Chewing…..
Puppies and dogs need to chew, it is a normal dog behaviour. Understandably chewing things that are ours and not theirs can also make it a problematic behaviour. When considering meeting all your dogs needs providing chewing opportunities is an important one. There are also circumstances which can intensify chewing behaviour and an understanding of what these might be will help you deal with it appropriately and hopefully save your personal belongings and furniture from being the target.
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So why do they need to chew?
Fundamentally it is part of the predatory sequence inbuilt in dogs. Chewing, shredding and ripping would all form part of the process of consuming prey. Just because your dog’s meal arrives in a food bowl doesn’t remove this part of their genetics. So chewing is one of the normal behaviours we would expect to see from dogs. While generally normal and to be expected a dogs chewing habits may be intensified at different stages of their life or dependent on their current living environment and whether that environment is meeting mental and physical needs.
Puppies tend to be prolific chewers, not only do they explore the world with their mouths, chewing can be associated with relieving the pain and discomfort associated with teething.
Boredom, a dog who is not provided with enough ‘to do’ in a day may seek out chewing opportunities as entertainment. Meeting your dogs mental exercise needs through activities and training can help reduce boredom related chewing.
Excess energy - chewing may be a way for your dog to release excess energy where this is not being met through physical exercise. Using up energy in a satisfying chew session may work for your dog but not for you if their target is the leg of a coffee table.
Stress release - A dog experiencing stress may use chewing to soothe, distract or calm. We often see ‘destructive’ behaviour in dogs who don’t cope with being alone as they chew to deal with the stress they are experiencing.
Providing a calm environment with mental and physical exercise can remove some chewing behaviours. But ultimately we shouldn’t be focusing on stopping the behaviour entirely given it is a perfectly normal thing for dogs to do. Dogs and especially puppies should be given lots of appropriate chewing opportunities, some dogs will benefit with daily or even more frequent chewing sessions.
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Chewing opportunities can look like
Edible chews - there are so many to choose: bully sticks, pigs ears, antlers, cow hoofs, dental sticks. When selecting an edible chew always go bigger than you think for safety. We don’t want our dogs to be able to swallow something whole. Chewing should be supervised as you may need take the chew away near the end incase your dog swallows the last little piece whole. Always offer a swap when removing something your dog is enjoying. Try a little treat scatter and calmly pick up the remaining chew when your dog stops to sniff and eat the treats.
Stuffable toys allow you to introduce chewing into meal times. Kongs, toppls and quizls all encourage chewing behaviour.
Nylabones or rubber chew toys - Chew toys provide a chewing opportunity with a lower calorie intake but may want to spread a little something tasty on these to initiate the chewing.
If you you think you have a power chewer on your hands maybe shift the focus from hunting for an indestructible toy and consider cheaper alternatives that you are happy getting pulled apart. It may be that your dog is having the time of their life pulling stuff apart and we want our dogs to be happy….right?
Cardboard boxes from recycling
Op shop toys - remove any eyes and small accessories first
Carrots - as they are or soaked in broth and frozen
Chewing doesn’t have to be problematic
If we are equipped with appropriate chew items for our puppies and dogs we can use a love of chewing for our benefit. Given that chewing can work as a stress buster or calming activity, providing a chewing project following a walk or high excitement play can help your dog calm down and chill again.
We can encourage rest and sleep by providing a chewing opportunity on our dogs bed, which is particularly useful for young puppies, as sleep or lack of it is a big driver of puppy behaviour.
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Or maybe there are times in the day your dog has energy to burn but your not available for interaction. You can use chewing to keep your dog occupied. I often throw my dog Wolfie a frozen, stuffed kong when i’m prepping dinner because he is restless but I’m too busy to engage.
So rather than trying to stop chewing, consider embracing it as part of a healthy dogs normal repertoire of behaviour and look for opportunities to meet the need.
Check out our puppy chew box and tough chewers combo.
Note: If you do feel your dogs chewing is excessive or related to stress or boredom consider consulting a force free dog trainer to discuss other needs your dog may have.
