Does your dog chew everything, including your favorite pair of shoes and the lovely throw pillows you recently purchased from Target?
Well, worry not. There is a solution for your dog’s nasty chewing habits. Stopping a dog from chewing is simple with the right technique, regardless of whether they mistake your sneakers for a treat or express their displeasure by destroying your sofa.
If you’ve ever wished you could duplicate yourself, you can now use a remote interactive camera to accomplish the next best thing, keeping the original you at home to stop your dog from making confetti out of your couch cushions.
However, you’ll need to start with the fundamentals before learning how to stop a dog from gnawing through everything you own.
Apply discipline correctly. Unfortunately, you can only correct your dog for chewing when you actually catch it doing it. Your dog won’t be able to link the act of chewing with punishment if you discover a chewed-up shoe an hour later. When you wave the shoe in front of your dog’s face, it may appear guilty, but this is simply a submissive response to you.
We allowed our dog to chew on an old pair of shoes as a puppy, because it was so cute. But now she’s a year old, and she chews on any shoes she finds — most recently, an expensive pair of dress shoes. We get mad when she does this, but we know it’s because we allowed it early on. Can we stop her shoe-chewing habit, or are we doomed to live with it forever?
The golden rule of puppy-rearing is straightforward: Don’t permit behaviors in a puppy that you wouldn’t want from a fully-grown dog. Any behavior a puppy engages in during its formative weeks and months is likely to become ingrained by the time it reaches adulthood. As you’ve discovered, a behavior that is adorable in a puppy, such as chewing on slippers, can be less endearing or even harmful in adulthood. Breaking bad habits can be very difficult when that puppy grows up to be an adult dog with a stronger will, more independence, and a body that is bigger, stronger, and faster.
Why Do Dogs Chew Shoes?
Many people want to start solving their dog’s chewing problems right away. It’s simple to see the temptation, but if you know why your dog is gnawing on your shoes in the first place, your efforts will go much more smoothly.
Even though there are numerous causes for why a dog might chew, a few have emerged as the most frequent offenders.
FAQ
How do I get my dog to stop biting my shoes?
As an alternative, remove the shoe without saying a word and direct her to her chew toys. The more you reward her for chewing the right things and ignore her when she chomps on something inappropriate, the more likely it is that she will gnaw on a toy rather than your shoes.
Do dogs grow out of chewing shoes?
The chewing stage is typically outgrown by dogs, and teething in puppies ends around six months of age.
Why does my dog keep destroying shoes?
Older dogs frequently chew out of habit or to pass the time when they’re bored. Basically, I’m saying that they might be ruining your shoes just because they don’t have anything else to do.
Why does my dog chew only my shoes?
Due to teething and the need for something to chew on to ease the discomfort, puppies frequently chew on shoes. But if your adult dog is gnawing on your Chucks, it may be because they’re under stress or experiencing anxiety.