Dog chewing is a natural behavior; dogs chew to investigate their surroundings or when they are bored or want to play. Puppies are more likely to chew and this behavior can go away on its own as the puppy gets older.
However, dog chewing can become a damaging behavior. This can be prevented by behavioral training. Knowing why your dog is chewing can also help you stop the behavior.
Discovery
Dogs are curious and they like to investigate their surroundings. By chewing, a dog discovers and learns about the objects around him. Your dog is likely to chew on furniture, shoes, electric cables or other objects they come across.
Dogs like objects of different textures; however some objects may be dangerous for your pet as he may get electrocuted or swallow the object and choke. On the other hand, the furniture and shoes the dog may chew on will be destroyed.
Boredom
Boredom is on the top of the reasons why a dog chews.
If you go out, your dog will be left alone for half a day and he will get bored, so he will start chewing.
Playing
Dogs may chew on objects while playing. Puppies are likely to chew while playing, but adult dogs may also display this behavior.
However, this behavior is not dangerous if you give your dog plenty of chew toys. If you fail to do so, the dog will play and chew on clothes, bags or shoes.
Teething
Teething dogs may chew to relieve the pain and stimulate the growth of the teeth.
The puppy teeth start to grow at the age of 3 to 4 weeks and will be fully grown by week 8. The puppy will have 28 teeth.
The baby teeth will be replaced by permanent teeth when the dog is 4 to 5 months old. At this time, your dog will also chew on hard objects to stimulate teething. An adult dog will have 42 teeth.
There are special chew toys for teething dogs which you may get to prevent your pet from chewing on furniture.
Chewing due to teething is only normal during the mentioned periods of time. If your dog chews outside these periods, the cause of chewing must be different.
Anxiety
Separation anxiety and stress may cause a dog to develop destructive chewing behavior.
Stress may be triggered by change, loss of an owner or companion or by an illness.
Try to determine the cause of stress and administer proper medication.
Stop Chewing
Typically, as the puppy grows older, he will stop chewing. However, if your dog continues to chew, he requires training to stop this behavior. The dog must be taught that chewing on toys is good and chewing on cables is not.
The dog should also receive different textured chew toys, which will prevent destructive chewing and will keep your dog busy while you are away. Hide several toys in your home and let the dog discover these, to make the scenario more interesting.
Use bitter spray pet repellents on cables or furniture and hide shoes or objects that your dog targets when chewing.