The dog chews furniture when left alone. What can you do to stop your dog from chewing things? Regular physical training

Having decided to get a dog, the owner must understand that walking and raising a pet require a lot of time, effort and patience. Otherwise, the animals become disobedient and begin to chew things and furniture in the apartment. Breaking this bad habit is not easy, but it is possible.

Why does a dog ruin furniture?

The main reason for furniture damage is boredom and lack of physical activity. If a dog is left alone in an apartment for a long time and does not receive physical exercise, its accumulated energy splashes out in the form of destruction, howling, and barking. A large dog, confined to four walls, can tear off wallpaper, scratch walls and doors, wanting to get outside.

The puppy chews furniture, exploring the world around him. He tastes everything that comes into his field of vision.

By chewing, biting and licking, the baby develops sensory abilities. An adult dog experiences the same curiosity when a new thing appears. He wants to taste the legs and upholstery of the sofa, to see what is inside.

Sometimes pets damage things and furniture due to oral discomfort. Thus dogs:

• scratching itchy gums;
• remove loose baby teeth;
• remove dental plaque;
• relieve toothache.

A dog may chew furniture due to a deficiency of coarse fiber, vitamins or other useful substances. In this case, she bites and chews wooden objects, paper items, and building materials. While walking, the dog continues to chew sticks, branches, and eat grass and leaves.

For dogs, this is not pampering, but a way to reduce anxiety and stress. When left alone for many hours, pets suffer from boredom, hunger, and lack of communication.

It is especially difficult for shelter pets who have experienced violence and cruelty to learn the rules of behavior in the home. Weak psyche is a hereditary factor in some purebred dogs.

How to stop a puppy from chewing furniture

When you take a puppy into your home, you need to agree that all family members take part in its upbringing. At the same time, in order to wean oneself from bad habits, everyone must say the same word: “Ugh!” or “You can’t!” This way the baby will quickly understand the rules of behavior in the house.

Natural curiosity pushes the puppy to chew not only upholstered furniture, but also everything that comes into its field of vision. Therefore, the owner must put small or fragile objects, medicines, and hide wires out of reach. Store shoes on shelves with doors, and outerwear in closets. Wrap the legs of chairs, armchairs, and corners of wooden furniture with cellophane.

Make a spacious enclosure for the puppy, in which you will place it while all family members leave home. To prevent the puppy from getting bored, leave toys, water, and bedding there for sleeping.

How to correct the behavior of an adult dog

It is much more difficult to stop an adult dog from chewing furniture. Damaging things has already become a habit that she finds difficult to break. Dog handlers advise not to punish a pet for an offense that has already been committed. But when gnawing is detected, it is necessary to immediately begin working on the mistakes.

As a punishment for an adult dog, you can use the commands “Ugh!”, “You can’t!”, and then “Lie down!” or “Sit!”

That is, the guilty dog ​​must remain in a motionless position for a long time (several minutes). Next, the owner needs to ignore the pet (about one hour). The lack of human attention and affection is hard for the animal, and it learns its lesson.

If the owner cannot stop the dog from chewing furniture on his own, he must seek help from a dog handler. There are courses in which a specialist tells what to do if a puppy chews furniture legs and other things. He explains the psychology of pets and teaches how to build proper communication with animals. During practical training, the dog learns commands.

Preventive measures

The best methods for weaning a dog from a bad habit are proactive measures. That is, the owner must create conditions for the puppy under which he will not spoil things.

Toys

Puppies and dogs require objects that they can chew with impunity. To do this, buy animal toys at the pet store. Ordinary children's balls and dolls will not work. The dog will quickly bite them with his teeth, and then may suffer from swallowed pieces of plastic or rubber.

Dog toys are made from durable elastic materials, as well as rope, leather, and fabric. The owner must engage with the pet, taking the ring from it or throwing the ball into another room. A good item to distract an animal is artificial edible bones made from tendons and rawhide.

Walks

Most often, dogs chew furniture when their owners are not at home. Therefore, before leaving for work, you need to take your pet for a walk. Active games must last at least 1 hour. Give your animals tasks that require physical and mental effort. Make sure your dog comes home from a walk happy and tired.

"It is forbidden!"

The puppy learns the command “No!” at the age of six months. To do this, the assistant lays out food on the ground, and the owner does not allow the dog to eat it, clearly pronouncing “Ugh!” and tugging on the leash.

Gradually the dog understands that the meaning of this word is a prohibition on action.

To reinforce the skill, you can slap your pet on the back with a rolled-up newspaper while pronouncing the command.

Protective sprays

Pet stores sell products to stop dogs from chewing furniture.

Knabber Stopp

Trixie has made a spray for puppies and dogs in a convenient plastic bottle with a spray nozzle. The liquid does not smell at all, but has a strong unpleasant taste. The bitterness is created from safe plant extracts, so the product can be sprayed even near outdoor pots with indoor plants.

Dog chewing protection

The Russian company Api San has released a series of “Smart Sprays”. One of them – “Protection against chewing dogs” – has a slight orange smell and a pronounced bitter taste. It contains red pepper extract, isopropyl alcohol, and essential citrus oils.

After contact with objects treated with the spray, the pet experiences a burning sensation on the tongue and increased salivation.

Mr Fresh

The Russian company Ecoprom, together with the German company Veterinar Bio, has produced a spray “Protection against chewing for dogs.” The main component in the composition is wormwood extract, and additional components are purified water, alcohol, and fragrances. The product is used to treat furniture legs, wires, and shoes. It does not leave streaks, but is incredibly bitter, which scares off curious pets.

Similar sprays can be made at home. To do this, you need to prepare a strong infusion of wormwood or plantain and pour it into a spray bottle.

In addition, furniture legs can be anointed:

• balm “Star”;
• gel with menthol extract;
• a mixture of ground peppers;
• vinegar essence;
• dry mustard.

Before lubricating furniture legs with the product, you must wear gloves.

Remember, the method of treating liquids with a bitter taste is considered auxiliary. The main thing is to raise your dog and set aside time for daily games and walks together.

Nothing shakes a person’s nerves more than daily pogrom and destruction of valuable things. Tired of counting the damage from your pet's games? Let's figure out how to stop a dog from chewing furniture and ruining things in the house?

Most experienced owners, when bringing a puppy into the house, are sure that they will have to suffer some financial losses associated with the destruction of furniture and other personal belongings. However, the puppy’s behavior can still be understood: he is nervous, misses his mother, feels discomfort, but what to do with an adult dog that regularly encroaches on your furniture?

Most owners experience destructive chewing in puppies and adult dogs. Moreover, statistically, destruction of furniture and personal belongings becomes the biggest problem when raising a dog.

Destructive chewing is usually called the dog’s desire to chew on inedible objects or the owner’s personal belongings. Experience shows that puppies and adult dogs have some preferences.

Note! The risk zone includes electrical cords, which, if bitten, can cause the dog to receive a severe electric shock.

Destructive chewing is unpleasant for the owner, but it is more important to consider the fact that a bad habit threatens the pet’s life. By tearing apart furniture and your personal belongings, the puppy may swallow a foreign object, which is likely to block the intestinal lumen.

Causes of bad habit

To eliminate a bad habit, it is necessary to establish the reasons why the dog chews furniture. Experienced owners and veterinarians know that a healthy, happy pet will not spoil your things. Accept it as a fact that a dog that appears in your home will always strive to please you. If this rule is distorted, you have made mistakes during your upbringing.

Eliminate stress. Regardless of breed, age and size, a dog needs chewing as a method of eliminating stress, expending energy, calming down, eliminating discomfort associated with hunger and brushing teeth. Before taking any measures to correct behavior, it is worth teaching to clearly distinguish when a dog chews things for natural reasons and when its behavior is destructive.

Curiosity. A dog may chew on an object that has just appeared in the house due to curiosity. If you bought shoes or a chair, observe your dog's behavior towards the new item before leaving your pet at home alone. Puppies have a natural need to explore the world. Like small children, puppies taste the world around them during the process of socialization.

Discomfort in the oral cavity. One of the common causes of destructive desire is discomfort in the oral cavity.

• Puppies may chew on inedible objects due to changing teeth.
• Adult dogs may chew furniture (especially wood) due to toothache.
• Older animals chew hard, inedible objects to strengthen gums, remove plaque, or remove a diseased tooth.

Statistically, the most destruction occurs during puppyhood. In addition to oral discomfort associated with teething.

Lack of attention. Before purchasing a puppy, it is important to evaluate your capabilities, since until the pet is 1–2 years old, all your attention should be focused on its upbringing and socialization. Some dog breeds are very active by nature and require daily attention into old age.

Important! A dog may chew furniture just to get attention!

Boredom- this is a mentality that pushes puppies and even adult dogs to undesirable actions in the absence of the owner. A dog will become bored if left alone for too long or not given enough exercise. When a puppy has nothing to do, his energy literally accumulates, in order to splash out his potential, the baby begins to destroy. The consequence of boredom can be not only destructive chewing, but also howling, barking, whining, peeing in inappropriate places, and self-injury.

Fear and anxiety. Quite often the cause of destructive chewing is fear or anxiety. For these reasons, incorrect behavior is observed not only in puppies, but also in adult dogs. Most often, the pet destroys objects in the absence of the owner in order to slightly reduce stress. To prevent anxiety in the absence of the owner, the puppy must be gradually taught to remain alone.

Restriction of freedom. In this case, the destruction occurs on the perimeter of the home or personal plot. A dog can chew wires, fences, wallpaper, doors. The problem is eliminated after increasing the duration and intensity of walking.

Note! Destructive behavior against the background of restriction of freedom may arise due to a low degree of socialization.

Avitaminosis. Puppies may chew inedible objects due to an unbalanced diet. Adult dogs know that furniture or wood is not food, but they can continue to chew on them due to severe vitamin deficiency and perversion of appetite. If your dog chews exclusively on wooden furniture, there is a good chance that he is lacking coarse fibers and fibre.

Mental disorder. Unfortunately, our pets can suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Bad behavior that cannot be corrected may occur against the background of a weak or disturbed psyche. Such illnesses can occur in dogs adopted from shelters that have experienced severe stress or abuse. Weak psyche is a hereditary factor that can be observed in purebred animals.

Quite often, dogs chew furniture and personal belongings of the owner, only because they are not trained not to do so. While your puppy is exploring the world, you may be fascinated by his attempts to tear your socks or other things. The dog learns that its attempts to chew inedible objects amuse the owner and repeats this algorithm.

How to stop a puppy or adult dog from chewing furniture

Chewing is just a symptom of the underlying problem. Behavior correction must begin with observing the dog’s behavior and its condition. In addition, the owner needs to learn to identify and mark his own mistakes that are made during training.

Several measures must be taken to reduce risks and identify the underlying problem. It is important to remember that it is natural for a dog to chew inedible objects and to provide it with sufficient physical and mental exercise. If your pet is bored, he will find ways to entertain himself.

Note! Most family dog ​​breeds tend to entertain themselves with destructive chewing.

Increasing load

If a puppy or adult dog starts chewing furniture, the first thing to do is increase the duration and intensity of walks. During walks, the dog should be occupied with games that require mental effort.

Alternate games with training, this will teach the dog endurance and self-control. You can only assume that your dog is getting enough exercise if he comes back from a walk tired.

Furniture protection

To protect furniture from chewing while your pet remains at home on his own, you can use folk remedies. Most dogs cannot tolerate the strong smells of citrus, eucalyptus and mint. To treat furniture, you can use aqueous solutions with essential oil or a special spray.

It is important to treat surfaces every day! It has been found that odors that are unpleasant to dogs stick to surfaces better if they are moistened before application.

Many inexperienced owners try to wean their dog off unwanted chewing using red pepper. This technique is unacceptable, as it can lead to irreversible damage to the olfactory system.

In addition, red pepper can burn the mucous membranes of the dog's mouth and nose. If it gets into the eyes, red pepper can damage the mucous membranes, which can lead to the formation of ulcers and serious ophthalmological problems.

Creating an aviary

Until you are sure of the effectiveness of training, it is advisable to protect valuables from contact with your pet while you are not at home. If you can't secure the furniture, you might want to consider restricting your pet's freedom (puppies are trained in dismountable crates or enclosures). All personal items that could cause destructive chewing should be kept out of reach.

To help your pet refrain from destructive chewing, it is important to provide him with enough toys. It is important to keep your dog interested in chewable items. Buy several toys at once and change them every 2-3 days. Remember to reward your puppy when he chews his toys.

Distraction method

If you notice that your dog has started chewing furniture, do not shout or swear. Quickly take a toy, approach your pet and start teasing him. Your task is to switch the dog’s attention to permitted chewing.

Redirecting the person's energy and attention is the main method of correcting any destructive behavior.

Endurance and patience

In the process of adjusting behavior, many owners lose patience because several months pass without seeing a positive result. To achieve success, it is important to follow two rules: consistency and gradualism. If your pet has been chewing shoes and furniture since childhood and one day you decide to retrain it, be prepared to fail.

It will take 2 times longer to correct behavior than to consolidate a habit. Simply put, if you haven’t paid attention to your dog’s bad habit for a month, it may take 1 to 2 months to correct the behavior.

Important! Many owners feel sorry for their pet, believing that chewed things are compensation for the puppy’s fears and loneliness. This hypothesis has long been refuted by experiments; the reason lies in boredom, interest, lack of education, but not in fear. Little robbers (often) look forward to the owner leaving so they can do their “dirty deeds.”

And really why? Nature is smarter than all people combined, every living creature is able to distinguish poison and inedible objects from food, so what is such a strange addiction based on? If you want to stop your dog from chewing everything, find out what exactly he is trying to tell you:

• I'm exploring the world - applies to puppies aged 8-12 weeks. The baby tries everything he finds and this is normal. Even for small children, it is normal to lick everything. In this simple way, sensory development develops, that is, the ability to sense the environment. Your task is to protect the baby by hiding wires, small objects (especially children's toys designed for ages over 5–6 years), and any small items that the puppy is able to swallow whole. Valuables also need to be put away; at this age, the puppy does not understand that this expensive watch with a tasty strap is valuable - it is a shiny, cold and unusual-tasting toy.

• I relieve the discomfort - puppies aged 4-7 months experience the change of baby teeth. Itching of the gums, a feeling of discomfort and non-stop. When chewing teeth are cut, tolerable pain is added to the general inconvenience. Chewing non-edible objects helps the four-legged dog to distract itself and scratch in hard-to-reach places. Most often, slippers, wires, furniture legs and floor coverings (carpets, linoleum) are used. Don’t even try to stop a puppy from chewing at this age; the only alternative is to distract the “pest” with approved toys and special treats.

• I have a stomach ache– in the warm season, dogs eat and regurgitate grass (in extreme cases, chewed branches), this is a natural cleansing of the stomach and intestines. What should a puppy who is in quarantine or born in the fall do? That's right - chew, swallow and burp everything that contains cellulose. Wallpaper, wooden objects, doors and your favorite delicacy - toilet paper - are under attack. There is no need to talk about the need to prevent worms; the procedure is carried out once every 3-4 months. Grass can be grown at home, and if soil work is not your thing, you can purchase special treats at a pet store.

• I have indigestion and weak intestinal microflora– a newborn puppy sucks its mother’s colostrum. This valuable product contains a large number of lactobacilli (lactic acid bacteria) and microorganisms useful for digestion (probiotics). If the puppy did not receive enough milk from its mother, was ill or was treated, and the microflora partially died, the baby has a desire to eat (namely, chew and swallow) objects unsuitable for food. Most often, a dog's menu includes items made from natural materials, food waste and feces.

• I have– in this case, the ward may shock you with his non-standard behavior. A dog gnawing on a wall, eating stones and soil, wallpaper and paint, office supplies, pyrotechnics (contains gunpowder), household waste, carrion, licking whitewash, chewing leather shoes with appetite. Broken teeth, unpleasant odor from the mouth, constant stomach upset, significant material damage and ultimately poisoning are the minimal consequences of vitamin deficiency. If you notice that your dog is showing interest in non-edible items or obviously spoiled food, immediately introduce complex vitamins and microelements into the diet. Next, observing your pet’s behavior, adjust the dosage.

• I'm bored– a puppy or an adult dog must have toys that can be chewed – this is not specified. In the absence of the owner, the four-legged animal either sleeps or has fun to the best of its ability. If there are no permitted toys, then a sofa and pillows lying on it can be a good alternative.

Read also: Helicobacter in dogs: causes of disease and treatment

Note! Dogs drinking alcohol is not a funny sight, but a signal of a lack of vitamin D and sugars in the pet’s body. Alcohol in any quantity and form is pure poison for a dog (and for humans too).

Behavior correction methods

Did you manage to identify and eradicate the cause of the incorrect behavior, but the dog still continues to chew your things? Perhaps you are a little late, and the previously permitted action has already become a habit. Now the pet does not understand the reasons for your upset, she then acts as usual. Proper upbringing is a complex that is applied from the first day of a tailed dog’s life in your home. Try not to “dissolve” the puppy so as not to deal with the consequences; if problems arise, one of the following methods will help:

• Don't punish someone for something you've already done– shaming a puppy when he is caught in the act is a mandatory procedure, but if you find a damaged slipper when you come home from work, time is lost. Hide shoe racks and other items that your dog might chew on out of reach. The wires are hidden in special tunnels. You understand that chewing a wire is first of all a danger and only then a damage.

• Punish wisely– for puppies up to six months old, it is effective to “ruffle” the withers, not forcefully, not persistently, without fanaticism. If you catch a bandit in the act, grab him by the crease at the withers, squeeze his skin a little and sternly say “No!” For young and adult dogs, this procedure is humiliating and should not be used! A student who knows the commands is punished by being kept in one place. On the command “Place” or “Lie down/Sit”, leave the dog in one place for 3-5 minutes. When trying to leave the indicated place, we strictly say: “You are punished” and return the dog. Because punishment involves learning, try not to get angry or raise your tone. It is not necessary to punish an adult dog; it is enough to ignore it, showing demonstrative resentment.

• Change toys regularly– puppies and young dogs hate monotony, that is, the same toy will quickly get boring and the ward will switch to the objects around him. Remove a toy that has become boring, replace it with another, not necessarily a new one. It is enough to hide the old toy in an inaccessible place and after 3-4 days, the puppy will perceive it as new.

When a dog appears in the house, it is not always joy and adoration. Sometimes owners are very disappointed. After all, a pet may turn out to be a pathological rodent. Torn pillows, wires, shoes, upholstery... A reasonable question arises: how to stop a dog from chewing everything? Start with yourself. After all, most of the fault is yours. Why? Now we'll tell you.

You have not trained the dog to the place

Yes, yes, it is the owners who are to blame for the fact that in their absence the dog is allowed to wander throughout the house in search of entertainment. From a very early age, you need to accustom your pet to its place. It could be:

• bed
• rug
• rug

The material of the bedding is not important. The main thing is to explain to the rodent that while the owners are not at home, it is forbidden to wander around the house. No, of course you can reach a bowl of food or water. But having fun while looking for valuables and objects is prohibited.

You didn't leave any toys for the dog

Another fault of the owners. Let's say the animal has perfectly learned its place. But waiting all day for the owner can be so boring. Remember the cartoon “Bobik visiting Barbos”. How did it end there? It's good that ordinary dogs don't do this.

However, you can chew through so much in one day! Therefore, be sure to leave toys for your dog. No, it is not at all necessary to buy the entire assortment of the pet store. Some animals may not even understand what it is and why the owner brought it. Let it be 3-4 toys, but of different types. For example, animals have a very good time, honing their squabbling on:

• small hard rubber balls
• toys made of leather, tendons, hooves
• special seeds

Just don’t even think about leaving your dog soft toys, newspapers, or your old clothes. All this is wonderful and very quickly becomes unusable. And the dog will again go around the house looking for something to chew.

Advice. Be sure to choose hard toys without filling. Soft treats are usually chewed and swallowed by dogs. It's good if it ends with ordinary indigestion. But it could be worse.

You didn't punish the dog

And this is also the fault of the owners. Often a situation arises when bickering becomes not just a killer of dog boredom, but is already part of the process of psychological relaxation. Or worse, into a habit. And such animals begin to gnaw on everything even in the presence of the owner.

It is very important to use the carrot and stick method here. First, scold the dog. When she looks away (a sure sign of admitting guilt), stop reproaching your pet. This very moment is the best time to switch attention to the toy. Offer your pet a new activity. If he picks it up and starts gnawing, be sure to praise it.

It happens that afterwards the training occurs the other way around. That is, the dog specifically looks for approved toys around the house so that the owner will praise it.

But sometimes things don't go according to plan. For example, the dog was not interested in the toy, but returned to its previous occupation of destroying the owner’s things. There is no way around this without punishment. We'll have to add a decent kick on the ass to the verbal reprimand. A palm or a newspaper will be enough.

He doesn’t understand, and again opens his mouth to your good? Scold him again and spank him harder. Some will say that dogs should not be beaten. No doubt, you can't hit. But it is very possible to educate. And the sooner this happens, the better.

Just don't overdo it! Otherwise, the pet will not rejoice at your return home, but at leaving home. And don't scold the animal postcryptum. That is, after some time. Only here and now, and not two hours after the crime.

Advice. If your dog is not at all interested in the toys you bought, then try lightly smearing them with something fragrant or tasty at first. It is quite possible that this trick will work the first time.

You haven't found an alternative

Sometimes dogs are too smart. For example, in the presence of the owner they are such good boys. And at other times - gnawing monsters with three rows of teeth. In this case, you will have to engage in alternative training.

Procedure:

• You notice that the dog is chewing on a prohibited item.
• Scare her (throw the keys, splash water, throw a magazine or a tin can).
• At the same time, pretend that you are very passionate about something, nothing happened and it “just became that way.”
• Repeat until the animal stops gnawing.

Of course, you may have to sacrifice an old slipper for such training. But in your pet’s brain there will be no connection between you and the frightening actions. Let her think that instant karma overtook her. At least smart animals quickly figure out what's what. The stupid ones are waiting for their rightful slap on the ass.

Advice. There is an original recommendation to distract the dog from gnawing by quickly leaving. In this case, it is advisable to loudly make incomprehensible exclamations. Allegedly, the dog will follow you out of interest. This is not a completely correct method. Some pets won’t even think of following their owner out of curiosity. They will only begin to chew on the forbidden item more furiously.

You didn't put your things away

If a pigsty in the house is your fault and lifestyle, then what do you want from your pet? She is your reflection. Do not leave prohibited items in visible or accessible places. Then the dog will have nothing left but entertainment with toys.

Advice. Wires, furniture and wallpaper cannot be removed. Buy a special repellent spray from a veterinary pharmacy. One spray and the dog won’t come near this place for a day. Just don’t spray everything around, remember the dog’s sense of smell.

How to stop a dog from chewing everything? You will have to be patient and instill in the animal at least the basics of training. And the sooner this happens, the less money from the family budget will be spent on buying new things and sedatives for the owner.

Video: how to stop a dog from chewing everything at home