Dogs have a number of intriguing behavior problems like digging, biting, leash pulling, jumping and so on and so forth. But one of the most annoying problems out of that is chewing house hold things. It is popularly known as destructive chewing. Being a dog owner, I know the mess my dog makes due to this behavior and needless to mention the frustration it brings.
Reasons for destructive chewing
Some dogs indulge in the act of destructive chewing just to kill the boredom of being alone and some have it as an inherent nature. Also if your dog is under-exercised it can get itself engaged in chewing to burn out it's piled up energy. A dog can also be a destructive chewer if it's lonely or nervous. Whatever might be the reason for chewing, the result is obvious in front of your eyes in the form of your favorite shirt being torn apart into pieces or your brand new pair shoes lying tattered or your favorite plants dug out from their pots. How frustrating that is?
How can we get around this problem?
Here are some of the effective ways to get around the chewing problem for good
1. The most practical thing that you can do is to make your household articles dog proof. Never leave anything that you don't want your dog to take control of on the floor or at a height reachable by your dog when it is on it's four legs or when it stands on it's hind legs. Even if you have a well trained dog, it is better not to tempt him and keep your things away from him. Because dogs discover their environment through their mouths. Remember, your dog is not at all fuzzy when it comes to chewing on household articles. So keep all your books, spectacles, watches, pens and also small electronic gadgets like cameras, i-pods and cell phones at a height inaccessible to your dog. And not to mention food articles.
2. You should try your best not to allow your dog to chew on to the cot legs, slippers or mattresses, not even in small measures, because if you let him do that, your dog thinks that it is OK to chew on any of these stuff even in the future and will be hard task to prevent him later on. So, If you nib this habit in the bud, your dog will understand what is allowed to chew and what is not.
3. Never give your dog your abandoned clothes, slippers or shoes to chew on, this will only make things harder for you to make him understand which clothes or shoes are allowed to chew and which ones are not and ultimately your dog will see no difference between your brand new clothes or shoes and the dumped ones. So never do it.
4. Spend quality time with your dog, because your pet needs a lot of interaction. Never leave him alone for long hours locked up in his crate or a confined area. Your dog will find it boring and frustrating and will never get a chance to know what is expected of her and what is forbidden. So you should give your dog a chance to explore it's outer boundaries.
5. Disrupt your dog with a loud clap or a 'No' as soon as you find her chewing on to something that she shouldn't and immediately hand him over his chew toys which he is supposed to chew. Praise him profusely when he starts chewing his toy. Doing this repeatedly will train your dog to understand that it is forbidden to chew on anything other than his toys. For your information, dogs easily get fed up of the same toy everyday, so buy 3-4 of them and rotate them every few days so that your dog will not get bored.
Please remember that you need a lot of patience for training a dog and never expect it to do wonders for you in a day or two. Repetition is the key. But make sure that you always use tried and tested training methods as recommended by an expert.
No comments:
Post a Comment