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Dog Obedience Training - Destructive Chewing - Part II |
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By Angelina Brown
 Dog Obedience - Part II
The act of chewing seems to be a matter of individual preference among dogs: some have an innate desire to chew as a pleasurable activity in itself, and some seem to have no need to chew whatsoever unless theyre compelled to it out of sheer boredom.
The phrase destructive chewing may sound redundant, because by its very nature! all chewing is destructive. Your dog has strong jaws full of sharp, pointy teeth: just about anything she starts to gnaw on is probably going to show the effects of it in less than a minute. Im referring to inappropriate chewing: the kind of chewing thats focused on your own possessions and household items, instead of on your dogs own designated toys.
In Part II of this 3-Part Series, we will be focusing on the second reason why dogs chew:
SECOND - Chewing provides a nervous, bored, or lonely dog with an outlet for her emotions. To an anxious dog, the repetitive act of gnawing on things is soothing its the doggies equivalent of comfort
food.
* You May Already Be Asking - What Can I Do?
Always remember ... dogs are perfectly capable of learning how not to chew your stuff you just have to put in a little effort first, no big deal.
1. Prevent her from learning the joys of illegal chewing. The more times she manages to snatch a jawful of a personal item a chair-leg, a pillow, a running shoe, Glasses
2. We have all done it, but dont set her up for failure by blurring the boundaries between her stuff (OK to chew) and your things (not OK to chew). Dont offer your dog cast-off clothes, shoes, or towels to chew and play with: realistically, you cant possibly expect her to be able to tell the difference between your current shoes and the one shes got in her mouth that you gave her five minutes ago.
3. Provide her with lots of tasty alternatives to your things. If her environment is relatively empty of attractive, appropriate chewing objects, you can hardly blame her for targeting your possessions. Remember, most dogs want to chew; if shes an adolescent (under three years), her needs will be even more pronounced. Go on a toy and chew toy shopping spree, then give her two or three to play with at a time. Rotating the newly acquired toys every couple of days will keep things novel and interesting for her.
* Maintain a productive attitude *
Most importantly, remember to keep your expectations realistic. Youre not perfect, and neither is your dog: theres likely to be at least a few incident where a precious item is damaged by her curiosity.
Particularly in the early stages of your relationship, shes still learning how to fit in: itll most likely take awhile before shes completely reliable (and even then, if shes left by herself for too long or feels neglected, she may choose your stuff over hers to occupy her time and jaws with.) Remember to give her time to learn) the new rules, and be sure to provide her plenty of "you-time" to help her learn faster and dont forget to take precautions and keep things out of reach until shes got the hang of the new house rules!
To learn more information on dog training techniques and how to deal with problem dog behavior (like chewing), check out the complete manual for dog ownership that is designed to fast-track your pet's learning.
Learn about the "Secrets to Dog Training" by clicking on the link: http://www.happy-petz.com/dogs/obedience.htm
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