Is your dog like my dog was? Does he/she chew on everything, ruining all of your valuable possessions? I couldn't tell you how many times I've come home to a living room full of chewed up objects, ranging from TV remotes to my wife's plants!
It was ridiculous...but luckily that doesn't happen anymore! Before you can figure out how to stop it though, you have to know WHY your dog chews. There are three main reasons:
- The first, and most obvious reason, is for self-enjoyment. Just like you may bite your nails, your dog likes to chew. He sees no problem with it, and it is enjoyable for him, so he just keeps chewing!
- If your dog spends large parts of the day by his or herself, he or she may be more prone to chewing. You see, your dog may have separation anxiety problems, which in turn causes your dog to chew as a source of relief. Now don't go thinking your dog has some crazy mental disorder...he may just get bored throughout the day, which causes him to chew. When I'm bored, I eat junk food...when your dog's bored, he chews furniture
- Does your dog get exercise throughout the day? If not, a build-up of anxious energy may cause your dog to resort to chewing to burn energy. I remember at my old job, my dog would be home alone for at least 10 hours a day, and therefor could not get out and exercise, which caused him to chew all my stuff up. Luckily you won't have to change YOUR life to fix this, your dog can change.
Why Your Dog Chews