It’s natural for dogs to explore, though their curiosity can irritate you. For example, when they chew on your favorite slippers. Excessive chewing may be due to anxiety or dental problems. This article will help you to limit the chewing behavior in dogs effectively.
The benefits of chewing
Instead of punishing your naughty dog, promoting good behavior in dogs often works and makes your dog happier. Chewing is a natural behavior that helps dogs relax and improves oral health. Usually giving your dog a certain amount of time to chew will help your dog relax more at night (Like we read a book before bed).
What to do to overcome the habit of excessive gnawing?
Making sure your dog chews only on the right things will help keep them – and your belongings – safe. Here are a few ways you can redirect your dog’s chewing and put an end to unwanted behavior.
1. Train your dog to keep calm to limit the chewing behavior in dogs
For dogs that are prone to biting things when their owners are away, you need to teach them that they can’t ask for your attention whenever they want. To reduce anxiety, train your dog to stay in his bed or crate rather than keeping him close to you at all times. Get them used to your absence and gradually increase that time so they feel more comfortable and calm when you’re not around.
2. Using chewing toys
Chewing toys are a great way to keep your puppy busy and reduce the pain associated with dental problems. Once the teeth are loose, the dog will chew a lot. Therefore, providing a suitable toy for dogs is essential. Try exposing your dog to a variety of toys to find the ones they like best (avoid giving your dog toys that resemble household items you don’t want to tear, such as toys that look like shoe).
Change the toys so your puppy is always interested and rewarded when they chew on them. If your puppy finds something that shouldn’t be chewed, find a toy with a similar texture as they may need it to relieve oral symptoms. Remember, finding the right toys for your dog is not only good for their health, but it can also help reduce damage to your home’s furniture.
3. Create a safe space for dogs
As with any type of behavior you want to change, one of the most important things to do is manage the environment. where your dog lives.
Most of us are familiar with puppy vandalism measures for our homes. We put our shoes in the closet, put the dog in a cage or create a fence around the place where the goods need protection.
Look around for any unsafe items that may be within the dog’s reach. If you plan to leave your puppy alone in the house, make sure they have a safe space where they can’t find unsuitable objects to chew on.
4. Give your dog plenty of exercises
Exercise is extremely important for dogs prone to inappropriate chewing or other destructive behaviors. A tired puppy is less likely to cause problems.
Exercise also produces endorphins, which have a calming effect. In fact, it’s these endorphins that are stimulated by chewing, so if your dog isn’t getting enough exercise, they may unconsciously seek to replace the endorphins they need by releasing pent-up energy. through chewing.
Making sure your dog gets enough exercise will help reduce anxiety, boredom, and attention-seeking behavior.
5. See your vet to find the solution to limit the chewing behavior on dogs
Sometimes, chewing or tearing things up can be a symptom of a more serious problem, such as breakup anxiety. This can happen when the dog feels extremely anxious about being left alone without someone around.
If you suspect separation anxiety, the first thing you need to do is schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. They can help you figure out if it’s breakup anxiety or something else.
Treatment for separation anxiety may include diet and exercise changes, training, medication, or a combination of therapies. Treatment or cure is not always easy and often takes time to progress. But addressing it will help you with destructive chewing behaviors.
There are other medical conditions that can cause dogs to feel compelled to chew. In fact, pica is a condition in which dogs feel the need to eat things other than food, and pica can also be a symptom of underlying medical problems.
Talking to your vet is very important. They can diagnose your dog’s condition, prescribe treatment, and even offer advice on how to correct unwanted behaviors.
6. Be gently with your dogs
Whenever you get angry with your dogs, you should think about the reasons you get them home. Because of your love, the pet comes to you to be your friends.
The chewing behaviors totally can be limited as long as you find the root cause and try to understand your friend. Remember that your love can solve every problem. Your gentle training can help your dog improve their bad behaviors .
