How To Stop A Dog From Chewing Furniture Using 7 Proven Ways

How To Stop A Dog From Chewing Furniture?
To stop a dog from chewing furniture and other household items, owners need to discourage them from chewing by using various methods like distraction, proper exercise, improving their diet, etc. Regular chewing of furniture may also turn into destructive chewing behavior in dogs.

Are you struggling with your dog’s bad behavior of chewing down inappropriate objects?

Have you tried every method to keep them away from your valuable furniture and household items?

You’re not alone. Many dog owners suffer from inappropriate dog chewing behavior and find it hard to get rid of it. Chewing in dogs is a natural and normal behavior. However, once this turns out to be destructive chewing, things go haywire.

In this article, you’ll learn about the destructing chewing in dogs and how to stop them from doing so.

What Is Destructing Chewing In Dogs?

Just like sniffing and licking, chewing is another normal action of dogs, and one cannot stop them from chewing as it comes naturally to them.

To define destructive chewing in simple ways, you can say aggressive chewing behavior in dogs.

In other words, chewing down on meat bones is not a problem; however, chewing on furniture is a sign of destructive chewing in dogs. As a dog owner, you should aim to divert your dog’s attention from chewing inappropriate objects to chewing appropriate objects like toys, bones, food, etc. 

Reasons Behind Destructive Chewing In Dogs

Destructive chewing behavior occurs in dogs when they suffer from boredom, stress, separation anxiety, etc. 

Young dogs chew on different things because of their new teething, and they’re learning to eat, which leads them to chew on all the random stuff they can hit their teeth on.

Adult dogs chew on different things because of lack of exercise, boredom, stress, and many other reasons, leading them to biting, scratching, and ruining valuable household items. 

We’ve listed down some proven ways to minimize the destructive chewing of dogs on household furniture items. 

7 Ways On How To Stop A Dog From Chewing Furniture

Many dog owners think that it requires a lot of patience to stop their dogs from chewing stuff in the house. Sometimes it gets stressful for owners to see their brand new household items getting scratched and ruined.

Teaching a dog to stop chewing home items requires a little bit of training. With the right strategies and methods, you can easily change this ugly habit of your dog. So, below are the 7 ways to stop your dog from chewing furniture at home:

1. Improve Your Dog’s Diet

The most common reason behind a dog’s chewing problem is that they are low on their diet. When they feel hungrier and don’t find anything to eat, they start biting and chewing random stuff. 

A dog’s behavior is directly related to its diet, and they need to have proper meals throughout the day. When hungrier, their behavior will change, and they will run across the house to find something to put their teeth on.

So, try making some diet changes to your dog’s meals. If you’re treating them only twice a day, you might need to add some snacks to their diet. This way, their stomach would be full enough and won’t demand any other chewable household items.

Related: My Dog Has Diarrhea But Acting Fine

2. Exercise Them Daily

Dogs are lovely creatures whose natural actions are walking, running, jumping, and roaming.

If your dog is low on any of the above activities, then you’re doing massive damage to your dog’s health. This way, they risk gaining body weight and developing laziness symptoms, which later leads to boredom and stress in dogs.

According to experts, boredom is one of the common reasons behind destructive chewing behavior in dogs. They spend their spare time chewing, biting, and licking household items that need to be avoided.

To keep them healthier and busier, introduce daily exercise in their daily routine, and it will keep them fit and make them tired. 

3. Diverting Their Attention 

Another great way to stop your dogs from chewing on household furniture.

Whenever you find your dog moving to chew furniture, you should divert their attention to a different area. The goal is to keep them away from the place where they are going to chew random items. 

To distract them, you can try some methods like calling their name loudly, clapping, or making some noises that they will hear. Also, you can try whistling or anything that can catch their quick attention. You can also teach them some activities like playing dead, or rollover, to divert their attention with the help of a quick command.

Related: 9 Home Remedies To Treat Upset Stomach In Dogs

4. Give Them Chewing Toys

Believe it or not, all dogs need something to chew other than their food.

If you have a dog with excessive chewing habits, you can delight them with high-quality chewable toys. This way, you can keep them away from chewing other random items.

Ensure you’re buying them only good quality chewable dog toys. For the rubber toys, make sure they don’t swallow them; otherwise, it may result in choking. Also, you need to replace your old dog’s chewable toys when they become dirty and become easier to swallow.

5. Encourage Good Chewing

You should always differentiate between good and bad chewing for your dogs. And importantly, encourage good and appropriate chewing on your dogs.

Each dog has their own preferences when it comes to chewing. Some like to chew furniture, some like clothes, or some like only bones. 

If you see your dog chewing meat bones or food that requires an ample amount of chewing, then you should encourage and reward them. They should understand that these types of things need to be chewed properly.

6. Discourage Bad Chewing

Just like you encourage your dog to chew good things, you need to discourage them when they start chewing bad or inappropriate things.

Whenever you find them chewing down your furniture, scold them lightly. You need to be extra-cautious and gentle with this step. Some breeds find it rude when someone scolds them, so try playing a gentle move here.

Divert their attention to chewable dog toys or food so that they leave your furniture and understand that they’re chewing on a bad thing.

7. Avoid Shouting And Screaming

This can be the worst thing as a dog owner you can do to your dog. 

Understand that they don’t differentiate between a valuable item just like humans do. So, don’t expect them to stop their bad chewing behavior overnight. 

Start training them first with proper commands like “Go,” “Move,” or “Hush.” And if you think that they’re not listening to you, then please never shout at them.

Many dog owners suggest they’d used a shock collar wave to get rid of their dog’s chewing habit, but you should avoid it. Dogs are fast learners, and with the proper training and little engagement, you can stop them from chewing down on inappropriate things.

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Final Words

It’s not easy to change a dog’s bad behavior in a matter of a few days, and it will require your planning, determination, and strategies to divert their attention from non-chewable objects.

The above ways are very helpful and can be tried on any dog breed. Whether you have an adult dog or a newly adopted dog, you can train both of them. Let us know in the comments section the methods you’re trying on your dog to stop them from chewing on furniture.

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