|
Chewing [Print This Article]
Published in the August 2007 Colorado Greyhound Adoption Newsletter. Although this article was written for greyhounds, it applies equally to all breeds of dogs.
Question:
My dog has never really been much of a chewer. He has always 'cuddled' with our shoes - however, he has recently developed a taste for shoes, especially our Crocs. Any suggestions?
The Trainer Answers:
Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs, so it’s not unusual to encounter chewing issues with our dogs. Since chewing is a natural behavior, and something that most dogs need to do, make sure you do not stop at asking yourself: “How do I teach my dog not to chew?” The real question should be:
“How do I teach my dog to stop chewing on inappropriate items, such as my shoes?” The best way to save your shoes, furniture, books or any other inappropriate items your dog seems to have a taste for, is to do the following:
- Provide your dog with several appropriate items to chew that he enjoys. You can buy every toy at your local pet supply store, but if your dog isn’t interested, it won’t help. Find toys, bones, and other appropriate items that your dog actually likes. If he doesn’t seem to like anything you bring home, then you might need to teach him to like certain objects. For example, he might have no interest in the chew toy you just brought home. However, if you soak it in chicken broth first, he might find it much more interesting. Or, he might not like the Kong toy you offered him – that is, until you put a little peanut butter in it! Be creative in making less exciting objects more desirable. Also, look at what your dog prefers to chew. In this case, chewing on Crocs might indicate a preference for plastic-type materials. Find toys with similar textures. Also, consider that your Crocs might just look a bit too much like some of his own toys!
- Put your shoes where he can't reach them! Your dog cannot destroy your shoes if they are closed in the closet or another place your dog cannot access. Do not give him opportunities to chew on the objects you do not want destroyed. If you allow shoe-chewing to become a habit, you will have a more difficult time eliminating that behavior later. Better to not let it become a habit in the first place.
- Set up training situations. Have your shoes out, but under your control. If he pays any attention to the shoes, use the "leave it" cue you taught him previously and redirect him to an appropriate nearby item that he is allowed to chew.
- Practice often enough that he begins to ignore the shoes and goes straight for his own chew toys, bones or other allowed objects. By doing so, you eventually will be able to leave your shoes out and not worry about them being destroyed. Your dog should learn which items he can and cannot chew. If you’ve done a good job of making the appropriate items more desirable and the only objects available that he is allowed to chew on, then you eventually should not need to worry about the other items as they will fall out of favor with him and become non issues.
- Although he can be taught the difference, it’s usually best to never allow your dog to have an old pair of shoes or slippers to chew. You might know that you no longer care about that one particular pair that you were about to throw out anyway, but to your dog, all of your shoes pretty much smell the same – like your feet. Don’t confuse your dog by allowing him to chew on one set of shoes and then scold him for chewing on a similar pair. The key is to not give him the opportunity to chew on your shoes, and to make sure he has appropriate alternatives - but ones that he actually likes. For most dogs, it's not that hard to do if you are careful about not giving him any chances to chew on the shoes. If we help our dogs learn to love the appropriate items we provide, they will eventually learn to ignore all the other items we’d prefer they not chew.
|
