Destructive chewing - a natural behavior?
Chewing - the anxiety antidote
The toy basket
It can't be empasized enough, chewing is a natural behavior of all dogs. Providing access to toys that are acceptable to chew on is an essential step in training an appropriate chewing behavior.
Whether or not you are successful will depend on a number of factors including access to a wide selection of chew toys. Here, variety will be the spice of life.
Get your dog in the habit of checking a central location for all of his toys. This can be a basket large enough to hold a number of dog toys or an oversized dog bed that has room for toys and your dog. Make sure this location always has several of his favorite chew toys. These should be chew toys that are safe to be chewed without supervision.
See our complete discussion on non-edible chew toys in deciding which chew toys are best for your dog to combat unwanted chewing.
Never use old shoes, towels or other household items as a chew toy. This will only confuse them. Use only toys that are uniquely different from your personal items.
If you have more than one dog, you may need multiple locations and duplicate toys if they like many of the same chew toys.
An easy method to encourage your dog to check the toy location frequently is to place a treat stuffed toy in the basket on a regular basis. Keep him guessing. Don't put all of his toys out at the same time. You want to maintain his interest so rotate which toys are in the basket.
Access alone however is not enough. Your dog must learn through repetition which are his toys. Learning what is acceptable to chew on is a training process.
Keep in mind, its not enough to just fill a basket full of toys and then assume your dog understands "this not that". This is a training process that will require your involvement.
Providing easy access to a multitude of choices
Constructive use of toys to help combat unwanted chewing
Show plenty of enthusiasm when your dog picks out a toy from the toy basket. Be on the look out for when your dog approaches the toy basket and begins sniffing in it. They may start to pull toys out as they search for something in particular. Be encouraging and praise them. Let them know you support this behavior.
More importantly, you want to initiate playtime by frequently pulling out a toy from the toy basket and playing with them. Through repetition, your dog will learn that the toy basket is full of fun items and he will begin to associate it with fun experiences.
If your dog enjoys fetch, pull out a toy he'll likely play fetch with and start up a game. If tug is a game your dog loves to play, pull out a rope or plush toy and have a game of tug. Playing a game with a favorite toy plus exercise is guaranteed to take their mind off of chewing. When you finish playing, settle them down and switch out the toy for a treat filled chew toy.
If at any time, you catch them chewing on something inappropriate, claim the object as yours and wait for their recognition, then go to the toy basket and pull out a toy they will recognize as one of their own. Engage them with the toy to reinforce the idea that they only get to chew and play with their own toys.
Beyond the toy basket
Its important to recognize that unwanted chewing is often the symptom of a dog that has pent up energy. Making sure your dog gets plenty of exercise is an important first step when addressing unwanted chewing. Before you leave the house in the morning, be sure your dog has had time to burn off some energy after sleeping all night. Your goal is to leave them while they are in an exhausted state. When you get home, exercise again and don't forget that for many breeds of dogs, mental stimulation will be just as important. See the discussion on the different types of puzzles available that will help challenge them mentally as well.
If your puppy or dog are new to your home, restricted access or confinement are a must when no one is home. There are a variety of methods to help keep your dog out of mischief. Puppies and small dogs can easily be penned in the kitchen. Be sure to leave them water as they must have frequent access to water. Larger dogs can be crate trained and left safely in a crate for a few hours at a time. If you are going to be gone for longer periods of time its best to make arrangements with a dog walker or take your dog to doggy daycare.
There are several natural chemical deterrents you can apply to discourage chewing. Every dog is different and a deterrent for one dog may have no effect on another. The couple most common are made from hot peppers and vinegar. Solutions of either produce a strong enough odor to repell most dogs. The commercial deterents on the market are the bitter apple and tea oil sprays. There are several brands available, each with different formulations and they all claim to be the best. The bitter apple sprays include Grannick's Bitter Apple Spray, 
Recognizing when chewing has become a destructive behavior
Chewing is a natural behavior of all dogs. However, chewing can become an outlet for a variety of behaviors that are no longer constructive. One of the most frustrating behaviors a dog owner will face is destructive chewing. In a matter of hours one dog can do irreparable damage to not only the family furniture but the house itself. Its also one of many reasons why dogs are given up to shelters. If you suspect your dog is exhibiting some of the signs of being a destructive chewer, you want to address this behavior immediately. The first question you must answer is whether the root cause is behavioral or physical.
First, some of the physical reasons. The most common physical condition is found in puppies. All puppies and adolescent dogs go through a period when their baby teeth are replaced by their permanent teeth. This is a physical change that will stimulate a lot of chewing until the permanent teeth have all come in. Its also natural for puppies to spend a lot of time exploring their new environment using their mouth.
You can help your puppy through the teething process with the right chew toys. The hard synthetic and natural chew toys are ideal for this purpose. Also consider taking a treat filled chew toy and freezing it. This prolongs their chewing enjoyment and the cold temperature helps their teething.
Beyond the puppy stage, there are several other physical conditions that may prompt heightened chewing. These conditions manifest as oral fixations but actually point to a gastrointestinal disorder.
The first is known as pica. The abnormal craving for and eating of nonfood substances, such as dirt, rocks, fabric and other objects not normally eaten. Pica may be an indication of any number of medical issues including a nutritional deficiency, metabolic imbalance, intestinal parasites or several diseases such as diabetes, Cushing’s, gastritis or inflammatory bowel disease.
The second is known as excessive licking of surfaces or ELS, which must be differentiated from obsessive fabric sucking which is believed to be due to weening a dog too early. In 2008, a group of veterinary researchers from the University of Montreal Veterinary Teaching Hospital reported their study looking at dogs that exhibited a characteristic licking behavior which they termed ELS.
The importance of the ELS study was that it demonstrated in a significant percentage (74%) of the dogs with ELS, an underlying gastrointestinal (GI) pathology. The GI abnormalities identified included eosinophilic and/or lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the GI tract, delayed gastric emptying, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pancreatitis, gastric foreign body, and giardiasis.
These findings do not deny the existence of destructive oral behaviors that are in fact due to obsessive behavioral issues. Only, that before you treat your dog's destructive chewing as a behavioral problem, it is advisable to seek professional veterinary help first to eliminate the possibility that there exists an underlying GI disorder.
Chewing for dogs of all ages is pacifying, a means to relax. Chewing is a natural, instinctual behavior for dogs. Even for dogs that are not under a lot of stress, chewing is a way to relax and pass time.
To begin correcting all types of chewing disorders, your goal is to set boundaries so that your dog develops safe, healthy, stress-free chewing behaviors. The process boils down to two steps, 1) control your dog's environment and 2) redirect their natural tendency for chewing, to chew toys of your choosing that are also safe.
To start off, you want to take control of the environment and dog proof your home. This is especially true if you are training a puppy but applies to any dog. Pick up off the floor anything you don't want them to chew on.
Supervise. Until your dog is trained, they should never be allowed to roam freely about the house without someone watching. Try keeping a leash on them that is attached to you. When not being supervised, they should be in an enclosure like a puppy pen or crate or for some a dedicated dog room works well.
Start the redirection training process from day one. When your dog starts to chew on something that's not one of his toys you must claim it immediately. Wait for him to acknowledge that he has given up the object and immediately present him a toy that he can chew on. With puppies this process may require lots of repetition. Be prepared, have several of their favorite chew toys up your sleeve so that you can present them immediately.
When you claim your object and take it away from your dog, do not turn it into a game. You are setting boundaries and the message needs to be clear. Remain calm and deliberate when you claim your object, let your body language convey the message. Be sure they engage with the toy you have given them.
Managing extreme destructive chewing behaviors
Most dog professionals would agree that a diagnosis of destructive chewing as a behavioral problem is typically the result of one of several situations. In order to start treating the behavioral problem, you need to understand the root cause. The most common causes usually include boredom, fear, hunger or separation anxiety.
Corner of wall next to cabinet door
Many dogs are left home alone for a good part of the day and destructive chewing is a symptom of boredom. This can be especially true in households that have a single dog. Chewing becomes an outlet for their pent up energy. For most dogs, a good part of the day is occupied with restful day dreaming and sleep. The key is understanding their needs for the remaining part of the day. Certain breeds of dogs were bred for specific physical attributes like stamina and endurance. The working breeds of dogs require a great deal of physical AND mental exercise and when they don't get it they look for other outlets. You must address these needs before leaving them alone each day.
Regardless of whether you have a puppy, adolescent or older dog, you want to gradually get them used to being separated from you for any length of time. Make a habit of taking them for a walk and giving them some exercise before you leave. The amount or duration will depend on the age and breed. Have several chew toys ready as well as a stuffed treat toy prepared. Just before you leave, confine them with the chew toys and the treat toy. In the beginning, leave them for only short periods. Gradually work up to longer periods. If your goal is to leave them all day, crating is not an option and you should consider either day care or a dog sitter that can come by and take them for a walk during the day.
Determining whether your dog is just bored when left alone for extended periods or has a genuine fear of being left alone is sometimes difficult to assess. Dogs that exhibit separation anxiety often display tell tale signs long before you walk out the door. They may become anxious and start to pace, some will urinate or start drooling or whining. If you go through a routine before you leave the house your dog will have learned this and it will immediately trigger their anxiety.
If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety and depending on the level of anxiety, it may be time to consult a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. Behavior modification is tricky and the process of desensitizing your dog to your absence will demand patience and your commitment to achieve results. The following plan has been collected from experience, speaking with dog professionals and published behavioral therapy guides. After reviewing the plan you should decide whether seeking professional help is a better option.
Whether you caught the signs early and your dog only exhibits mild symptoms of separation anxiety or its severe and your dog is chewing on everything, the process is primarily about eliminating the trigger and reconditioning them to view your leaving as a positive experience. For the more severe cases, the process is prolonged and will require commitment.
Begin the process by examining how you leave the house. Do you go through a routine that is similar every time? Try and identify those actions that your dog picks up on like gathering keys and putting on a coat. Its important to identify the triggers because you will need to desensitize your dog to these cues. Begin working on teaching your dog to stay. This will be used in the process of getting them to accept periods of separation. Identify several types of chew toys they enjoy and will occupy them for an extended period of time. Finally have an assortment of stuffed chew toys that contain a high value treat for your dog.
The first step is eliminating their anxiety before you walk out the door. In order to do this you want to desensitize them to the cue or cues they detect when you are about to leave. If you pick up a set of keys every time you walk out the door they probably know this sound. The desensitization process is the same regardless of the type of cue they detect. You want to pick up your keys and then remain in the house and start doing something else, watch TV or start preparing something in the kitchen. Your goal is to disassociate the cue from your act of leaving the house. You will need to do this repeatedly for as long as it takes your dog to unlearn the relationship between the cue and your walking out the door.
The question always comes up, how many times is enough? In behavioral training of this sort, it will be crucial that you learn to read your dog. If in the beginning, the cue resulted in obvious anxiety, drooling, pacing, whining, urination, etc. then you must repeat this many times a day (not all at once) over as many weeks as it takes to reach a point that when each cue is presented by itself and/or combined with one or more other cues, there is no reaction from your dog.
Do not continue to the next step if your dog does not remain in a completely calm manner when you present any of the cues that previously triggered their anxiety. Because the next step requires you to place your dog in a short stay, be sure they are comfortable with this command as well.
The next step is training them to remain calm while staying put and out of sight of you for a brief amount of time. To start, they must be able to remain in a stay position while in sight of you. The next step is to have them remain in a stay position while you are absent for increasingly longer periods. This part of the training touches very close to their fear. Therefore, you must progress carefully and gradually with many repetitions at each step in order to decondition them.
The deconditioning process is simple, but will require a great deal of patience from you. Place your dog in a stay position. This will work best if you are near a doorway inside your house. Step into the other room so that you are out of sight and then return. In the beginning, the period which you are out of sight can only be for a few seconds. Over time you will increase this gradually to several minutes and then longer. Once you can leave them for a few minutes, start to incorporate a chew toy into training. By giving them a chew toy you know they enjoy, you can continue to increase the time which you are out of sight.
Keep the number of successive training sessions small and repeat several times a day. But most importantly, be sure to gauge your dog's level of anxiety. Keep the out of site departures short enough that your dog remains in a stay position and does not appear stressed. What you are teaching your dog is that it is ok to be apart from you. In order for the training to have a positive effect, your dog must remain calm throughout the departure period. Its also important that you exhibit a calm manner both before stepping away after giving the stay command and when returning. For this training, lavish praise and an excited response from you will be counterproductive. You want them to learn there is no difference between when you are gone and when you are not.
Watch for cues that indicate the separation is causing stress. Typically these would include panting, yawning and maybe even trembling. If you begin to see signs of stress, reduce the time you're absent and continue the repetition at the shorter time interval for many sessions. It is a common mistake to rush this part of the training. Let your dog guide you and watch their response. The use of treat stuffed toys will help take their mind off the separation. Your goal is for them to have a positive experience while separated from you.
Once your dog starts to get the hang of this "stay" game, its time to combine it with the predeparture cues that you previously desensitized them to. Now, after you put them in a stay with their treat toy, add in the cue like putting on your coat or picking up your keys before going in the other room.
If you commit to a deconditioning program you might ask what do you do when you have to leave? The short answer is you don't. The training you are doing will only work if your dog never again experiences the full blown anxiety of being separated. There are options that ensure your dog is not left alone. For some, taking their dog to work is a possibility and would be highly recommended under the circumstances. Also, there are dog sitting services and there are plenty of doggy daycare facilities now. Until your dog adjusts to being separated from you, it is essential they not experience the fear again.
Chewing out of fear. Dogs frequently respond to fearful situations by chewing. Chewing helps them relax. Loud sounds like thunderstorms, nearby construction, a particularly noisy street, fireworks or the dog barking next door may be all it takes. Whatever they fear, your response must not be punishment or comfort as either only increase the anxiety level. If you are home and see them getting anxious, entice them to play a game, fetch or tug will help distract them. There are also several brands of jackets on the market that wrap tightly around your dog and give them a sense of comfort. For a discussion on this type of dog wear see the section on therapeutic clothing for more specific details.
An excessive chewing behavior may develop when a dog is suddenly put on a calorie restricted diet. Their response to hunger is to chew, whether to pacify themselves or in an effort to alleviate the hunger. If it becomes necessary to put your dog on a diet, do it gradually. Also, take a close look at where your dog gets its calories. Do you go over board with the snacks and treats? Does your dog receive table scraps? Many of these in between meal snacks contain a significant number of calories. They should be eliminated or at least limited. If you use food treats, remember to adjust how much they get in their regular meal so that total calories remains balanced and reduced gradually.
Most often, destructive chewing is a serious behavioral condition. The key is to not lash out at your dog and instead address the root cause, immediately. Crating your dog is rarely an option because it often only heightens their fear or anxiety. In the extreme conditions of destructive chewing, the behavioral deconditioning process can be a lengthy commitment. Assess your resolve and consider the help of a Certified Professional Dog Trainer.
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