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The other day, while I was playing around in the shed, my neighbor literally screamed out in frustration - "How do I get my dog to stop chewing?!" - and I had to laugh, though I do sympathize with him. As I told him, dogs chew. And it is a perfectly natural and healthy thing that they do, but you needn't sacrifice your clothes, shoes and furniture to those teeth!
Here is a quick and easy 7 step method which you can begin to use immediately to stop your dog chewing your valuables.
1. First, initially limit your dog to 3 toys only. Ensure they are all different in taste, texture and shape.
2. Now play A LOT with your dog using those toys. Your dog will soon associate fun and "play time" with those toys. This step will encourage your dog to play with these toys even when you're not there, instead of chewing your favorite shoes. Sounds good!
3. Another cool thing you can do is to make one of those toys hollow so that you can place food and treats inside, which will encourage your dog to play with the toys even more.
4. This is the common sense step - just remove your valuables from your dogs reach! Don't give them any excuse if your can. You can also discourage your dog from chewing objects, including furniture, by using deterrents such as an Anti Chew product. These work by leaving a bitter taste after you spray your chair etc. Your dog will gladly give this a miss.
5. Use praise and reward methods when ever your dog is chewing something that you do want them to chew. Just give plenty of praise, even a treat, to further instill that positive pattern in to your dog.
6. If you catch your dog chewing your expensive shoes, catch his attention with a firm "NO" or other similar command, and immediately give him something else he CAN chew. Then praise him! Try to not lose your temper...
7. What ever you do, what ever your dog chews, always be positive. Be ready to give praise when your dog displays the correct behavior. Remember, your dog has no idea or concept of value for the things he chews. It is never personal - he just needs training. You can do it, be patient and watch what happens.
ALWAYS ENJOY TRAINING YOUR PUPPY OR DOG! It should never be boring, tedious or a chore. Don't allow yourself to get angry. Always approach training your dog as a fun to do activity.
Thanks for reading,
Jordan Francis
"Get your FREE 6 Day Course and discover the proven, 'lab-tested' strategies a 34-year-old dog lover used to obedience train over 20 THOUSAND people's dogs, and experience the ENORMOUS benefits you and others will gain from obedience training your dog! Click Here Now to visit my blog."
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
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