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DESTRUCTIVE
CHEWING
Sooner
or later every dog lover returns home to find some unexpected damage
inflicted by his or her dog...or, more specifically, that dog's incisors
and molars. Although dogs make great use of their vision and sense of
smell to explore the world, one of their favorite ways to take in new
information is to put their mouths to work.
Fortunately,
chewing can be directed onto appropriate items so your dog isn't destroying
items you value or jeopardizing his own safety. Until he's learned what
he can and can't chew, however, it's your responsibility to manage the
situation as much as possible, so he doesn't have the opportunity to
chew on unacceptable objects.
Taking
Control by Managing the Situation
- Take
responsibility for your own belongings: If you don't want it in your
dog's mouth, don't make it available. Keep clothing, shoes, books,
trash, eyeglasses, and remote control devices out of your dog's reach.
- Don't
confuse your dog by offering him shoes and socks as toys and then
expecting him to distinguish between his shoe and yours. Your dog's
toys should be clearly distinguishable from household goods.
- Until
he learns the house rules, confine him when you're unable to keep
an eye on him. Choose a "safe place" that's dog-proof, and
provide fresh water and "safe" toys. If your dog is crate
trained, you may also place him in his crate for short periods of
time.
- Give
your dog plenty of people-time. Your dog won't know how to behave
if you don't teach him alternatives to inappropriate behavior, and
he can't learn these when he's in the yard by himself.
- If,
and only if, you catch your dog chewing on something he shouldn't,
interrupt the behavior with a loud noise, offer him an acceptable
chew toy instead, and praise him lavishly when he takes the toy in
his mouth.
- Have
realistic expectations. At some point your dog will inevitably chew
up something you value; this is often part of the transition to a
new home. Your dog needs time to learn the house rules and you need
to remember to take precautions and keep things out of his reach.
Chewing
is normal behavior for curious puppies who may be teething, but adult
dogs may engage in destructive chewing for any number of reasons. In
order to deal with the behavior, you must first determine why your dog
is chewing - and remember - he's not doing it to spite you.
Play,
Boredom, and/or Social Isolation
Normal play behavior sometimes leads to destruction, as it may involve
digging, chewing, shredding, and/or shaking toy-like objects. Because
dogs investigate objects by pawing at them and exploring them with their
mouths, they may also inadvertently damage items in their environment
when they're exploring or investigating. Your dog may be chewing for
entertainment if:
- He's
left alone for long periods without opportunities to interact with
you.
- His
environment is relatively barren, free of playmates or toys.
- He's
a puppy or adolescent (under three years old) and he doesn't have
other outlets for his energy.
- He's
a particularly active type of dog (like the herding or sporting breeds)
who need to be occupied to be happy.
Solutions
- Play
with your dog daily in a safe, fenced-in area. Playing fetch is a
great way to use up your dog's excess energy without wearing you out!
- Go for
a walk. Walks should be more than just "bathroom time."
On-leash walks are important opportunities for you and your dog to
be together. Don't forget to allow time for sniffing, exploring, instruction,
and praise.
- Increase
your dog's opportunities for mental stimulation. Teach your dog a
few commands or tricks and practice them daily. Take a dog training
class; not only are they fun, but such classes teach commands important
for your dog's safety and give you and your dog time to work toward
a common goal.
- Provide
your dog with lots of toys.
- Rotate
your dog's toys to refresh his interest in them. "New" toys
are always more interesting than old ones.
- Try
different kinds of toys, but when you introduce a new toy, keep an
eye on your dog to make sure he won't tear it up and ingest the pieces.
- Consider
the various types of toys that can be stuffed with food. Putting tidbits
of food inside chew toys helps your dog focus on these toys rather
than on unacceptable objects.
- Make
your dog's favorite "off-limits" chew objects unattractive
to him by covering them with heavy plastic, aluminum foil, hot pepper
sauce, or a commercial "anti-chew" product.
- Consider
a good "doggie day care" program for two or three days a
week to help your dog work off some of her excess energy.
Separation
Anxiety
Dogs with separation anxiety tend to display behaviors that reflect
a strong attachment to their owners. This includes following you from
room to room, frantic greetings, and anxious responses whenever you
prepare to leave the house. Factors that can precipitate a separation
anxiety problem include:
- A change
in the family's schedule that leaves your dog at home alone more often.
" A move to a new home.
- The
death or loss of a family member or another family pet.
- A period
at a shelter or boarding kennel.
Again,
remember that these behaviors are not motivated by spite or revenge,
but by anxiety. Punishment will only make the problem worse. Separation
anxiety can be resolved by using counter-conditioning and desensitization
techniques.
Attention-Seeking
Behavior
Without realizing it, we often pay more attention to our dogs when they're
misbehaving. Dogs who don't receive a lot of attention and reinforcement
for appropriate behavior may engage in destructive behavior when their
owners are present as a way to attract attention-even if the attention
is "negative," such as a verbal scolding.
Solutions
- Make
sure your dog gets a lot of positive attention every day-playtime,
walks, grooming, or just petting.
- Ignore
bad behavior (as much as possible) and reward good behavior. Remember
to reward your dog with praise and petting when he's playing quietly
with appropriate toys.
- Make
his favorite "off-limits" chew objects unattractive or unavailable
to him. Use aversives on objects that cannot be put away.
- Teach
your dog a "drop it" command, so that when he does pick
up an "off-limits" object, you can use the command and praise
him for complying. The best way to teach "drop it" is to
practice exchanging a toy in his possession for a tidbit of food.
- Practice
the concept of "Nothing in Life is Free" with your dog.
This gets your dog in the habit of complying with your commands and
is a good way to make sure he gets lots of positive attention for
doing the right things-so he won't have to resort to misbehaving just
to get your attention.
Fears
and Phobias
Your dog's destructive behavior may be a response to something he fears.
Some dogs are afraid of loud noises. Your dog's destructive behavior
may be caused by fear if he tends to be more destructive when he's exposed
to loud noises, such as thunderstorms, firecrackers, or construction
sounds, and if the primary damage is to doors, door frames, window coverings,
screens, or walls.
Solutions
- Provide
a "safe place" for your dog. Find out where he likes to
go when he feels anxious, then allow access to that space or create
a similar one for him to use when the fear stimulus is present.
- Don't
comfort your dog when he's behaving fearfully. Try to get him to play
with you or respond to commands he knows and give him praise and treats
when he responds to you rather than the fear stimulus.
- Don't
crate your dog unless he's thoroughly crate-trained and considers
the crate his safe place. If you put him in a crate to prevent destruction
and he's not crate-trained, he may injure himself and/or destroy the
crate.
What
NOT to Do
Punishment is rarely effective in resolving destructive behavior problems,
and may even make the problem worse. Never discipline your dog after
the fact. If you discover your dog has chewed an item but don't catch
him in the act, it's too late to administer a correction. Your dog doesn't
think, "I chewed those shoes an hour ago and that's why I'm being
scolded now."
People
often believe their dog makes this connection because he runs and hides
or "looks guilty." But dogs display submissive postures like
cowering, running away, or hiding when they feel threatened by an angry
tone of voice, body posture, or facial expression.
Your dog
doesn't know what he's done wrong; he only knows that you're upset.
Punishment after the fact will not only fail to eliminate the undesirable
behavior, but may provoke other undesirable behaviors, too.
© 2002. Adapted from material originally developed
by applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado.
All rights reserved.
