How To Stop A Dog From Chewing When Home Alone?

Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs. They use their mouths to explore the environment in the same way that humans use their hands as investigative tools. Irksome and sometimes expensive destructive chewing usually takes place when the owner is not with the dog. Therefore, correction when the dog starts or is in the act is impossible. The chewing can then become a compulsive behavior when the dog is lonely, bored, stressed or anxious.

• What type of chewer is your dog?
• 8 steps to stop dog chewing
• Which chew toy may be right for your dog?

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What type of chewer is your dog?

It’s important to understand why your dog is chewing before you get to how to stop your dog from chewing. Every new puppy or dog parent should expect a certain amount of destruction from curiosity-based or tension-relieving oral tendencies of a pet.

The solution to the problem lies in removing the environmental cause and guiding the dog towards the appropriate objects to chew. Once you understand the motivation for chewing, apply one of these in-home-training techniques

The Bored/Unstimulated Dog

The Problem

The lonely dog is one that is left alone for long periods of time in an unstimulating environment. These dogs chew out of boredom. To remedy the situation several things are in order. First make sure your dog is well exercised. An aerobic work-out is required for older puppies and adolescents. Second, provide your dog with a place that he can have all to himself. Dogs possess a denning instinct; let it work for you. The best way to confine a dog is with a kennel crate. A small bathroom or a kitchen area may do, if the dog is adverse to crating. However, there are many chewable objects in these rooms including flooring and cabinetry.

Just like humans, dogs can become bored if they don’t receive enough mental stimulation or exercise. As a result, your dog may look for ways to amuse himself or alleviate boredom, including destructive chewing.

How to help your dog

• Provide plenty of exercise for both body and mind.
  Give your dog plenty of people-time.
• Provide a confinement area and be sure to remove all things he shouldn’t chew.
• Teach him to love being in his crate.
• Leave him with an inedible chew bone – ones that are not easily consumed or change their form as the dog gnaws at them.
• For the first two weeks, the dog cannot be allowed any unsupervised time.
• In the third week, put the dog in his crate with the door open and leave for about 10-20 minutes.
• If you return home to any destruction your dog is probably anxious about being separated from you.

Confine the chewing dog in his crate whenever you are unable to supervise his activity. Leave him with a couple of acceptable chewies. ACCEPTABLE CHEWIES are toys that are not easily consumed, ones that may change their form as the dog gnaws at them. Nylabones, beef marrow bones, large rawhide knots all become more interesting to the dog as he works on them; the chewing action creates all sorts of lumps and depressions that keep most canines enraptured for hours. KongTM toys can be stuffed with a variety of goodies including some of the dog’s breakfast, challenging him to work for his meal. Old shoes, towels, scrap wood, or phonebooks are not acceptable chew toys. Dogs cannot differentiate between old shoes and new shoes, or scrap wood from kitchen cabinetry. Don’t confuse your dog by giving him anything that may be mistaken for a forbidden object.

When you are ready to leave the house, put the dog in his confinement area with a couple of chewies and go. No long, sloppy goodbyes, no pleading or threatening gestures, just a cheery “see you later” or a matter-of-fact “be good,” that’s all.

For the first two weeks the dog cannot be allowed any unsupervised time. Put him in his crate each and every time that he is left alone. Do not give him an opportunity to chew a forbidden object without feedback.

Starting with the third week, put the dog in his crate with the door open and leave for about 10-20 minutes. If you return home to any destruction your dog is probably not bored and lonely, but rather is anxious about being separated from you.

The Anxious Dog

The Problem

The anxious dog is one who suffers from feelings of social isolation. Dogs are pack animals and many do not take it very well when they are left on their own to “defend their territory.” There is safety in numbers for pack oriented animals, and what the anxious dog needs is a secure and comfortable place to stay when he is left behind. Once again, a kennel crate may be the tool of choice. Introduce the dog to the crate in a positive manner. Never use the crate for punishment. This is your dog’s den — he should be happy and secure when he’s inside. As with the lonely dog, there should be no long, emotional goodbyes. However, before you leave his chew toy with him in his crate, rub the toy between your palms. This action imparts your scent to the toy and tends to focus the dog on this object rather than something else.

Some dogs can become anxious when left alone or when their family isn’t present. One common symptom of separation anxiety can be destructive chewing. While treatment can sometimes be tricky, here are tips that may help your dog feel more comfortable when alone.

How to help your dog

• Give him plenty of physical and mental stimulation prior to leaving.
  Crate or confine your dog to a single room when he’s home alone. If your dog is not crate trained or the crate causes additional stress, try switching to confining him one room.
• Be sure to remove things from his environment that he should not chew.
• Never use the crate for punishment.
• Consider adding a daily supplement like Calming Care to his food to help manage anxiety.
• Provide him with a high-value treat like a Kong. Before leaving him in his crate, rub the Kong or toy between your palms.
  Once the acceptable treat has your scent, it may help focus your dog on this object.
• Make your departure and return home calm. No prolonged goodbyes or excited hellos.
• Start with leaving your dog home alone for very short periods of time. The goal is to return before he becomes anxious and starts chewing everything and anything.
• Once your dog becomes comfortable being alone for shorter periods of time, slowly increase it.

If your dog is hurting himself trying to escape the crate and suffers severe separation anxiety, speak to your veterinarian about recommendations on how to calm your dog. Another way to help your pup is to contact an animal behavior consultant.

Excellent results have been obtained by using the following exercise to re-orient the dog’s chewing habits. Take away all of the dog’s former chewies, and replace them with a meat-scented nylon bone (NylaboneTM is one such toy). Make this bone the focus of a fetch and play session at least twice a day. The combination of the owner’s scent with the meat scent makes it an appealing object on which to chew. Since the toy bone has now become the focus of intense interaction between the dog and the owner, the vast majority of dogs will aim their chewing at it.

As with the lonely dog, the anxious dog should be confined to his crate for the first two weeks when home alone. Beginning with the third week, leave the dog in his crate with the door open for a period of time not to exceed 20 minutes. If you return home to any signs of destruction, shorten the length of time that you are gone until you arrive at a time span that is successful. From that point on, SLOWLY increase the length of time that you are gone until you have reached your goal. If at any time, you come home to destruction, go backward in time at least two steps and maintain that time frame for at least a week; then proceed with the schedule as planned.

If you find your dog is bloodying his paws or otherwise hurting himself trying to escape the crate, another course of action needs to be taken. For cases of severe separation anxiety, an applied animal behavior or other behavior consultant should be employed. This serious problem will need an individualized behavior modification program and possibly drug therapy to be resolved.

The Puppy

The Problem

Chewing is a common complaint among those caring for dogs younger than one-year-old. Part investigation, part teething, and all fun, chewing is a rewarding activity likely to be repeated.

How to help a teething puppy

• Create a safe puppy-proofed area or crate.
• Get down at puppy eye level to scope out potential problems.
• When you cannot supervise your puppy, place him in the approved, safe area with an inedible chew or puzzle toy.
  Invest in a variety of chew toys appropriate to the size and chewing preferences of your dog.
• Always observe your puppy chewing in new toys closely to make sure they’re suitable.
• Throw away any damaged toys or sticky remains.
• Alternate the chews to maintain interest.
• Save the most desirable chews and toys for crate time or when the puppy is left alone.

Every new puppy or dog owner should expect a certain amount of destruction from curiosity-based or tension-relieving oral tendencies of the pet. The solution to the problem lies in removing the environmental cause and guiding the dog towards the appropriate objects to chew. The above-mentioned preventive and corrective approaches will help to minimize and ultimately solve the problem while allowing the dog to develop a healthy relationship with you.

8 steps to stop dog chewing

Try distracting your dog with these 8 tips for power chewers.

• Provide indestructible toys or puzzle toys.
• Treat with super-sized, long-lasting chews that keep his teeth clean.
• Set him up for success by dog-proofing your home. Make sure items like shoes, clothes and any prized possessions are picked up and put away.
• Exercise your dog before leaving him for a time period with an appropriate chew toy.
• If your dog chews something that is not his, give him the verbal instruction “No” then redirect him to chewing an approved toy.
• Coat items you cannot move such as tv wires with a pet-friendly, natural bitter repellant.
• Give a verbal warning such as “no” and then draw her attention to an acceptable toy.
• Praise your pup for chewing on an approved object.

Which chew toy may be right for your dog?

Providing your dog with plenty of his own chew toys and removing items he shouldn’t chew from his environment can go a long way to help set him up for success. Learn which chew toy might be right for your dog!

Dog chews and toys such as Nylabones bones, rawhide and rubber toys all have their pros and cons. Learn how to choose the best size, material and strength of chew or toy when you are researching how to stop a dog chewing on everything.

What you can give your dog to chew on and what to pick up & put away
Chew Toys	Treat Dispense Toys	Items to put away
Dentalife	Kongs	Shoes
Busy Bones	Busy Buddy	Clothes
Chewnola	Bob-a-lot	Glasses
Nylabones	IQ Treat Ball	Remote controls
Rollhide & rawhide		Books
Lil’ Drummies		Small items
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