CAPITAL HUMANE SOCIETY
2320
Destructive Chewing
Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and
Humane Society of the
Exploring
the world with their mouths is normal behavior for dogs. Chewing can, however,
be directed onto appropriate items so your dog isn’t destroying items you
value. Until he’s learned what he can and can’t chew, it’s your responsibility
to manage the situation as much as possible, so he doesn’t have the opportunity
to chew on unacceptable objects.
Taking
Control By Managing The Situation
·
Take responsibility for your own
belongings. If you don’t want it in your dog’s mouth, don’t make it available. Keep
clothing, shoes, books, trash, eyeglasses and television remote controls out of
your dog’s reach.
·
Don’t confuse your dog by offering him
shoes and socks as toys and then expect him to distinguish between his shoe and
yours. Your dog’s toys should be obviously different from household goods.
·
Until he learns the house rules, confine
him when you’re unable to keep an eye on him. Choose a “safe place” that is
dog-proof with fresh water and “safe” toys (see our handout: “Dog Toys and How to Use Them). If
you’re dog is crate trained, you may also crate him for short periods of time
(see our handout: “Crate Training Your Dog”).
·
Give your dog plenty of people-time.
Your dog won’t know how to behave if you don’t teach him alternatives to inappropriate
behavior and he can’t learn these when he’s in the yard by himself.
·
If, and only if, you catch your dog
chewing on something he shouldn’t, interrupt the behavior with a loud noise, offer
him an acceptable chew toy instead, and praise him lavishly when he takes the
toy in his mouth.
·
Have realistic expectations. It’s virtually
inevitable that your dog will, at some point, chew up something you value. This
is often part of the transition to a new home. Your dog needs time to learn the
house rules and you need to remember to take precautions and keep things out of
his reach.
Chewing
is normal teething and investigative puppy behavior (see our handout: “Dealing with
Play,
Boredom And/Or Social Isolation
Normal
play behavior can result in destruction, as it may involve digging, chewing,
shredding and/or shaking toy-like objects. Since dogs investigate objects by
pawing at them and exploring them with their mouths, they may also inadvertently
damage items in their environment when they’re exploring or investigating. Your
dog may be chewing for entertainment if:
·
He’s left alone for long periods without
opportunities for interaction with you.
·
His environment is relatively barren,
without playmates or toys.
·
He’s a puppy or adolescent (under three
years old) and he doesn’t have other outlets for his energy.
·
He’s a particularly active type of dog
(like the herding or sporting breeds) who needs an active lifestyle to be happy.
Solutions:
v Play
with your dog daily in a safe, fenced-in area. If you don’t have a yard, a
tennis court can be a good place to play. Fetch is a great game that will use
up your dog’s excess energy without wearing you out!
v Go
for a walk. Walks should be more than just “bathroom time.” On-leash walks are
important opportunities for you and your dog to be together. Don’t forget to
allow time for sniffing, exploring, instruction and praise.
v Increase
your dog’s opportunities for mental stimulation. Teach your dog a few commands
and/or tricks and practice them daily. If you have time, take an obedience
class.
v Provide
your dog with lots of toys (see our handout: “Dog Toys and How to Use Them”).
v Rotate
your dog’s toys to refresh his interest in them. “New” toys are always more
interesting than old ones.
v Try
different kinds of toys, but when you introduce a new toy, watch your dog to
make sure he won’t tear it up and ingest the pieces.
v Consider
the various types of toys that can be stuffed with food. Putting tidbits of
food inside chew toys focuses your dog’s chewing activities on these toys
instead of on unacceptable objects.
v Make
your dog’s favorite “off-limits” chew objects unattractive to him by covering
them with heavy plastic, aluminum foil, hot pepper sauce or a commercial
“anti-chew” product.
v You
might want to consider a good “Doggie Day Care” program for two or three days a
week to work off some of your dog’s excess energy.
Separation
Anxiety
Dogs
with separation anxiety tend to display behaviors that reflect a strong
attachment to their owners. This includes following you from room to room,
frantic greetings and reacting anxiously to your preparation to leave the
house. Factors that can precipitate a separation anxiety problem:
·
A change in the family’s schedule that
results in your dog being left alone more often.
·
A move to a new house.
·
The death or loss of a family member or
another family pet.
·
A period at a shelter or boarding
kennel.
These
behaviors are not motivated by spite or revenge, but by anxiety. Punishment
will only make the problem worse. Separation anxiety can be resolved by using
counter conditioning and desensitization techniques (see our handout: “Separation Anxiety”).
Attention-Seeking
Behavior
Without
realizing it, we often pay more attention to our dogs when they’re misbehaving.
Dogs who don’t receive a lot of attention and reinforcement for appropriate
behavior may engage in destructive behavior when their owners are present as a
way to attract attention – even if the attention is “negative,” such as a
verbal scolding.
Solutions:
v Make
sure your dog gets a lot of positive attention every day – playing, walking,
grooming or just petting.
v Ignore
(as much as possible) bad behavior and reward good behavior. Remember to reward
your dog with praise and petting when he’s playing quietly with appropriate
toys.
v Make
his favorite “off-limits” chew objects unattractive or unavailable to him. Use
aversives on objects that cannot be put away (See our handout “Sample Aversives for Dogs”).
v Teach
your dog a “drop it” command so when he does pick up an “off-limits” object,
you can use your command and praise him for complying. The best way to teach
“drop it” is to practice having him exchange a toy in his possession for a
tidbit of food.
v Practice
“Nothing in Life is Free” with your dog (see our handout: “Nothing in Life is Free”). This gets your dog in the habit of
complying with your commands and is a good way to make sure he gets lots of
positive attention for doing the right things – so he won’t have to resort to
being naughty just to get your attention.
Fears
And Phobias
Your
dog’s destructive behavior may be a response to something he fears. Some dogs
are afraid of loud noises (see our handout: “Helping Your Dog Overcome the Fear
of Thunder and Other Startling Noises”). Your dog’s destructive behavior may be
caused by fear if the destruction occurs when he’s exposed to loud noises, such
as thunderstorms, firecrackers or construction sounds, and if the primary damage
is to doors, doorframes, window coverings, screens or walls.
Solutions:
v Provide
a “safe place” for your dog. Observe where he likes to go when he feels
anxious, then allow access to that space or create a similar one for him to use
when the fear stimulus is present.
v Don’t
comfort your dog when he’s behaving fearfully. Try to get him to play with you
or respond to commands he knows and give him praise and treats when he responds
to you instead of to the fear stimulus.
v Don’t
crate your dog unless he’s thoroughly crate-trained and considers the crate his
safe place. If you put him in a crate to prevent destruction and he’s not
crate-trained, he may injure himself and/or destroy the crate.
What
Not To Do
Punishment
is rarely effective in resolving destructive behavior problems and can even
make them worse. Never discipline your dog after the fact. If you discover an
item your dog has chewed minutes, or even seconds later, it’s too late to
administer a correction. Your dog doesn’t understand that, “I chewed those
shoes an hour ago and that’s why I’m being scolded now.” People often believe
their dog makes this connection because he runs and hides or “looks guilty.”
Dogs don’t feel guilt, rather they display submissive postures like cowering,
running away or hiding, when they feel threatened by an angry tone of voice,
body posture or facial expression. Your dog doesn’t know that he’s done
something wrong; he only knows that you’re upset. Punishment after the fact
will not only fail to eliminate the undesirable behavior, but may also provoke
other undesirable behaviors, as well.