Many dogs, no matter how cute or lovable they may be, can become a hassle whenever they begin to chew through some of your precious personal property. There are many methods available to help cut down on this problem, all with varying degrees of success. Below, a list of some helpful hints that can help you and your dog with a chewing problem:
Pay Attention
One of the first steps that should be taken whenever chew prevention is attempted, close monitoring. Spend a day or two following your dog around the house. Whenever he or she begins to gnaw on something valuable, prevent him or her from doing so for very long. This is a good way to instill in your animal the idea that chewing through valuable items is a big 'no-no.'
Provide Squishy Toys
If you cannot put the idea into your dog's brain that chewing through certain items is wrong, use the age old "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" argument. Give your canine some of the inflatable squeeze toys. He or she can gnaw on them for the entire day and no harm will occur. These items are cheap and easy to come by and are proven to cure the chewing problem in most dogs.
Tough Chew Items
If your dog becomes bored or inattentive with the squeeze toys, desperate measures might be in order. A rigid, tough chew toy is a good way to ramp up the severity of your attack on your dog's chewing problem. Generally, these items are bone shaped and provide your animal with weeks' worth of something tough to chew on. These tend to be more effective than simple squeeze toys in animals that chew through anything and everything (including parts of your home!). If you cannot cure your dog with a rigid or squeeze toy or close monitoring, seeking a professional might be your best option.
Consult with an Expert
If you have no luck with any other method of chew control, finding a professional who works with animals might be your only recourse. To start, you might simply ask your animal's veterinarian. If this provides no luck, contacting an animal trainer is the perfect last resort. Generally, these trainers can solve problems nothing else can. This might be a pricy alternative, but it beats a constant stream of replacing shoes and various other household objects.
Animals with chewing problems can provide a myriad of problems for any pet owner. Dogs that are chewers often destroy valuable items or necessities that cost precious money to be replaced. It often takes a lot of energy to help curb this problem in your pet. If you hope it can be cured fairly easily, simply monitoring and teaching your dog that gnawing is a problem can provide results. If this is not the case, chew toys can be your next best bet. Should this be to no avail, the consultation with a professional might be in order. Rest assured, one of these methods should provide you with satisfactory solutions.
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