Have you ever come home and realize you’re missing a shoe? Chances are it was your best friend that took it. I’m not talking about your roommate. I am talking about your dog. We love our pups, but sometimes they chew on the wrong things to the point of complete destruction. When it comes to dogs there are two types of chewers, aggressive and non-aggressive. An aggressive chewer is any dog that chews with such energy and enthusiasm that he breaks or swallows the object he’s chewing on. Non-aggressive chewers tend to chew objects more gently. Chewing is not a bad thing for your dog, its natural. As puppies start teething, chewing is a healthy part of their development. To save your shoes and to deal with an aggressive chewer follow these tips to help your dog chew responsibly.
The general idea is to give your dog the opportunity to do what comes naturally, but without the destruction of your personal items. Begin by removing these items and placing them somewhere your dog can’t reach. Anything with your scent on it will attract your dog to it so be sure to hide these items unless you want to see them chewed on when you get home. Once you have picked up your personal items, its time to get your dog his very own items to chew on. For any aggressive chewer, be sure to provide enough suitable chew toys. This is important because you just don’t want to purchase a chew toy that he can swallow in a few hours. You want to buy toys and bones that last for long periods of time as well as toys that he is very fond of. When choosing a toy, consider the age and size of our dog to find the toy that is the right fit. Some durable chew toys include ropes, Nylabone toys, and rubber balls. If you are going to opt for rawhide, then go with a rawhide chew. These are meant for aggressive chewers and won’t cause the same possible health problems regular rawhide can.
Another way of dealing with an aggressive chewer is to combine real food with his toys. Stuff the inside of a toy with his favorite snack so that he will pick up the scent and keep himself busy until he reaches his treat. More often than not, your dog is an aggressive chewer because he’s easily bored. Think about when you were young and bored. You probably ended up doing something that caused trouble without ever really trying to start any. Dogs are the same way, so keep them busy! Your dog doesn’t mean to destroy the family shoes; he’s just doing what comes natural to him because he’s bored. Lavish your dog with praise when he chews the right things and leave him plenty of toys that will keep him stimulated. This will save you money on new shoes, and keep your dog happy and healthy at the same time.