How do you stop a pup from chewing things in house?
when you are gone put the dog inside a kennel so they don't chew anything up in the housedog trainingWhether the dog is a puppy that is teething or an older dog that is just bored, the answer is the same. The only difference between the two is something I call the Crate training tool. If your dog is a puppy, you really need to crate-train him. This is especially true if you leave your dog indoors while you are out. Go to the pet store and purchase a crate that will still fit him when he is fully grown. By "fit" I mean that he will be able to enter and exit it without having to hunker down alot when going in or coming out. Put the crate in an area that you can leave it and not consider it too much of an eyesore. (if you want, you can place a throw over it or a lamp if it's big enough, whatever) It is important that you try to leave it in the same place so the dog will have his own area to feel secure. Be sure not to totally isolate the dog from everything though as this may be stressful on him wanting to see the things he hears when he is inside it. Dogs are naturally denning animals and the transition to the crate is very natural for them. Begin by placing a treat in the crate and leading him inside, then close and lock the gate. Praise him and then do something around the house letting him see you and hear you while he is inside the crate. After you are done let him out and praise him again. The idea is to get him used to feeling secure in the crate for longer periods of time. When you can leave him in the crate while you are out, leave him something to chew on. The best all around chew toys are called Kongs. These are hard rubber toys of variable shapes and sizes with a hoolow center. Put treats or even peanut butter inside them when you go out and he will spend all day trying to get every last molecule out of them. When you come home, immediately let him out and outside to potty. You don't have to keep him crated when you can watch him, only when you leave. ***NEVER MAKE GOING TO THE CRATE A PUNISHMENT!*** If you keep from doing this you will find that he will even go to the crate at night to sleep, or when you are home, but busy with other things around the house. Above all, exercise is also very important to dogs and will keep them from going stir crazy in an inside-environment.This same traing will work with older dogs, but be awre that they can be harder to acquaint to crate training. Any othe info? Study crate traing on the web, or ask your vet or even someone at a local pet store. I have had pit bulls, boxers, Boston terriers, bull mastiffs so I know this works. If you are hung up on thinking this is cruel then think about this...Your dog has a single life-long goal----to make you happy and please you. If you aren't constantly scolding him for chewing up everything, and instead giving him a secure place to stay while your out while at the same time reassuring yourself that he's not dragging the ficus tree around the living room while you're at work, don't you think he will be happier? You will be too. Good luck!
