Why dogs chew - and what to do

Chewing is a natural dog behavior. Dogs chew to relieve stress and to occupy the time. Bored dogs often relieve stress by keeping busy with a chew object. Puppies tend to chew to alleviate the pain and stress of teething. Problems occur when dogs are left to select the objects of their chewing pleasure as they often make inappropriate choices. Dogs acting on impulse destroy furniture, shoes and toys daily. You can't stop a dog from chewing, it's in his nature, but you can direct him to appropriate objects. When your dog is chewing on an inappropriate object  verbally scold him and then offer him a suitable chew toy such as a rawhide bone, dental chew, greenie, or a large bone than cannot be splintered into dangerous fragments that may be swallowed. Then praise your dog for chewing on the appropriate object. Try not to leave your chewing dog unsupervised. Confine him to a crate or kennel when you are out of the house with a chew toy to keep him occupied. Once he has be trained not to chew inappropriate options he can be allowed more freedom. Avoid giving chew toys that resemble household items to your dog. Bones from your kitchen are also not recommended. Old shoes and towels look just like your new possessions, so don't confuse your dog by giving him your cast-offs. Take care with rawhide chews, as if eaten in large quantities they may expand in the stomach causing irritation, bloating, and potentially life threatening consequences. Rawhide chews are also quite fatty so should be avoided in obese dogs. If you dog persists in chewing inappropriate objects applying a product such as ‘stop chew’ spray to the item may help deter even the most stubborn chewer. This is available at pets n vets. Even if you like to spoil your dog it is wise limit his chew item stockpile to three to four choices at one time. If he has too many choices he may start to think that chewing is an acceptable behavior regardless of the object. Encourage your dog to chew, but teach him the difference between right and wrong.