Choose What They Chew
Advice from Animal Expert Dr. Grey Stafford
Ann in Prescott Valley has a puppy that loves to chew.
Dear Dr. Grey,
I have a 1 1/2 yr old black lab female that searches out and chews stuff. She'll take clothes out of the hamper, makeup bags, toys, toilet paper rolls, anything she can get. How can I get her to stop this? I've tried everything from spanking to caging to giving her something to chew of her own. Nothing works. Please help!
Hi Ann.
 At one and a half years old, your dog is still a pup developmentally and physically. So teaching what sort of things “belong” to her and what things don't is an ongoing process. This natural tendency to chew, retrieve, and/or simply stockpile “people” items around the house is strengthened whenever pets have time and opportunity to rehearse these behaviors. Compounding things further, all puppies need to chew as they mature, grow adult sets of teeth, and explore the new world around them. Remember that for a puppy, the world is a fascinating place full of new sights, sounds and sensations. With no hands of their own to help them, dogs have to explore (i.e. learn) with their mouths. And, since chewing feels good by soothing sore gums during teething and often tastes good, too, it quickly can become a well-learned behavior. Of course, animals have to supply their habit, which is why they also get good at seeking out new sources of chew “toys.”
Set a New Course
So, in your case, you not only need to set her on a new course by helping her learn what to chew, but you also have to minimize the effects of the past year or so—she’s had time to get really good at chewing inappropriate items.
If it is any consolation to you, this is a very common situation, even at my house. When we aren’t paying attention, our new pup loves my wife’s nylons and my work socks. Unfortunately, there’s no magic wand or instant fix to unwanted behaviors no matter what any trainer may tell you. It took time to learn; it will take time for you to teach something better.
Puppy Proof
So begin by puppy proofing the entire house. This is tough because you have a large breed—she can no doubt reach tabletops, chairs, dressers and so on. As cumbersome as it may seem at first, you must (for now) remove all the temptations within her reach.
If putting everything away isn’t possible in every room of the house, close the door or use a gate to prevent her access to closets, bathrooms, and bedrooms. This is always a good practice with any pet, and it simplifies for you the number of rooms that have to be puppy proofed.
Give Appropriate Toys
Once you (and everyone else in the family) have eliminated ALL sources that “supply” her habit, you can show her the types of items that she can chew. I suggest getting and rotating through a variety of dog safe toys such as hard nyla bones, Kong, soft plush toys, knotted rope, balls, squeak, silent, scented items, etc. In addition to changing the toys she has available each day, try stashing some around the house. Put them only areas that are acceptable to you, and only on the floor. That way, there’s always something handy to reward her for calm behaviors (e.g. sit, stay, lay down) that are appropriate for inside the house. Rotating toys and picking them up so she doesn’t always have access to the same old boring set will help keep the novelty in each toy and reduce your dog toy budget! It will also reduce her desire to find something more interesting.
In closing, remember, success will depend on your ability to remove all temptations, for now. As she matures and learns to tell the difference between her things and yours, you’ll be able to relax this requirement a bit. If someone in the house makes the mistake of leaving something within her reach and it exceeds her ability to resist temptation, don’t punish her. Calmly retrieve the article, pause a few seconds, then ask her to sit or lay down and give her one of her toys to play with. Punishing her won’t teach her what IS appropriate to chew, and it won't satisfy her physical need to chew. Showing her what she's allowed to chew will keep her happy and protect your belongings.
Let us know how it goes.
Good luck.
~ Dr. Grey
Learn more about Dr. Grey Stafford
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