Chewing is normal dog behavior. It helps dogs explore, play, settle, and spend time with an object. The problem is usually not that a dog chews; it is that the chosen item is unsafe, valuable, or difficult for the household to live with. A useful plan combines prevention, appropriate outlets, and clues about why the chewing is happening.
Make the wrong choice harder
Put shoes, children’s toys, remote controls, food, medication, cords, and other tempting items out of reach. Use gates or a safe room when you cannot supervise. Keep laundry in a closed hamper and check that bins, plants, and small objects cannot be reached by a curious dog.
Management needs to match the dog in front of you. A young puppy may need a smaller, carefully puppy-proofed area than an adult dog. A dog who has swallowed objects needs tighter supervision and a conversation with a veterinarian, not just a larger basket of toys.
Build a useful chew menu
Offer several safe options with different textures and levels of difficulty. Some dogs prefer a rubber food toy, while others enjoy a supervised chew or a toy that can be carried and tugged. Rotate options so they stay interesting, and check each item often for cracks, loose pieces, sharp edges, or a size that could be swallowed.
Do not assume that every hard chew is safe for every dog. The ASPCA advises guardians to supervise dogs with chews and to contact a veterinarian if a dog consumes a piece of chew material. Choose products that match your dog’s size, chewing style, health, and the instructions from your veterinary team.
When your dog chooses an appropriate item, quietly praise the choice or add a small reward. If they have something unsafe, trade for a better option rather than grabbing or chasing. A calm exchange helps the dog learn that giving up an object does not always mean losing everything.
Add movement, sniffing, and rest
Chewing can increase when a dog is bored, frustrated, over-excited, or too tired to make a good choice. Add short sniffing walks, food searches, simple training, play, and quiet rest to the day. Puppies often need more sleep and closer supervision than their energy suggests.
Look for the time and context. Does the chewing begin after a long nap, during a busy evening, when the dog is left alone, or after a change in the household? Adjust one part of the routine and observe what changes. A dog who chews only when alone may need an assessment for separation distress rather than a stronger chew toy.
Reward small alternatives: settling on a mat, carrying a toy, looking at you, or moving away from a forbidden item. Practice these choices when the home is calm so the dog has a behavior to use before the next tempting moment.
Avoid punishment after the fact
Dogs do not connect a delayed scolding with an object they chewed earlier. Yelling, hitting, or forcing a dog toward the damaged item can create fear without teaching what is safe to chew. Interrupt only when you can do so calmly, offer a trade, and change the environment so the same setup is less likely to happen again.
If a dog guards a stolen item, freezes, growls, or snaps, do not test them or take the item by force. Move people and other animals away, use distance, and contact a qualified reward-based behavior professional. Safety matters more than recovering a household object immediately.
When chewing needs veterinary support
Contact a veterinarian if chewing is sudden, intense, focused on non-food objects, accompanied by drooling or mouth pain, or followed by vomiting, choking, constipation, lethargy, or a change in appetite. Eating fabric, batteries, medication, sharp objects, or pieces of a toy can be urgent.
Ask for behavior help if the chewing happens mainly during absences, involves escape attempts, or continues despite realistic management and enrichment. A professional can help separate normal exploration from anxiety, compulsive behavior, medical discomfort, or a dangerous pattern.
Common questions
Should I spray a bitter product on furniture?
It may help some households as a temporary management aid, but it does not teach a dog what to choose instead. Check that any product is appropriate for the surface and the dog, then combine it with access control and rewarding safe chewing.
Is crate time a solution for chewing?
A crate can be part of a safe rest plan when introduced gradually and used for a length of time the dog can manage. It should not be used as punishment or as a way to ignore panic, and it is not a substitute for exercise, enrichment, or supervision.
Will exercise stop destructive chewing?
Appropriate activity may help, but more intensity is not always better. Combine movement with sniffing, learning, chewing, social contact, and enough sleep. If the behavior is linked to fear or separation distress, address that cause directly.
Sources & further reading
Use these references to explore the topic in more depth. Links open the original publisher’s site.
- Destructive ChewingASPCA
- Position Statement on Dog Chews and TreatsASPCA
- Position Statements and Handouts for the PublicAmerican Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior