A dog can have very powerful jaw muscles, normally intended for chewing through bones. Wouldn't it be nice if that's all your dog did chew?
One of the most common types of bad behavior from dogs is when they chew on something that they shouldn't.
The tendency to chew will vary form dog to dog and breed to breed. The need to chew things usually starts of when the dog is a puppy. Most dogs grow out of this but some take the chewing habit into adulthood.
The first thing to remember when trying to stop your dog from chewing is that prevention is much better than cure. Try to keep children's toys separate from the dogs. Also keep shoes and socks etc. away from where the dog can reach them.
Whether indoors or outdoors, keep plenty of attractive toys available for your dog. Rawhide bones are quite attractive to dogs although some dogs will prefer rubber or plastic toys. Find out what your dog prefers. Real bones should be avoided apart from maybe larger beef bones. Pork and chicken bones can easily choke a dog or lodge in its throat.
A great way to keep your dog occupied and distracted from chewing your things is to get them a toy with a hollow center. You can put a treat in the centre of the toy. That way your dog will have to work at getting to the treat. This will keep them occupied AND distracted. Exactly what you need when you dog is thinking about what to chew next.
Additionally, you can take some pro-active actions and train your dog how not to chew your things. Once a day, take an item that you do not want the dog to chew. Let's say a shoe of yours. Present the item to your dog. If your dog moves towards the item or attempts to bite it give a loud and firm 'NO'. You may want to lightly tap your dog on the snout to reinforce the action. Nothing too physical or aggressive, just enough to get the point across.
If your dog tends to chew things in the garden such as your plants or fences etc, there are some good commercial preparations designed to keep your dog from chewing. Smearing these over items the dog likes chewing should discourage the action almost immediately.
Unfortunately, you will never completely remove the desire to chew things from your dog. Redirecting that desire is the best option and teaching your dog what is acceptable and what isn't. This process may take a while but never looses patience and never assume your dog knows best. You will need to train him.
