Assuming you are a proud parent of a dog that is very playful, calm, gentle, loving and has all the qualities a dog should have. But the only thing that bothers you is his chewing habit.

Supposedly he chews on almost everything he finds, be it a towel, toilet paper, shoes, chairs, or just anything he gets his paws on.

If this sounds exactly like your dog, you must be worried about how to fix the issue. So let us try to know why dogs chew on things and how to change the habit.

Why Dogs Chew Everything?

Dogs can chew on almost anything including the garbage. The main reason why your dogs or puppies are chewing things is that their gums are bothering them. The gums kinda feel itchy and chewing helps to relax it. Chewing gives their gums a little massage or rub, to ease the itchy feeling.

More commonly chewing is an ordinary behavior, especially in puppies. But if your dog is an adult and hasn’t overcome the chewing habit then it means he has now made it his routine practice. Chewing has become a type of entertainment for him now, which makes him feel happy somehow.

But the matter is that we definitely don’t want to offer him entertainment at the cost of destruction. Hence it is essential to alter this habit of him.

Stop a Dog From Chewing Everything

The first thing we suggest to do is control the situation and confine the dog’s environment. Give him better options to chew than your furniture or other stuff.

The biggest mistake we make as a dog owner is that we give too much freedom to our dogs. We think chewing is good for them and offer them our whole house, which may become too much for them. As a result, even a little free-time can cause them to chew on anything.

Therefore to start replacing this habit with a non-destructive one, we suggest you follow some tips. This will shall help you and your dog both to stay happy and satisfied.

Make the House Puppy-Proof

Put every possible thing away from your dog’s reach. If you have a tall dog you have to consider that he can get on things that are on height. Hence it is best to put stuff inside cupboards, drawers, or closets. You can either choose to confine your dog to certain areas or confine everything that you want to protect from him.

Try to Find Out Whether He is Stressed

When a dog is chewing on things more than usual, it is also a sign of stress.

• Maybe your dog isn’t getting enough mental stimulation or enough physical activities to do. This could lead your dog to stress out due to boredom.
• Another reason could be separation anxiety. If he is separated from a family member due to death or divorce he might get stressed. Even separation from another pet can make him upset.

Give Him a Lot of Physical Tasks

If your dog is possibly stressed then you must make sure to give him proper attention. Never forget to provide your dog with these 3 essentials:

Exercise: Play with him a lot at home. Take him out on a walk. Play the fetch game in parks and let him play in the backyard to offer him enough exercise. Hence, more playtime means less chew-time.

Training: Instead of giving your dog a lot of freedom, try to have control over him with consistent training. Be a little firm but never beat or scold.You can also punish your dog by not giving attention to his bad behavior. “Play and Praise” works best. Teach him commands like “stop” and praise him when he stops chewing. Give him tasty treats whenever he follows your commands.

Socialization: Make him meet your friends or their pets, let him socialize as much as possible. He will absolutely adore meeting and playing with different people and pets. This shall also keep him busy all the time. If none is around you can put a leash on him and keep him with you while you do your work at home.

Keep Him Mentally Busy

Dogs mostly stress-out in your absence and chew away everything they find. So to avoid them missing you too much, provide them with games to keep their mind busy.

• Give them interactive games to play with.
• Switch on the television or music for the dogs.
• Give a puzzle feeder, this will serve your dogs a treat if they solve simple puzzles.
• Hide treats at different places in your house before you leave. The dogs will sniff around and find the treats. This shall help them stay busy for quite a long time.

Provide Your Dog With Toys to Chew

Dogs love squeaky and chewable toys. It is not practically possible for your dog to stop chewing completely all of a sudden. So while you hide all other things from his viewpoint, give him an alternative to satisfy his chewing urge. Give your dog chewable toys that are safe for him. This will also help you save your furniture from getting damaged.

Use Citrus Sprays

Dogs hate citrus fragrances. You can make a homemade citrus spray of oranges, lemons, and mint. Spray it onto your furniture, towels, bottles, shoes, or anything that you want to save from your dog’s teeth.

Give Your Dog Affection

A shortage of love is the biggest reason for anyone to get stressed. Hence, along with keeping him busy, do not forget to give him the love-dose. As the stress level will go down the destructive habit of chewing will also go away. As a result, you are going to benefit by not constantly supervising him