Ah, the joys of having a dog. Dogs are so much fun to play with and snuggle with. However, they can also be quite destructive when they start to chew a lot, including chewing things like your shoes or, even worse, your wooden furniture. Luckily, there are some ways to stop dogs from chewing too much.

First, Check In With Your Vet

You’ll want to start by checking in with your vet. A study in 2021 reported that 4% of dogs required veterinary treatment for chewing problems. Hence, it is vital to check for any health condition possibility.

Dogs with skin conditions can have trouble coping with the itchiness that comes with these conditions. This can cause them to chew on things even more. If your dog has a skin condition, talk with your vet about treatment options. Apoquel is a dog medication that can help your furry friend with their itchy, dry skin. It can also help offer relief from chewing temptation.

If your dog is chewing on itself because of infection or skin irritation, Apoquel can help. Apoquel for dogs can be used with other allergy treatments, like steroids and antihistamines, or on its own. It’s important to talk to your vet before using this product so they can make sure it’s right for you and your dog.

If a Medical Problem Is Ruled Out, Teach Your Dog an Alternative

If a medical problem is ruled out, it’s time to teach your dog an alternative. Veterinarians recommend using positive reinforcement when training your dog to stop chewing on things it shouldn’t. You should reward good behavior and ignore the bad.

A simple way to train this is by giving them an appropriate chew toy instead of what they’re chewing on now. This way, they’ll learn that there are other things available for them to chew on besides shoes/electronics/etc., which will help curb their desire to do so in the future. The American Kennel Club recommends choosing chew toys that fit your dog’s personality, age, and chewing style.

Chew toys can also help enhance your dog’s dental health. A recent study published in the Journal of Animal Science says that dental chews can positively shift the oral microbiota of adult dogs. Microbiota is a group of organisms that play a key role in dental problems in dogs.

Teach Your Dog the “Leave It” Command

A dog trained to leave something alone is a valuable asset. It’s not just about chewing on your things, but also when you’re trying to take a shower or get some work done and your dog keeps interrupting you with their excitement at being around you.

The first step in training a “leave it” command is teaching them what it means. To do this, hold your hand with the palm facing down, dropping whatever food item you have on the floor so that the item lands about an inch away from your feet. Then say, “leave it.” If the dog bites at their treat immediately, pick up the treat and try again until they don’t immediately pounce on their prize when they see it sitting there.

Once they seem like they understand what’s happening, give them the treat as soon as they take their paws off of what was dropped on the floor by saying “good girl/good boy” before giving them another treat so that they associate getting up off of something with getting rewarded for doing so.

Repeat this process until she has mastered staying where she is while still having food in front of her face (or other objects) without immediately going after it.

Give Your Dog More Things to Chew On

There are plenty of reasons why dogs chew on things. You may be wondering how to stop your dog from chewing too much, but you need to know that chewing is a natural behavior for them. When dogs were domesticated, they still had the urge to hunt and kill prey. Thus, they would put their teeth on everything in sight. That includes furniture and shoes and especially your fingers.

If your dog isn’t getting enough mental stimulation and physical exercise, he might resort to chewing as an outlet for his energy. If this seems like it could be the case with yours, consider giving him more opportunities for playtime outside his crate or kennel during the night so he can burn off some steam before returning inside again.

Otherwise, it’s possible that your pup may have developed an actual dental problem over time due to improper care, which means there is no quick fix here either way because you’ll need professional help getting everything fixed up.

Over 80 percent of dogs aged three and up have active dental disease, according to VCA Animal Hospitals. Many dogs show few signs of dental disease, so it is up to the owners and the vet to determine if the dog has a problem.

Stop Your Dog From Chewing Things That It’s Not Supposed to Chew On

The best way to stop your dog from chewing too much is to ensure that it has plenty of appropriate things to chew on. You can give your dog toys and keep other items out of reach or in a safe place where the dog can’t get them.

If you have a crate for your dog, use it. Crates are great because they keep your pet safely contained when you’re not around, so they can’t get into too much trouble while you’re gone. To get your dog used to its crate, PAWS recommends feeding it its meals inside.

If you don’t have a crate, another solution is putting some pen in the room with all the stuff that’s supposed to be off-limits for chewing. However, if you are going with the crate option, it is also vital to see to it that you don’t keep your dog in the crate for too long.

It can lead to separation anxiety, especially after the pandemic. A recent study shows that pet separation anxiety increased well over 700% within the two years of the pandemic.

Try Changing up Where You Put Your Belongings

Instead of leaving them out in the open, put them in a drawer or cupboard where your dog can’t access them. If you keep the items that are most enticing, like shoes or socks, in an inaccessible place, you’ll find that your dog will quickly go elsewhere for his entertainment and chew sessions.

It’s also important to know what kind of stimuli attracts your dog’s attention so that you can eliminate this from his sightline. If there are things around him that catch his eye, he may think they’re fair game for chewing and start munching on them as well.

Conclusion

That’s it! Hopefully, these tips have helped you feel more confident in getting your dog to stop chewing things it shouldn’t. It can seem overwhelming initially, but the more time you spend doing these things with your dog, the easier it will become.