It is a common scene for many dog parents. You come home after work, and lo and behold, it looks like someone detonated a bomb in your living room. In the middle of it all, your precious dog sits surrounded by tatters of toilet paper and destroyed cushions. If this is nothing new to you, perhaps it’s time you rethink your dog confinement strategies and implement some drastic measures to save your stuff.
In this blog post, we’ll look at why dogs chew and other things dog parents should know.
1. Dogs Have Different Reasons for Chewing
The reasons why a dog chews depend on many factors, like their personality, age, lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise.
Puppies chew because of their natural teething process. Hopefully, they grow out of it when they reach adulthood and have all their 42 adult teeth. However, like human babies, young puppies have 28 deciduous teeth, also called milk or puppy teeth.
These razor-sharp, teeny teeth hurt when they emerge. In addition, their gums can also cause significant discomfort and pain while their adult teeth are replacing their puppy ones. A puppy will have a complete set of puppy teeth when they are between eight to ten weeks old, and a complete set of adult teeth by the time they are around six to nine months, depending on their breed and size.
Smaller dogs will stop teething sooner while the larger ones take a few months longer. That’s not good news for large breed owners, whose puppies can cause significant damage with their bigger, more powerful jaws!
2. Chewing Is a Natural Part of Puppyhood
If your puppy chews constantly, puppy-proof your home. Of course, you can correct your pup and redirect their attention to their own chew toys and dental sticks, but puppy chewing is normal and difficult to correct with 100% reliability.
You’ll need to move everything out of your pup’s reach. If you are unable to do so, you’ll need some kind of confinement or containment such as a crate, puppy pen, or gates to restrict them until the “chew-everything-that-I-can-get-my-jaws-on” stage passes. Hopefully.
These restrictions are not just to save your stuff, but it is also to keep your pup safe. Puppies don’t know any better and can get into all sorts of trouble like eating toxic food, chewing through cables, and biting off choking hazards. If you cannot watch your pup 100% of the time, be sure to make sure it’s a safe environment for him or her.
3. Underlying Issues Could Cause Excessive Adulthood Chewing
Excessive chewing in adult dogs is a destructive behavior that can be due to many things and even indicate deeper psychological or physical problems, such as:
- Anxiety and stress. Dogs are social animals that might be stressed if you leave them alone for long periods, especially if they are prone to separation anxiety. If your dog spends loads of time alone, they may chew things up as a coping mechanism.
- Boredom. This is by far one of the most common reasons why dogs chew; they are just plain bored. If your dog is not getting enough mental stimulation, you’re likely to have a chewer on your hands that will do anything to entertain itself. That’s why high-energy breeds like Border Collies and Retrievers seem to be voracious chewers. They have no outlet for their boundless energy and will devour your favorite pair of shoes to burn some of that excess energy.
- Hunger. If they are under-fed or don’t get enough nutrition, dogs can also chew up things to find food. They’ll forage for food and scraps to boost their nutrition intake.
4. You Have Options for Managing Adulthood Chewing
A dog that constantly destroys your belongings and homes suddenly doesn’t look THAT adorable, do they? Thankfully, there are a few things that you can do to try to stop those persistent chewers.
For example, a tired dog is a happy dog, and a dog so exhausted that it is ready for a nap isn’t going to be focused on chewing up your house. Exercise can help to reduce or even eliminate chewing behavior in dogs.
Furthermore, regular exercise helps to release endorphins, which have a calming effect on dogs. If your dog has a chewing problem, try taking them for long walks or playing vigorous games to allow him to expel all that energy in a positive, healthy way.
5. Chew Toys Provide Enrichment
To help your dog fulfill their need to chew without damaging your belongings or putting their health at risk, you’ll need to provide them with some quality chew toys. While there are many different types of chew toys available, not all of them will be equally appealing to your dog.
To find a toy that your dog will actually want to chew on, look for one that is made from a material that is durable and safe for dogs, such as rubber or nylon. The size and shape of the toy are also important – it should be large enough that your dog can’t choke on it, but small enough that they can carry it around easily.
Finally, make sure the toy is bouncy and fun to play with; after all, what’s the point of a chew toy if it’s not fun? With a little trial and error, you’ll be able to find the perfect chew toy for your dog – one that they’ll be happy to gnaw on for hours.
