Why does my dog chew everything and how do I stop it?

Chewing is a completely normal dog behaviour — the problem is when it is directed at your furniture, shoes, or walls. Stopping destructive chewing requires understanding why it is happening.

Why dogs chew

- Teething — puppies chew extensively between 3 and 7 months as adult teeth come in. This is driven by gum discomfort and is normal.
- Boredom and under-stimulation — the most common cause in adult dogs. An under-exercised, under-enriched dog will find its own entertainment.
- Anxiety — dogs with separation anxiety or generalised anxiety often chew as a coping mechanism. Chewing releases endorphins.
- Exploratory behaviour — especially in young dogs or dogs new to an environment.
- Attention-seeking — if chewing has historically resulted in the owner rushing over (even to scold), the dog may chew to trigger an interaction.

Management: set the dog up to succeed

- Puppy-proof your space — remove access to anything you do not want destroyed. Baby gates, crates, and exercise pens limit the dog's environment when unsupervised.
- Crate training — a properly crate-trained dog sees the crate as a safe den, not a punishment. Introduce it positively and use it when you cannot supervise directly.
- Bitter apple spray — applied to furniture legs, cables, and other targets. Effective for most dogs; test on a small area first.

Provide appropriate outlets

- Appropriate chew toys — different textures for different preferences: rubber (Kongs, Nylabone), rope toys, antlers, bully sticks. Rotate toys to maintain novelty.
- Food puzzle toys — Kongs stuffed and frozen, Licki Mats, snuffle mats. These keep the dog mentally occupied.
- Increase exercise — a dog that has had a proper physical outlet is far less likely to chew out of frustration.

What not to do

Never punish after the fact — the dog cannot connect a punishment 10 minutes after chewing to the act of chewing. Punishment must be immediate to be relevant, and even then it teaches fear, not what to chew instead.

Flovvi tip

Log which items are being chewed and when in Flovvi — if chewing only happens when alone, separation anxiety may be the primary cause and needs a different treatment approach.