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For many dog owners today, inappropriate chewing is a fairly common problem in their young dogs. This is as a result of the fact that dogs use their mouths as a means of exploring the world around them.

So, chewing is a very normal behavior for dogs, however, this becomes an undesirable behavior when it is directed towards inappropriate objects such as your shoes for example. Other items that your dog may chew on may include your furniture, or even your own hands and feet.

This inappropriate chewing behavior can be dentified and corrected, however if this chewing is not corrected as soon as possible then it can lead to wide scale destruction of self as well as personal property.

Teething in puppies is somewhat similiar to when babies teeth, that is, it is a painful process and puppies will chew more during this period of time because their gums are usually very irritated and the act of chewing relieves their discomfort.

Here are a few tips that you can use to try and correct inappropriate dog chewing before it becomes a major problem:

Check For Medical Problems


The very first step you can take to correcting your dog's chewing problem is to rule out medical issues. That is to ensure that your dog does not have any serious medical related problems. Some medical issues may include - nutritional deficiencies and gastrointestinal problems. If your dog is fed a poor diet and/or have intestinal parasitism, this can lead to a medical condition called pica which may be misinterpreted as inappropriate chewing. Also, with the gastrointestinal problems, it may cause your dog to have nausea which too can trigger chewing as a coping mechanism.

Therefore it is extremely necessary and important to make an appointment with your veterinarian to try and pick up on any medical problems and rule them out before you try any method of correcting this chewing problem yourself.


Try To Encourage Appropriate Chewing

There are a wide array of products on the market that can make this step easier. You can provide your dog with appropriate chew toys for him to enjoy. Each dog will have their own personal preference as to what they prefer to chew and play with though, so be careful with what you choose as a chewtoy for them. Avoid giving them chew toys that can be chewed into smaller pieces that can be swallowed and end up becoming lodged in their throat or small intestine.

Another item to avoid giving your dog for a chew toy would be chicken bones because they splinter easily and can creat sharp fragments that will easily puncture your dog’s gastrointestinal tract.

My personal preferences include greenies, nylabones, and dental chewsticks since these encourage more appropriate chewing while also combating dental diseases. Other dog toys such as balls may also appeal to your dog becuase as I said earlier, every dog has a different preference. Just be sure to choose a size that is most for your dog, that is, easily picked up by the mouth but large enough to not get swallowed.

A major rule is to NOT give your dog toys that resemble inappropriate items. For example, DO NOT give your dog any old shoe to chew on because he will not know the difference between the old chew shoe and a brand new pair.


Dog Proof Your Home

Take a good look around your environment (home, work place, community park, car, etc) for possible dangers to your inquisitive dog. Things like household cleaners, chemicals, and possibly toxic plants, should be kept out of reach from your chewing canine.

Other dangerous items such as electrical cords should be properly covered or is possible made inaccessible to your dog's chewing nature so as to prevent chewing on them which could resulting in severe electrocution resulting in death.

Your dog is very curious and as such you should try and remove objects of curiosity that you think may appeal to your dog such as shoes and socks, your children’s toys and other nicities. Restrict access to any room in your home that you have not yet been able to dog proof. You may also consider crate training your dog for the times when he cannot be at all supervised.


Make Time To Play With Your Dog


It is always said that a tired dog is a good dog! It is as simple as that. Just spend quality time playing and exercising with your dog on a regular basis. This will not only reinforce the human-animal bond but your dog will use up energy that he may not be otherwise inclined use on inappropriate chewing and behaviors.

Try to keep these things in mind when you are trying to train your dog to refrain from inappropriate chewing.

To learn about other dog training techniques click here!