Inappropriate chewing is a very common problem but also a natural behaviour. In his excellent book “Before & After Getting your Puppy” by Dr. Ian Dunbar, he advocates that all puppies should become ‘chewaholics’! I certainly agree with him and have used this method on countless occasions, both with my own and client’s puppies and adult dogs, and have never been disappointed. Basically we are giving the dog only ‘legal’ chewable toys and making this his favourite habit. It allows a dog to settle quietly, chewing helps to de-stress, exercises jaws and teeth and is excellent for a teething puppy.
When working with a dog that is exhibiting problems such as destructive behaviour, one of the causes may be sheer boredom. By giving the dog interesting, legal objects to chew on we can help to alleviate the boredom and stress.
It is not necessary to spend a fortune on expensive chew toys, you can make your own, by filling a hollow object (such as a marrow bone or Kong) with dog food that has been soaked overnight in order that it expands and the appearance is mushy. Smear honey around the inside of the marrow bone or Kong. The honey acts as an antibacterial agent then seal the top with a biscuit and leave the dog to chew to his hearts content. After your dog gets the hang of chewing at this you can freeze it making another 'Kongsicle- as called by Dr. I Dunbar', which will help with teething. Another favourite is to take a 500ml empty water bottle. Boil the kettle, measure out 450ml and to this add a teaspoon of either Bovril or Marmite. Allow to cool, pop several small treats or pieces of dog food in the empty bottle and then add the cooled mixture and freeze. Initially you may have to cut the bottle in half till your dog gets the hang of it. This is excellent for sore teething gums but it is recommended that it is given outside! Simply pick up and throw away the chewed plastic before the dog ingests it. Other toys which make excellent chew toys are hooves. Not all vets are in favour of these as, with all chew toys, there is the danger of them being ingested. Keeping an eye on what your dog is chewing and how chewed the object is - taking it away before it can become dangerous will go a long way to avoiding problems. Another way to make a hoof more appealing is to smear the inside of it with organic peanut butter (always use organic as peanut butter in large amounts can be toxic to dogs), stick a piece of biltong right in the bottom, really jammed in, and the dog will have great fun trying to get it out. Nearly all stuffed chewies can be frozen, turning them into ‘kongsicles’! Another favourite is a large raw ox femur which you can get from the butcher. The bigger the bone the better as small bones can be extremely dangerous due to splintering. Avoid cooked bones as they tend to break and splinter much easier. I personally use this as the training bone for when a dog is being left alone outside at training times. The joy the dog has when he sees it returning is lovely and he can’t wait to get into the garden to get at his favourite bone!
Many of the pet shops have excellent chew toys available as well as toys that can be pushed around the garden and pieces of food fall out. If you are going to be out on a regular basis, this is an excellent toy to leave for your dog, simply put his breakfast or lunch in it and he will spend quality time pushing it around to get at the food. With all toys, it is a good idea to have several different ones and rotate them, that way your dog will never get bored with the same one.
Care must be taken if there is more than one dog and if this is the case please speak to me so I can advise you accordingly what to do.
Take care when you buy toys from the pet shops. Although many of these are excellent, some contain small pieces such as squeaky toys which can cause choking and should only be given under supervision. Use your discretion and common sense when buying them.
Always make sure that toys are 'puppy safe'