Controlling Chewing

Dear Bailey,

My dog is chewing on almost EVERYTHING in sight. We have tried giving him other things that he CAN chew on, but whenever our other dogs are around, he chews on things again.

What should we do?

Sincerely,

Tessa

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Bailey's Reply:

Dear Tessa,

First, you've just gotta put your paw…er, foot down and be consistent about what your dog has access to. Behaviors are learned by practicing them. Don't let your dog practice the wrong behaviors- start by puppy-proofing the areas where your dog has free access to. Remove all "off-limits" items.

Next, each time you interact with your dog, use an approved chew item- and make it really exciting for him! This helps to teach your dog which items are appropriate to chew on, and also that they're fun, too!

If you are practicing the above suggestion, and you notice your dog goes after an inappropriate item, don't panic! Redirect your dog to an appropriate chew toy, while removing the forbidden item. Recognize, praise, and reward your dog when he makes the right choices. Remember to keep all taboo items out of his reach so he doesn't have the opportunity to practice the unwanted behavior.

If you're consistent with this, your dog will soon learn that his chew items are much more fun than yours!

Sniff ya later!

Bailey

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