Chewing is a problem that needs to be dealt with quickly if you are to avoid damage to your furniture and clothes. Chewing is normal for all dogs and there are a variety of reasons why they may be doing it. One of the biggest reasons is that chewing helps your dog to relax. In many cases a when a new dog is brought back home, it is unfamiliar to your dog and chewing anything in sight helps them to relax. So if you notice that your dog is of a nervous disposition, you may find that he chews much more than you would imagine.

As with babies, your puppy may be chewing because it is teething and it helps ease the pain. An excellent way to combat this problem is to give your dog frozen rawhide bones. The coldness of the bone helps to kill the pain just as soothers numb the pain for a baby. You could also try putting some of your dogs favorite chew toys in the fridge.

If your dog is easily distracted, a good idea is to give your dog half of the chews and put the other half in the freezer. After a couple of days swap the chews from the freezer with the others. The difference in the smell
keeps the dog occupied and gives him a wide variety of things to chew on allowing your pieces of furniture to remain in tact.

The use of toys is another good way to overcome your dogs chewing problem. You should play with your dog as much as possible and encourage your dog to play with their toys. By playing with your dog you are giving him the attention that he needs and by encouraging your dog to play with his toys, your dog is more likely to chew on these rather than your furniture.

One important thing to remember is never let your dog chew on an old shoe or piece of clothing. Giving him something that smells of ‘you’ will confuse your dog and he won’t know the difference between what he can and can’t chew on.