My Princess Daisy *dot* com - Breaking the Chewing Habit

Breaking the Chewing Habit

I received an e-mail from someone and thought it should be added to my journal for everyone to read. She had an interesting question that I'm sure most dog owners can relate to. Read all about it below:

To: brian@myprincessdaisy.com
Subject: Chewing

Hi Brian,

I have already had to throw away a perfectly good couch because Spike chewed it up so badly. How can I make him quit chewing everything? He's over a year old, so he shouldn't be teething any more. I like him, but his habits are driving me crazy.

Thanks.
Connie

My response:

Hi Connie!

Sounds like you need some help! Ha ha ha! I'm no beagle pro or anything, but here's my advice for you:

Like you said, your dog isn't teething anymore and needs to break the habit of chewing things. To this day, my Daisy still chews everything also. It's normal for beagles to chew and I'm not sure if and when they ever stop. If Spike is going to chew then make sure he is chewing something that is acceptable to chew, like a bone, or a ball, or Daisy's favorite... a KONG. If you don't have a KONG in the house, get him one for Christmas. Better yet, get him 2. I recommend the KONG Red Goodie Bone and the KONG Biscuit Ball. The bone is great to keep your dog busy for hours. It works. For more info visit www.KongCompany.com/dlist.html or your local PetsMart to purchase.

The key is to keep your dog busy by chewing, but not to chew your couch. The most important rule when owning a dog is to NEVER leave your dog alone in your house while you aren't there, unless he is kept in a secure place or has no teeth and a high capacity bladder. A bathroom or laundry room, where there are no couches or other valuables, is an ideal place. If you are going to be gone for hours at a time, keep your dog in a place where he won't get in trouble.

When you are home, ALWAYS keep an eye on your dog. Since your dog is still young, he may not know what things are okay to chew and what things aren't. YOU have to be there ALL the time to show him what is right and what is wrong. If you see your dog begin to chew on something, like the couch, get his attention by saying "NO!" in a firm low voice. This will get his attention and when he looks at you say "No!" again. THEN, grab one of his toys and give it to him. When the dog takes the toy from you, give your dog a lot of praise. Say, "Good Spike." and pet him. The "No!" shows that you don't approve of what he's doing. Giving him his toy, followed by a lot of praise shows him that chewing his toys is correct and makes you happy. Always correct him. Never hit him. Hitting your dog and screaming at him shows him that you are out of control and questions your role as the "Alpha Dog" in the house. Dogs want nothing more than to make their master happy. Dogs love the positive attention their owners give them. If you dog goes back to the couch a few minutes later, then do the same as before. It may get frustrating at first, but I promise you, if you stick to it, your dog will understand that he should only chew on his toys and not the couch. Always keep toys around the house. Consistent training breaks a dogs bad habits.

When Daisy is really excited and I'm playing with her in the living room, she sometimes decides to take a little bite out of the couch or carpet while she's playing. When she does, I say "No!" and she stops right away. She knows that she should only chew and bite on her toys, not MY toys. I think Daisy gets sucked into the moment and does things like this out of excitement. Beagles will be beagles, but the behaved ones are more fun.

Hope this helps! Have a good Holiday Season!

Brian