Why Dogs Chew The Furniture And How To Stop Them.

Chewing is a natural behaviour for dogs and shouldnt necessarily be suppressed, however when anything left in reach of the dog gets destroyed it is time to look at why the dog is chewing everything in sight.

Why do dogs chew?

There are four main reasons why dogs chew:

Teething: For puppies aged between 14-28 weeks, chewing on objects helps sooth and loosens the gums around teeth, letting the 'baby' teeth fall out.

Exploratory Chewing: Dogs use their mouths much like humans use their hands. They pick things up, explore them and carry them about using their mouths. Chewing lets them know what something feels like, how it tastes, and whether it's good to eat.

Calming: Chewing releases a stream of endorphins that help to calm your dog. They may not be anxious but chewing makes them feel better.

Boredom: Chewing is fun! If you have ever watched a puppy dismantle a sofa cushion or chew the corners off their dog bed you will see that this is obvious. If your dog is bored it is far more likely to chew things.

How to stop dogs from chewing:

There are a number of ways that you can stop your dog from chewing things you dont want to. The easiest solution is to tidy away things that you dont want them to chew. This may seem obvious but look around the room from your dogs perspective and you will see that things that you may leave lying around such as shoes and pens are an open invitation to your dog.

Provide your dog with toys that you dont mind it chewing. If you catch your pet in the act of chewing some that it shouldnt take the item away from the dog and replace it with one of these toys. If you are consistent in this approach your dog will- eventually- get the message.

For things that you cant remove such as rugs, and furniture you can either buy special sprays from your local pet supplies (http://www.swellpets.co.uk.html) shop or make your own using citronella or a weak vinegar solution. These sprays taste unpleasant and bitter and discourage the dog. They will need to be reapplied frequently until the dog learns that the furniture doesnt taste nice!

Finally, and most importantly, make sure your dog has adequate exercise and that you play with them regularly. Bored dogs chew more as it keeps them occupied. If you can give your dog a long walk in the morning and play with them regularly they are far less likely to chew things as they will be too busy sleeping in their dog bed (http://www.swellpets.co.uk/dog/dog-beds-1123.html) to bother.

Hopefully if you follow these steps that your furniture will have time to recover. It worked for me!

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