BAD BEHAVIOR

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Anxiety is a leading cause of destructive chewing by adult dogs. People bite their nails, smoke, and drink. Dogs vocalize, pace, and chew. In most cases, chewing damage due to this type of anxiety occurs when the owner is not at home or is unavailable to the pet.

Phobias, such as fear of thunder or other loud noises, can result in destructive chewing. Doors, window trim, and walls often become the targets of chewing. Inappropriate punishment methods, especially delayed or very harsh punishment, can trigger problems. Delayed feeding can also result in chewing problems, as the hungry dog explores the house using its mouth to try to open doors and containers in search of food. Boredom, lack of stimulation, and social isolation can also contribute to destructive chewing behavior.

First, rule out any gastrointestinal or teething problems your pup may have by taking it to your veterinarian. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) irritations, such as gastritis or esophagitis may lead to destructive chewing. All too commonly, young animals are affected by parasitism that may cause simple GI upset and reflex chewing.

It's difficult to pinpoint the cause of chewing in your pup, but I suspect that it nay be related to age, a high level of energy, and possibly a need for social interaction or attention. You may be promoting the chewing behavior by actions you are not even aware of, such as throwing laundry on the floor, opening the curtains in front of the dog, etc. Try to analyze when the dog chews. It maybe helpful to keep a diary listing occurrences of chewing and relative information to pinpoint the causes that initiate the behavior.

Direct the dog's chewing toward appropriate objects, such as specific toys. You can even smear the toys with a piece of cheese, some peanut butter, or gravy to encourage chewing of them. The important thing is to never take proper chewing for granted. Every time the dog's mouth touches the toy, it should receive praise or reward.

At the same time that you promote this desirable chewing, discourage unacceptable chewing by spreading cayenne pepper, mixed with a small amount of petroleum jelly, or oil of citronella, on a piece of wood, a scrap of carpet, or an old shoe. If the dog has a habit of chewing clothing, try to put it out of reach on a regular basis. Every day, try moving the offending items to a new area in the house (confusion in itself is a deterrent). Hide booby traps (such as balloons or a stack of beverage cans containing coins) near the items you'd like to discourage chewing on. Mousetraps set in an upside-down position are also very effective. Leave the chew toys readily available during these processes and place the emphasis on positive-reinforcement training. Use the chew toys to play with the pup, teach it to fetch, and always associate their use with praise and reward.

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