give a frozen bagel to the
teething dog. This gives the dog something to gnaw on to aid the
teething process, and is also a treat to encourage him to chew
on it. I purchase the bags of smaller bagels. It is a very
effective way to conquer teething problems.
Mouthing: It is the norm for little puppies (as young as 8 weeks
old) to have really sharp baby teeth. These young dogs tend to
bite during times of play and excitement. The mouthing behavior
needs to be discouraged. This is the style in which young dogs
speak with each other. Some pet owners like to play rough with
their puppies, and they often return with a small bite mark as a
result. Do not encourage this type of behavior, but rather,
teach your dog that it is unacceptable.
Boredom: If you are absent from your dog for extended period of
time, it will become bored and look elsewhere for something to
do. One way the dog can pass the time is by finding something to
chew. Getting your dog more exercise will be beneficial for them
and you. Although walking some dogs relaxes them and tires them
out, other dogs can be energized by the experience. If the
latter is the case, a good solution is to take some down time
with your dog immediately after a walk. This will create a
strong bond between you and your dog, and strengthen your
relationship. Once again, using frozen pizza dough or frozen
bagels makes for a good chew toy for a puppy.
Fear - Sometimes, when frightened, dogs may chew on items. Loud
noises, like those that occur during thunderstorms, can frighten
some dogs. Dogs also become agitated by the presence of other
dogs, and if another dog walks past the window, your dog may
start barking, chewing the window frames, and so on. These types
of actions are a result of defensive behaviors. The "down stay"
command, as covered in earlier dog articles, is one of the most
effective techniques when dealing with these types of behaviors.
If the dog is acting in a negative manner, put a positive spin
on the situation before attempting to teach this command. Give
the "down stay" command to the dog after first removing him from
the window. Find a way to relax the dog as you sit with him.
This allows the dog to achieve a calm state of mind.
Play- Additional training will usually end any biting or chewing
that happens while your dog is playing. Energy levels vary
between individual dogs, and as such, some dogs have higher
amounts of energy than others. This type of dog requires a
significant amount of exercise to supplement the recommended
training. Introduction of structured activities, such as jumping
or fetch, will help the dog get necessary exercise during play
time. During play time and exercises, practice many "down stays"
in as many locations as possible.
Attention Seekers - Some dogs desire more attention from their
owners than they are receiving, and strive to gain that
attention through a behavior they know works. Common attention
seeking behaviors include barking, chewing, spinning, stealing,
and limping. As the dog is attempting to receive any sort of
attention by chewing, negative reinforcement by the owner will
not cause this behavior to stop. If no attention is brought to
the poor behavior, it will often times go away on it's own.
Just Tastes Good - As common sense dictates, if an item tastes
good to a dog, that dog is more likely to want to chew it. Items
that are at risk of being chewed are ones that are palatable to
a dog. This means that some items have a pleasant taste or
texture to the dog. Examples of these items include stuffed
animals, shoes, and most furniture. If your puppy is going
through the inevitable chewing stage, it is wise not to leave
these things laying around.
Chewing is usually not an issue for dogs that are healthy, have
space of their own to roam, and exercise often. If it does
become a problem, try the frozen bagels.
About the author: Annette Masse
For more information on this topic and more. Please take my complimentary mini course for you and your dog at the URL below. Annette Masse has been loving and respecting dogs for 25 years.ForTheLoveOfDogZ.com
Secrets To Dog Training.
Learn how to obedience train your dog effectively to stop your dogs behavior problems. To find out more about this amazing guide: Read Our Review >>
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