Dear Critter Corner: My partner and I just adopted a new puppy, and she has been great, with one exception. When we leave her alone, she constantly chews on things she’s not supposed to and has cost us a lot of money in damages. We love her, but we are frustrated with this behavior. What can we do?
Destructive chewing can be one of the most frustrating and costly problems to deal with for both human and dog. To start with, make sure to “puppy-proof” your home as best you can. Put anything of value high up and out of reach of your pup, don’t leave anything scattered around haphazardly, and make sure all cables are tucked tightly against the walls. For most dogs, so long as it is above their eye level and not high value (from their perspective, not yours) you are safe.
For aggressive chewers make sure you have many appropriate chew toys for your dog, and that you praise them when they chew on them. If you catch your dog in the act of chewing on something inappropriate give them a stern “uh-uh”, remove the object, and redirect them to the appropriate chew. Food based chews are often the most effective, but can be expensive, and don’t expect more than an hour or two of peace and quiet from even the best.
Here are some fun and cheap enrichment options for your pup while you must step away: Try getting an empty and open plastic bottle and filling it with a few choice treats that are small enough to fall out of the hole. Shake the bottle to get your dog’s attention and then watch them try to figure it out. For pups that like to dissect things, put a few treats in some tissue paper and stuff it into cardboard toilet paper rolls and watch them tear it apart. To take it up a level, fill a shoebox with many of these, tightly packed. On a hot day, try freezing a toy or treat in a bowl of water, thawing it out slightly, and dropping it for your dog to puzzle out.