Anyone with a dog knows that dogs chew. Sooner or later, you're going to come home or wake up to find something with bite marks on it, or which has been completely destroyed by your dog. Here are some of the reasons that dogs chew on things:
Foraging or Looking for Food
Like a shark, your dog thinks that if he can chew on something and it breaks up under his teeth, it's probably food. So, your slippers have just become your dog's latest meal. One of the ways that a puppy finds out about his world is by using his mouth and teeth. He's going to chew on that slipper to see what it is and what it tastes like. For all he knows, it may be food.
Restlessness and Boredom
Dogs that are outside will tend to dig to relieve boredom. Dogs that are inside will tend to chew on things within their reach. When you come home from a night out and find that the dog has chewed the couch to shreds, it was most likely because he was bored, not because he was mad at being left out of the family outing. Your dog may also have been taught to equate chewing to being given attention. You don't always have time to play with your dog, but chewing makes you pay attention to him. Your dog may also be expressing his fear of being left alone when you go out for the day.
Teething Problems
This is more prevalent in puppies that are cutting new teeth. However, even adult dogs will experience times in their lives when they will feel the need to chew on something in order to relieve tooth or gum pain. This is because the pressure of their teeth biting into something relieves the pain. A dog knows that chewing on something feels good. They don't know that the table leg they're chewing on is off-limits, only that it relieves the pain they're experiencing.
Preventing Chewing
The best way to make sure your dog is unable to chew on your slippers, shoes and other items is by keeping them out of his reach. Dogs are explorers. They're going to go looking for things to check out. Keep your shoes and slippers in your room behind a closed door or in a closed closet.
Purchase Suitable Chew Toys
The best way to help ensure that your dog doesn't chew what you don't want him chewing is to get him chew toys. These can range from tennis balls to rubber toys that look like bones. There are even chew toys that are flavored and scented to make them more attractive objects than your shoes and slippers.
The first step in curing your dog's chewing problem is to determine the cause. You'll need to figure out when he's doing most of his chewing and what he's chewing on to determine this. Training him to know the difference between what he can and can't chew will go much easier once you figure this out.