Are you wondering how to get your dog to stop chewing everything? You’re not alone. Chewing is a common problem for many pet owners and not just for the parents of new puppies.
If you’ve come home to find teeth marks in the furniture or your favorite t-shirt in shreds, you might be looking for solutions for your chewy pooch. We’ve put together some tips for how to calm a hyper dog and stop the chewing destruction, but first, you need to understand why dogs tend to chew.
Why Does My Dog Chew Everything?
If you have a hyper dog or If you’re wondering how to get your dog to stop chewing everything, you need to ask why your dog is chewing everything first. Knowing the cause of behavior can help you address it.
There are a few different reasons why dogs tend to chew up everything in the house. One of the most important things to remember is that puppies chew for a very different reason than older dogs, and the approach to their chewing habits will be different. Dogs over a year old tend to chew because of:
- Boredom
- Stress
- Lack of training
If Your Dog Is a Puppy, They’re Probably Teething
Just like human babies, puppies go through a “teething” phase. Around 12 to 16 weeks, puppies start to lose their baby teeth, and they continue growing their adult teeth until about six months old, at which point they usually have their lifelong set of teeth. The teething process can be itchy and even painful, which can cause puppies to chew on just about anything they can get their paws on.
It’s still important to train your puppy about what is appropriate to chew and what’s off-limits – including your hands and fingers! But this stage of chewing will likely stop before the dog reaches a year old, so other than training and providing proper chewing items, it’s not something that needs to be addressed with the same approach as an adult dog chewing.
Your Dog Might Be Bored
Sometimes, just like mischievous human children, your dog will be naughty simply because they’re bored. If your pooch acts like a hyper dog or doesn’t have enough mental or physical stimulation throughout the day, they might resort to chewing things around the house to keep themselves entertained while you’re away. Even if they know it’s against the rules, and they seem to feel guilty when you come home. Boredom is a common cause of inappropriate chewing in dogs.
Stressed Out Dogs Tend to Chew
Chewing everything in the house can also be a sign of stress in dogs. A stressed dog tends to be a hyper dog, and chewing can help relieve some of your dog’s stress. While you can retrain your pet only to chew appropriate items, you also need to consider ways that you can relieve your dog’s stress so they don’t feel the need to chew.
Your Dog Might Not Know What Is Off Limits
Your dog’s chewing behavior might simply be a training issue. If you haven’t taken the time to train your dog about what is okay to chew (i.e., their toys) and what is not okay to chew (i.e., your favorite pair of shoes or your child’s beloved teddy bear), how are they supposed to know?
Your dog likely knows that chewing is okay sometimes – you don’t get upset when they chew on their toys. They might chew the furniture because they don’t understand the difference between their toy and the chair leg. It’s all part of their environment, and it’s up to you to teach them what’s chewable and what’s not.
How to Get Your Dog to Stop Chewing Everything
Now that you understand the reasons your canine companion may be a hyper dog prone to destroying things with their chewing, here are some of the quickest ways to get them to stop:
- Play with your dog consistently
- Provide the right kind of chew toy
- Use effective training methods
- Consider the wellness support of CBD oil for dogs
Spend Daily Time Playing with Your Dog
Dogs who chew are often bored or lonely or have separation stress that can make them hyperactive. A hyper dog can be destructive, and one way to calm a hyper dog is by creating a consistent, engaging play routine. You should play with your dog regularly and make sure they’re getting plenty of exercise. You might be able to get your dog to stop chewing by simply giving them more personalized attention throughout the day.
Use Appropriate, High-Quality Chew Toys
If your dog tends to destroy their chew toys within a few minutes, they are left looking for somewhere else to meet their chewing needs. You need to ensure your dog has access to high-quality chew toys that will last. Larger dogs with stronger jaws and teeth will need more substantial, heavy-duty chew toys to keep them entertained, while smaller dogs and puppies will need different kinds of toys.
To avoid confusion, make sure your dog’s chew toys don’t look anything like something in the house that they are not supposed to chew. For example, don’t buy a chew toy that looks like a shoe, and try to avoid buying chew toys that are the same color or texture as your furniture. This will help your dog differentiate between what they can chew on and what they can’t.
Train Your Dog Not to Chew on Everything
Training will help your hyper dog know what to chew and when to chew. If you catch your dog chewing on something it shouldn’t have, take it away and divert its attention to an appropriate chew toy. Don’t punish or yell at your dog when you catch it chewing; simply interrupt and direct its focus elsewhere.
You also want to set your dog up for success with the right environment. Try not to leave out tempting, chewable items like leather shoes or children’s toys. If you don’t make those items available to your pooch while you’re gone, she won’t chew on them.
Try CBD Oil for Dogs
If your dog is chewing everything because they are stressed out, they might benefit from the calming properties of CBD calming oil for dogs with melatonin or calming chews for dogs with L-tryptophan and chamomile.
Even without these additional ingredients, CBD oil for dogs can support your dog’s calm and relaxation to keep them behaving well and only chewing their toys. Plus, CBD delivery can be a special treat with peanut butter for dogs made with CBD or chicken and bacon-flavored CBD chews for dogs!
CBD oil for dogs is not recommended for puppies under a year old. Plus, a puppy’s chewing habits are likely teething-related, so you wouldn’t want to pursue a calming solution like CBD.
A Happy, Calm Dog Won’t Chew Up Your House
So now that you know how to get your hyper dog to stop chewing everything, it’s important to remember that whatever is causing your dog to gnaw should be addressed, too. You don’t just want your dog to stop chewing – you want your dog to feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed at home, so they don’t feel the need to be destructive. CBD oil for dogs is just one resource you can use to ensure your pet stays happy and your furniture stays whole!