Let me preface the subject of chewing by saying that “all dogs chew” and then clarifying this statement by saying that I am not just talking about the food that they chew for sustenance. Chewing behavior, in and of itself, is normal and not indicative of a behavioral problem. The problem with chewing, for dog owners, generally speaking, is the particular item or items that their dogs chew on. In short, some items are acceptable for chewing and some are not.
If you visit your local pet store, you will find several aisles specifically devoted to “chew toys” that are designed to be appropriate for chewing. Yet, often, when presented to a dog as an “okay” items to chew, a dog will abandon the suitable “toy” for something outside the acceptable bounds that you believe have been established – i.e., chewing on things like shoes, sweaters, table legs, sofa cushions, etc. Just like the pet store “chew toy”, your bewildered pet happily devours unacceptable items, as well as those you have provided for the purpose of chewing. Understandably and unfortunately, this confusion can quickly become both expensive and exasperating. The good news is that the problem of misdirected chewing boils down to an issue of poor communication. George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it is taking place”. And this is exactly what is happened when your dog shreds your lucky suit – an illusion that you have successfully communicated to your dog the distinction between your suit and his pet store “chew toy”.
Like I said earlier, all dogs chew, so now, let’s investigate why they chew. Initially, early in life puppies chew to soothe their gums as their puppy teeth and, then later, adult teeth erupt. This period of growth – often calling “teething” is well understood to be a physical stressor in dogs, as well as humans. Ask any mother about the teething process and she’ll relate experiences of a truly objectionable time period that includes episodes of fitful sleeping, excessive drooling, and bouts of cranky crying. Thankfully, the simple act of chewing works to relieve some of the stress of teething for both humans and dogs. Not only does it feel good, physically, to chew when teeth are erupting, the chewing activity also sends messages to the brain that help ease stress.
At birth, a puppy is instinctively hard wired to chew to relieve stress; however, once the intuitive behavior is supported by the pups’ own experience of satisfaction and relief, the chewing behavior is reinforced as a stress reliever. Also, at work here, in the early months, is a puppy’s natural curiosity and desire to investigate its environment. Much like many children at a stage of development where they seem to put everything in their mouths, puppies are without hands to aid in their exploration and must rely much more heavily on learning gained through oral investigation. As a puppy chews, it is learning the answers to questions like, “is this item agreeable or repugnant when eaten” and “is this items’ texture satisfying when chewed”? Each puppy uncovers different answers to the questions, based on individual preferences and other variables. Often, as dog owners, many of the objects that our puppies opt to chew on seem to be nonsensical choices. But then, it is not necessary for us to understand the particular choice; it is for us to understand the motivation and decide if the election is to be permitted.
Once a puppy matures to be an adult dog and based on the results of his/her own positive and negative explorations, he/she settles on his/her own list of items preferred for chewing. Unfortunately, the dog’s list does not coincide with the owner’s list of acceptable choices. The dilemma then becomes how to effectively communicate this discrepancy, so that the dog understands both the specifics and importance of adhering to your list of approved chewables.
The easiest way to avoid a misunderstanding over chew items is to create clean-cut boundaries between items that your dog is permitted to chew, without supervision, and items that are not to be chewed – toys intended for interactive play. Unfortunately, back at the pet store, you will notice that the aisles where you find chew items and play toys do not discriminate or separate the two very different categories and textures.
A chew item needs to be indestructible – completely safe for your dog to work out stress while unsupervised. Personally, in my home, I have designated Nylabones as approved chew items. However, there are other acceptable choices, based on your own dog’s breed and chew habits (i.e., Kongs, filled or unfilled femur bones which should be dependent on jaw strength). The critical component is that your dog is not capable of breaking off pieces that may cause injury or death i.e., choking or intestinal blockages.
On the other hand, a designated, interactive play toy can be an item with a texture that your dog may be capable of destroying if unsupervised. The critical component here is that the toy be inaccessible to your dog, except for times when you and the dog are playing together, i.e., retrieving a ball or frisbee, tugging, hiding/searching, etc.
When chew items and play toys are chosen and used in the way I have described – with a consistent and distinct discrimination to both their texture and uses (and especially if done from the very beginning say with a puppy) your dog will learn and understand the important difference between unapproved and approved chewables, and you can rest assured that your lucky suit will be hanging in the closet when you need it.
The Natural Law Evolved™ Canine Training Program is key in this endeavor, as it has done the thinking and work for you. In development for four decades, it applies scientific techniques that are proven to be effective. It teaches you how to establish or re-establish, yourself as the leader of your pack through natural methods that your dog will quickly understand. As the pack leader, it is your job to fix problems by dictating solutions. Natural Law Evolved™ uniquely marries proven canine training techniques with a deep understanding of canine behavior to provide you with comprehensive solid and long-lasting solutions to all your canine problems.
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