Many dog owners have had to deal with their dog’s incessant chewing problems. Whether it is biting or chewing on something around the house, dog chewing can be a major nuisance. There are some dog training tricks that you can try that will help you overcome this problem. Dogs are creatures of habit. They are going to chew what they have been trained to chew on. Learning how to train a dog not to chew will take some time and persistence on your part, but the end result will greatly improve the dog’s chewing behavior.
To begin with, you need to establish what triggers your dog’s chewing episodes. Chewing is usually associated with frustration. As an owner, you have probably noticed that your dog starts to chew on something when you reprimand it for biting or chewing on another animal or toy. You may think it’s just the dog trying to find something to chew on. If you observe the chewing more carefully though, you’ll see that it is actually the dog looking for something it doesn’t have in its mouth to chew on. You can use the dog training tricks below to teach your dog not to chew on furniture or on belts.
You can learn how to train a dog not to chew on furniture by simply taking your dog out to the room where you want to start the training. Have some of your dog’s toys ready. Then, put the toys down and make sure your dog understands they shouldn’t chew on the toys. Praise your dog when it picks up one of the toys and then put it back down.
Another great trick when learning how to train a dog not to chew is to distract your dog while you are speaking. You can do this by distracting your dog by rubbing its nose in your hand. Do this while you are teaching the dog a command such as “Sit.” The dog should learn that if it tries to chew on your hands, it gets to pick up your scent and interrupt your training.
Once your dog has started to understand that it shouldn’t chew, it will need a variety of distractions during training in order to continue to learn. A great place to use for distractions while you’re teaching how to train a dog not to chew is your garden. Just close the door and turn on the sprinklers. It will give your dog a variety of things to chew on while you’re not there to reprimand him. The same thing works when you’re out playing with your dog.
One other method of teaching your dog that it should stop chewing your belongings is to drown it out with a newspaper. Once your dog gets frustrated enough to chew your stuff, it may just start chewing on the newspaper instead. This isn’t the most enjoyable experience for either you or your dog, but it is one of the most effective. Simply take the newspaper and throw it in the garbage, then get some kitty litter and put the paper in there instead.
When you finally get your dog to understand that it shouldn’t chew your belongings, you’ll be able to move onto more advanced dog training methods. Dogs can be trained to stop barking at the front door, stop barking constantly, and even to stop jumping up on visitors. Some of these are harder than others, so it will depend on the dog’s personality style whether or not it will learn any of these advanced commands. Either way, you’ll have a much better experience by implementing these methods on your own instead of relying on a professional.
If you find yourself wondering how to train a dog not to chew your things, there are a few different options available. Either way, make sure that you have all the proper toys and treats available, and that your dog doesn’t get into any potentially dangerous situations where it might get its claws stuck on something. There are also several training aids that you can purchase if you’re having trouble getting your dog to recognize certain commands. Regardless, of what you decide on, learning how to train a dog not to chew your belongings should be relatively simple as long as you remember that you aren’t forcing your dog into anything it doesn’t want to do, and you’re being consistent with your training techniques.
