Dogs chew for a variety of reasons, including hunting, breaking down muscle and bone for nourishment, carrying their young, and exploring their world. However, chewing can be problematic if your dog is chewing on your best boots or swallowing things he shouldn’t. This blog post will help you understand your dog’s need to chew, how to safely give him chew sessions, and teach him what’s off-limits.

Understanding Why Dogs Chew

Playing, Hunting, and Boredom 

Dogs once spent a good part of their day hunting and consuming prey. They evolved into skilled and tireless hunters, covering miles of ground to locate, hunt, and kill their prey. Today, dogs are given their food in a bowl, which is scarfed down in a nanosecond. Since he isn’t allowed to spend his days hunting, sniffing, and devouring his prey, his natural instincts have absolutely no outlet. Think about it:

• No hunting
• No chasing
• No successful kill (and dopamine hit)
• No tearing, chewing, or gnawing for hours of satisfaction and teeth cleaning

If he doesn’t get to socialize with other dogs or people and is left alone for extended periods, he’s going to want to chew on something, at the very least.

Pleasure and Instinct 

After a successful hunt, a dog would spend considerable time chewing and tearing his prey’s flesh like we enjoy a juicy, satisfying steak. He’d slurp up the blood, natural enzymes, and any stomach contents he could find. He’d rip the collagen-rich gristle from the bones, which he would then crack apart to extract the nutrient-rich marrow. This healthy, grass-fed prey also contained phytonutrients, antioxidants, and juices full of probiotic enzymes important in digestion. The work of survival kept his jaws strong, his teeth clean, his microbiome happy, and his days mostly busy. 

Is it any wonder that today’s dog lovers often come home to ruined shoes, pillows, and remote controls?

Taking Control of the Situation

• Protect your belongings
• Teach what’s off-limits

If you don’t want it in your dog’s mouth, keep it out of reach. Your trash should be pooch-proof! Simple Human makes lidded garbage cans that won’t open unless the pedal is stepped on. So far, my dogs haven’t figured out how to do that on their own. 

Toy Selection (or, Mother’s Little Helpers) 

Avoid confusing your dog with mixed signals. Don’t offer old shoes or socks as toys — he may come to think all socks and shoes are fair game. Give toys that are easily distinguishable from household items. Make sure you praise him lavishly when you give him a new toy – he’ll understand that it’s for him, and a worthy chewing candidate.

Fresh meaty bones, Nylabones, bully sticks, and Kongs

Dogs adore a fresh (refrigerated), raw, meaty bone appropriate for his jaw size and strength. Meaty bones help keep his teeth and gums clean and are great for his gut microbiome.  

Make sure it’s not small enough to be swallowed, but big enough to give him a challenge! Let him work on it until you get home.  Toss it after 2-3 days, as it will dry and sliver. Slivers of bone can cause blockages and tears in the stomach and intestines. 

For this reason, it’s best to supervise a dog with a bone. If this isn’t possible, give him rubber bones like Nylabones when you’re away.  

NEVER give cooked bones, only raw. Cooked bones can splinter and lead to stomach punctures or intestinal blockages for Fido. 

Kongs are wonderful toys to fill with unsweetened peanut butter with grated zucchini or apple for lower caloric density and the added fiber. Kongs occupy my dogs for hours. 

Safe Spaces: Why confining your dog is the most humane thing to do

Until your dog learns what’s off-limits, confine him in a dog-proofed area when unsupervised. Limiting his movements while alone in the house prevents him from chewing on whatever he finds. Since chewing is a satisfying pastime, once he starts, it can easily become a habit.

If left to his own devices, your dog’s bad habits can reinforce themselves. Dogs, like humans, experience dopamine when doing something they love and that feels good. If your dog gets used to chewing to meet his instinctive needs, it’ll create havoc in your home and expose him to swallowing things he shouldn’t.

Part of good dog training — like raising kids — is not allowing him to do the wrong things. That is, you must remove temptation. The more often he gets pleasure from chewing, digging, destroying, or consuming things he shouldn’t, the harder it will be to train these habits out of him. Remember, to a dog, like a child, everything that feels good is positive reinforcement. 

This is why confining dogs in a smaller, neutral and comfortable space helps him manage his behavior. He’ll have fewer chances to repeat unwanted behaviors because he won’t be able to find things he’s not supposed to chew. Save yourself the time and the frustration – and him the confusion – by limiting his ability to make these mistakes in the first place.

You can use a crate (if your dog is crate-trained) or a designated “safe place” like a laundry or utility room you’ve vetted well. This means making sure anything toxic is out of reach or contained in a locked or blocked cabinet.  A garage sometimes works in certain weather, but check daily that there’s no sweet-tasting anti-freeze on the floor. Even a small amount can be deadly. 

Make sure this space has a comfortable rug and chew toys to keep him busy.* A laundry or utility room is a good place, where he can’t get carpet or furniture bloody. 

Attention and Training 

Spend quality time with your dog. Teach him what’s appropriate for chewing and what’s not. This can be done even if they’re left alone all day. Simply give him what he can chew on, instead of allowing him to find things to chew. 

If you work outside the home for long periods of time, confine him to a safe place where he can spend time and chew on designated items you’ve given him. More on that below. 

Correct and Redirect 

If you catch your dog chewing something he shouldn’t, interrupt with a loud noise. When offering an acceptable chew toy, meaty bone or bully stick, be sure to praise him when he takes it from your hand. This makes it clear that this particular item is acceptable to chew, and belongs to him.  

This is also a good time to teach gentle mouthing. If you offer a treat, toy, or bone and he takes it from you roughly, say “no,” turn your back and walk away. You can also take it back from him but only if he willingly gives it up: it’s important not to play tug o’ war, as he’ll think you’re playing. This is good time to teach “drop it.”

If he takes it gently, shower him with praise and some affection. He’ll learn to accept treats, etc. without aggressive snapping. 

Realistic Expectations 

Understand that chewing mishaps will occur, especially if your dog is new to you, or a puppy. It’s your job to teach him what’s allowed and what isn’t. This type of training can be a learning process for both you and your dog. The time you spend with him teaching and correcting will strengthen your relationship, as well as give you insight into how your dog thinks and reacts. 

Energy Levels: 

Puppies, active breeds, or simply bored dogs will engage in destructive chewing without an adequate outlet for their energy. As you learned above, catching and consuming prey took time and energy. Without work to do, a dog gets mighty bored. 

Solutions to Destructive Chewing

• Daily Playtime 

Engage in active play, like fetch, in a safe area to burn off excess energy. The younger your dog is, the more often he’ll need this activity.

• Regular Walks 

Walks provide more than just bathroom breaks. They are crucial for energy expenditure, mental and physical health. Spending some time in nature activates his olfactory system with calming aromatherapeutics from the grass and trees. *******See my blogpost Walk the Dog for ideas.

• Mental Stimulation
  • Teach new commands or tricks; 
  • Consider enrolling in a dog training class; 
  • Watch Youtube and Caesar Millan for tips to keep him busy and his curiosity satisfied.

• Varied Toys

Offer a variety of toys and rotate them to keep your dog interested. Consider toys that can be filled with treats. Kongs are wonderful and can keep a dog busy for hours. Fill them with unsweetened peanut butter mixed with grated apple or zucchini to add interest and cut calories. Try cream cheese if he tolerates lactose. 

• Doggy Daycare or Pet Sitters

 If possible, engaging a doggy daycare or dog walker just a few days a week can help your dog manage excess energy. Either option will keep him occupied and provide much-needed exercise for him while you’re busy at work. Doggy daycare means he’ll be socializing and playing with other dogs, and you’ll know he’s safe and happy.  Whether daycare or dog walker, make sure you know what he’ll be doing all day. Make sure the daycare involves playtime and not just kenneling.  You could do the same for free at home!

Dealing with Separation Anxiety, or Changes in Routine

When anxious, many dogs need to chew.

Recognize Signs Of Anxiety

• following you around; 
• distressed greetings; 
• anxious behavior when you’re leaving; 

Causes of Anxiety:

• Changes in schedule, 
• Moving house 
• The loss of a family member, or 
• Stays at a shelters 
• Being kenneled when you travel.

Always avoid punishment

Never punish your dog

Instead, use counterconditioning and desensitization techniques. This is why, for example, you need to walk away if Fido grabs something from your hand and leaves a toothmark. Not reacting is good if you’re willing to work to train him to take treats gently from your hand. Some dog trainers say if you react quickly enough with a firm “No!” he’ll get the message. See what works for your pooch. 

But remember, any attention from you—even negative attention—can reinforce the behavior, encouraging him to repeat it. For example, telling the dog, “No barking!” is actually giving him attention. Giving attention while he’s barking may reinforce the behavior and lead to yet more barking.

Attention-Seeking Behavior

Ensure your dog receives positive attention daily.

Ignore bad behavior and reward good behavior.

Use training techniques like “Nothing in Life Is Free” to encourage compliance and positive behavior. This means he must do something for a treat, like sit or roll over. 

Fears and Phobias

Observing your dog carefully can help you identify the source of his destructive behavior. Is it linked to fear, such as loud noises or new environments? Or long periods of being alone in the house with little to do?

Provide a safe space for your dog during fearful situations.

Engage them in play or obedience tasks to distract them from fear.

What NOT to Do

Avoid punishment after the fact. Dogs cannot connect delayed scolding with the act of chewing 10 minutes before.

Punishment can lead to more unwanted behavior and does not address the underlying cause.

Remember: Destructive chewing is a manageable behavior. With understanding, training, and patience, you can guide your dog towards appropriate chewing habits. 

For more tips and advice on pet behavior, visit www.petsforlife.org.

This guide is adapted from material originally developed by applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado, which promotes the protection of all animals.