Have you got an unruly dog who needs to go back to basics? Or a well-behaved dog who'd like to learn some new tricks? We’ve got expert tips and videos to help with your training sessions.
Stop your dog or puppy chewing your stuff
Because dogs have an extra sensory organ in their muzzles, they get tremendous pleasure from chewing. They chew when they’re teething, to settle adult teeth or just to explore their surroundings. So if you don’t want your dog to chew things around the house, it’s important to set boundaries.
Chewing is a normal, healthy puppy activity, especially when they need to ease the pain of teething. Use chew toys suitable for your puppy’s age and size to distract them from gnawing your furniture.
Some dogs chew more when they’re anxious – especially if they suffer from separation anxiety. You can use toys that have food hidden inside to distract your puppy and help with separation anxiety when you go out.
Unfortunately, most dogs prefer to chew things that smell of you, like shoes, socks, gloves and even chairs! To teach your dog the difference between shoes and chews, supply plenty of chew toys with different textures and shapes. Then let your dog know what belongs to them (and what belongs to you) by giving lots of praise every time they make the right choice.
If your dog still seems to prefer your shoes to their chews, you could try leaving the chew in your shoe overnight. In the morning, the chew should smell more attractive to your dog - strange, but true!
