How to Stop a Dog from Chewing: Effective Training Tips and Solutions

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing: Common Experiences and Solutions

Destructive chewing is a common complaint among dog lovers. Many, including myself, have dealt with this issue. For example, my dog River chewed everything as a puppy, leaving bite marks on our coffee table. Even now, at almost 4 years old, I ensure she has chew toys to prevent destructive chewing.

Why Dogs Chew:

• Puppies: Explore the world, soothe gums, cope with boredom and anxiety.
• Older Dogs: Bad habits from puppyhood, boredom, unmet exercise needs, anxiety, medical problems.

Understanding these reasons can help in learning how to stop a dog from chewing on things they shouldn’t, ultimately preventing destructive behavior and keeping your belongings safe.

Why Puppies Chew

Puppies depend on their little mouths to learn many important lessons. Through their mouths, they:

• Learn about the world around them
• Communicate with other dogs
• Learn how to control the pressure of their bites
• Soothe sore gums and teeth
• Cope with boredom
• Get out frustrations
• Cope with anxiety

Why Older Dogs Chew

Have you ever wondered, “At what age do dogs stop chewing everything?” or “Why does my dog chew things when I leave the house?” If so, you’re not alone. Most dogs will outgrow the chewing associated with teething and jaw development by 1.5–2 years of age, though some dogs take up to 3 years.

If your puppy never learned to chew the right things and was left unsupervised, you might be dealing with a destructive chewing habit now.

A few different things can cause an older dog to chew:

• Bad habits learned as a puppy
• Boredom
• Unmet mental and physical exercise needs
• Anxiety
• Too much freedom
• A medical problem
• Lack of training

Understanding these causes is crucial in knowing how to stop a dog from chewing on inappropriate items and addressing the root of the problem.

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing: Training Tips

Chewing is a common problem, but what do you do about it? The goal shouldn’t be to stop all chewing but to teach your dog what to chew and how to do it.

In this expert guide on how to stop a dog from chewing on things, we’ll show you how to address chewing by doing five things:

• Confine
• Supervise
• Provide chew toys
• Teach avoidance
• Address needs

By following these steps, you can effectively manage your dog’s chewing behavior and keep your belongings safe.

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing: Using a Crate

Here is where we talk about the crate—dreaded by some but beloved by others. If you haven’t used a crate before, you might not be a fan. Many people who think it’s cruel refuse to use the crate—until they get desperate enough to try it. However, the crate shouldn’t be feared or dreaded. If used correctly, it’s not cruel at all.

A crate has many benefits—it can:

• Provide a safe and familiar space for your dog when you travel
• Prevent separation anxiety
• Help your puppy learn to self-soothe
• Help your puppy learn to self-entertain
• Make traveling easier
• Prevent boredom barking when combined with food-stuffed chew toys
• Help prevent bad habits, which leads to greater freedom later in life

There are also unexpected reasons you may need a crate: a new baby coming home, an injury, or a visiting relative with a cat. You never know what might come up.

How to Crate Train:

1. Open the door and sprinkle treats inside and around the crate.
2. Show your dog the treats and encourage your dog to eat them.
3. After the treats are gone, randomly add more treats to the crate several times throughout the day. This will make the crate into a magical treat-filled box for your dog.
4. When your pup starts to go to the crate on their own:
   • Stuff a hollow chew toy with your dog’s food mixed with a little peanut butter (avoid xylitol), liver paste, or squeeze cheese.
   • Encourage the dog into the crate with treats, give them the food-stuffed toy once they are inside—and then close the door.
5. When your dog finishes the food from the toy, let them out if they’re quiet. But if they bark or whine, wait until they’re quiet for at least a second before opening the door—you want to reward quietness, not barking.
6. When your dog can handle being in the crate until the toy is empty, gradually leave the dog in there for longer periods. Every 10 minutes that your dog stays quiet in the crate, go to them, sprinkle treats into the crate, and then leave again.

Using a crate effectively is a key step in learning how to stop a dog from chewing on inappropriate items.

Alternative Confinement Methods

If your pup finishes the food in the chew toy too fast, you can freeze the toy. Here’s what you do:

1. Buy a rubber chew toy, like a KONG.
2. Put your dog’s food in a bowl and cover the food with water. When it turns into mush, mix in a little peanut butter, liver paste, or soft cheese.
3. Loosely stuff the toy with the food mixture.
4. Put the stuffed toy into a resealable zippered storage bag and freeze it overnight. You can also make several of these toys at once so you can grab one from the freezer as needed.

Don’t put anything made from fabric into the crate with your dog. For a bed, choose something like Primo Pads until your dog has learned not to chew household items.

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I stop my dog from chewing on blankets?” not putting anything made from fabric into their crate is one of the ways. The rest of this article will cover what else to do.

If Crate Training Isn’t an Option: If your puppy cannot be crated for some reason, you can also:

• Confine them to an exercise pen.
• Attach them to yourself with a 6- or 8-foot leash—this is called tethering.

These methods can help in understanding how to stop a dog from chewing on inappropriate items by providing alternative confinement solutions.

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing: Supervision Strategies

Of course, your pup won’t be in the crate all the time. When you’re there to supervise, give them time outside of the crate.

By putting your puppy in a crate with a food-stuffed chew toy, you’re teaching them to chew on their own toys. You’re also preventing them from learning to chew on household items, including dangerous things.

You’ll need to help your dog learn these lessons when they’re out of the crate, too. One way to do this is by making sure your puppy has access to chew toys in every room they go into.

Was YOUR Pet Food Recalled?

Check Now: Blue Buffalo • Science Diet • Purina • Wellness • 4health • Canine Carry Outs • Friskies • Taste of the Wild • See 200+ more brands…

CHECK RECALLS NOW!

What’s the Best Chew Toy for a Dog? A great chew toy should be:

• Durable: A toy needs to be durable so your puppy can’t chew off small pieces and eat them.
• Hollow: Having a hole in the middle of a chew toy lets you stuff the toy with enticing treats and food.
• Safe: Many bones are hard and hollow, but they tend to splinter—do your research to find ones that won’t.

What is truly safe will also depend on how aggressive of a chewer you have. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and avoid the toy in question.

My Curly-Coated Retriever, River, rarely tears up a toy or tries to eat it. My Border Collie, Mack, however, can destroy anything made of fabric within 15 minutes—even those multilayer ballistic nylon toys!

Here are a few of the Petful editors’ top picks for the best chew toy for a dog:

• Outward Hound FireHose Squeak N’ Fetch
• KONG Classic Dog Toy with Your Choice of Dog Treat
• Outward Hound Tough Seamz Snake
• Also, Petful writer Allison Gray tested out the ChuckIt! Indoor Ball and reviewed it here.

Supervising your dog and providing appropriate chew toys is essential in learning how to stop a dog from chewing on inappropriate items and ensuring they develop healthy chewing habits.

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing: Teaching Avoidance

Since your dog will be free in your home only when you’re supervising (everyone nods here, yes?), you’ll have opportunities to teach your dog to avoid things they shouldn’t be chewing on.

Ways to Teach Avoidance:

1. Sprays and Deterrents
2. Teaching Obedience Commands

Sprays and Deterrents

Sprays and deterrents can be helpful if your dog tends to go back to one piece of furniture or object over and over again. That coffee table that River chewed up may have been spared had I applied a spray to the legs sooner.

When you first bring your puppy home, go ahead and add a deterrent spray to your shopping list—you’ll probably need one!

Two popular deterrent spray brands that are easy to find:

• Bitter Apple
• Bitter Lemon

Another option is to create your own “stop a dog from chewing furniture” home remedies.

Furniture Home Remedies

• Vinegar spray: Mix 3 parts water and 1 part white vinegar in a spray bottle—spray this only on hard surfaces. Don’t forget to do a small test spot before spraying the entire area.
• Lemon spray: Mix 3 parts water and 1 part lemon juice in a spray bottle—this mixture can bleach some surfaces, so be careful where you use it.
• Pepper spray: Add 1 tablespoon of powdered cayenne pepper to 1 cup of water in a spray bottle—this mixture can dye things red, and you need to be careful not to get it into your eyes or to touch it. This remedy is best used outside.

Teaching Obedience Commands

I recommend three commands for training a puppy not to chew: “Leave it,” “Out,” and “Drop it.”

These strategies are essential in learning how to stop a dog from chewing on inappropriate items and guiding them towards better behavior.

“Leave It” Command

“Leave it” means: “Forget about that thing and avoid it completely.”

How to Teach “Leave It” to Your Dog

1. Grab a treat and close your hand around it.
2. Show your closed hand to your dog and say “Leave it.”
3. When your dog stops trying to get the treat, praise them and give a different treat from your other hand.
4. Repeat until your dog immediately leaves your treat-filled hand alone when told “Leave it.”
5. Make it harder by opening your hand partway. Be ready to close it if they try to get the treat. Reward with a different treat.
6. Place the treat on the floor next to your foot. Say “Leave it” and be ready to cover the treat with your foot if they try to get it.
7. Gradually add movement and distance to the command: back away from the treat, drop a treat by your foot, and toss a treat behind you.

“Out” Command

The “Out” command means: “Get out of an area.”

“Leave it” is useful for telling your dog to avoid specific objects, and “Drop it” is useful if your dog already has something in their mouth, but “Out” removes your dog from the area completely.

How to Teach the “Out” Command to Your Dog

1. Grab several large treats and call your dog over.
2. Toss a treat a few feet behind your dog while saying “Out” and pointing to the area.
3. When your dog walks to the treat, praise them. After they eat it, call them back by saying “OK!” in a happy tone.
4. Repeat tossing the treat and calling your dog back until they start moving toward where you point before you release the treat.
5. When that happens, make the same throwing gesture while saying “Out,” but wait until they start moving toward where you’re pointing before tossing the treat.
6. If your dog needs a hint, toss another treat.
7. When your dog understands “Out,” use it when they’re near something they need to leave alone. If they obey, give them a treat. If they disobey, get between them and the object, walking toward them until they back out of the area.
8. If your dog tries to return to the area, block their way until they stop. Walk back into the area and see if they follow you. If they do, repeat walking toward them until they leave the area.

Repeat this process until your dog reliably leaves the area when told “Out.”

“Drop It” Command

Sometimes we get distracted, we say a command too late or we simply don’t see the dead bird lying on the sidewalk. When that happens, you want your dog to know “Drop it” — and to do it fast.

Many dogs will grab things they know are off-limits because they’ve learned from experience that their humans will chase them if they do — and this is great fun for them!

If you’re tired of chasing your dog around the house while they taunt you with your own belongings, you need to teach your dog to “Drop it.”

How to Teach Your Dog to “Drop It”

“Drop It” Command

Teaching your dog to “Drop it” can prevent them from holding onto things they shouldn’t. Here’s how to do it:

1. Grab several of your dog’s favorite toys and treats.
2. Wiggle a toy around or toss it to your dog.
3. Once your dog has the toy in their mouth, tell them to “Drop it” and touch a treat to their nose.
4. As soon as your dog drops the toy to get the treat, praise them and let them eat the treat.
5. Repeat this with different items that your dog likes to pick up.
6. Once your dog can obey the command with favorite items, like socks or wads of paper, start using the command in everyday life.

If your dog won’t drop an item when told to, clip a leash to them and make them stand (not lie down) until they get bored and drop it. This may take a while the first few times, but persistence will pay off, and your dog will learn to follow the command.

Trying to train your dog not to chew on things they shouldn’t? Then make sure you give them something they CAN chew on:

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing: Addressing Needs

If your dog has needs that aren’t being addressed, it could hinder your training efforts. We’ve discussed confinement, supervision, and teaching avoidance, but there are three other key areas to consider:

1. Mental and Physical Exercise Needs
2. Anxiety
3. Medical Problems

Mental and Physical Exercise

Is your dog receiving enough mental and physical exercise each day? Most dogs get physical exercise through walks and runs, but many lack mental exercise.

You can provide mental exercise by:

• Teaching your dog new commands and tricks
• Practicing current commands in a more challenging way
• Practicing commands that require focus and concentration
• Playing games that incorporate obedience and tricks
• Going on walks and stopping for short training sessions in various locations
• Engaging in dog sports like agility, canine freestyle dance, herding, tracking, obedience, and bird retrieval

The most efficient ways to exercise your dog combine both physical and mental activities. Addressing these needs is crucial in learning how to stop a dog from chewing on inappropriate items.

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing: Addressing Anxiety and Medical Issues

Anxiety

If your dog shows other signs of anxiety, this could be the cause of the destructive chewing. Many people worry that their dog has separation anxiety because they come home to a destroyed house, but most of the time, the dog’s chewing is not caused by separation anxiety, but separation boredom. Essentially, your dog got bored and decided that chewing was a fun way to pass the time.

If your dog doesn’t have other signs of separation anxiety, they’re probably just bored and have been given too much freedom too soon. However, if you suspect separation anxiety, watch for these signs:

• Drooling
• Shaking
• Peeing despite being house-trained
• Trying to escape to the point of injuring themselves
• Barking or whining without stopping

If your dog shows other signs of anxiety, it’s time to hire professional help to address the root cause of the chewing.

Medical Issue

Is your older dog chewing suddenly? Have you recently moved, changed your routine, or added a new dog or baby to the household? Stress stemming from these events may overwhelm your dog. Alternatively, there could be a medical reason behind the chewing.

If your dog is chewing themselves, take a trip to your vet. Your dog may have a skin infection, an allergy, or some type of early mental decline. Fleas are also a possibility, so check that your pup’s flea medication is current and working.

Addressing anxiety and medical issues is crucial in learning how to stop a dog from chewing on inappropriate items.

Final Thoughts on How to Stop a Dog from Chewing

So, let’s sum up this expert guide. How do you train a dog not to chew on things? The answer is to use a combination of:

• Confinement
• Supervision
• Teaching avoidance
• Addressing needs

Remember, chewing is natural and even beneficial for puppies. But your dog needs your help to learn not to chew on your things. Teach your pup to chew on the right things instead—such as their own wonderful, food-stuffed chew toys.

By following these steps, you can effectively manage your dog’s chewing behavior and keep your belongings safe.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)