Dogs can chew you out of house and home

Chewing can be one of the most frustrating problems to solve in the training of any dog. It's important to remember that dogs are born to chew, and they are going to have to be taught what is right and what is wrong when it comes to chewing. Dogs have to chew. That's what you have to learn.

The first step is to provide your dog with appropriate things to chew. Praise him when he chews his chew toys. Let him know you understand he must chew, and that you will decide what he can chew. When he chews on the wrong thing, remove it, tell him "NO!" and promptly give him the appropriate chew toy. Give him one or two things to chew on at a time, and rotate them so he stays interested in his chew toys. He needs something new to do.

Make his chew toys the most attractive options. Your dog may love to chew rawhide, or he may love peanut butter on his chew toy. Get excited when he chews on his toys and say "Good! Chew! Chew! Chew!" Eventually you will only need to say "Chew" and he will know he is doing the right thing.

Pet repellant can be useful in breaking him of chewing on the wrong thing. There are a variety of repellants available at your pet store. Wipe it on furniture, shoes, or anything you don't want your dog to chew but he has found appealing, and he will quickly shun this offensive item.

Hot pepper sauce has been useful for stopping dogs from chewing inappropriately. It wipes off, but test for staining before putting it on upholstery. This all depends on how determined your dog is and what is motivating him. My childhood beagle, Tippy, decided that the little round cactus my father planted around the patio were not to be tolerated, and in spite of their stickery spines, she would dig them up, lift them by the roots, and toss them away. My dad resorted to cayenne pepper all over the ground, and Tippy was undaunted. She would dig again, pull the cactus, snorting and sneezing through her teeth, and deliver them to the sandbox in disgust. We could not win this one and had to give in to her higher sense of patio decorating. Hot pepper doesn't work on all dogs.

If your dog is chewing shoes, be smart and put your expensive leather shoes away in a closet and close the door. Some temptations are just too strong, and that lovely leather could be too appealing to your dog even when he knows it is wrong.