Dogs use their mouths like people use our hands. That means nearly everything goes into the puppy’s mouth as he explores the world, and teething pups chew to relieve the discomfort. Dogs never outgrow the gnawing habit, though, and that can get them in trouble.

Many years ago, our first dog loved to hide in my closet and sleep among my shoes. He gnawed off the high heel on one out of each pair of my favorite dress shoes. He also destroyed two television remotes. And Bravo-Dawg routinely stole my husband’s socks (the dirty ones) and gnawed them to pieces–and sometimes swallowed them, yikes!

Smells Like You!

Bored, lonely, and stressed dogs chew more, because it helps relieve tension and pass the time. When a dog has a strong bond with a person, your scent also helps calm down the stress. After all, a dog experiences much of the world through scent, so a calming pleasant scent reminds him of safety, and can be a great comfort.

That’s why our first dog preferred to sleep in our closet where clothes and shoes held strong scent-reminders of me. He also found my husband’s scent-permeated items attractive—the TV remote (heaven knows I never got to handle that!), and repeatedly chewed them up. Dirty laundry, especially socks and underwear, has your personal signature scent all over it, and can prove irresistible to dogs.

These Are A Few Of Your Favorite Things…

Just like the song in SOUND OF MUSIC says, make a list of your favorite things. Think about the items you handle the most. These likely are also very important to you, or they wouldn’t be in contact with you so much. Items that also easily fit into a dog’s mouth with a satisfying CRUNCH mouthfeel, and are accessible to your dog, may be targeted. Wallets, cell phones, tablets, purses and laptop bags all come to mind.

Those chew marks are a back handed compliment, though. If your dog didn’t care about you so much, he’d ignore such things. Chew-aholics need help, and the key for eliminating the problem is reducing your dog’s opportunities to chew illegal items.

Reduce Chew Risk

Once you’ve made a list of tempting objects, and make sure they’re out of reach. Chew-alic dogs force us to be better housekeepers and keep things picked up. So pick up dirty laundry, or keep shoes behind latched doors, for example.

When you can’t supervise, confine chewers in an area they can’t damage property. I had nobody to blame but myself by allowing our first dog to sleep in the closet among my shoes! A crate, filled with legal chewies with treats inside, can be a wonderful and safe place for dogs to spend alone time.

Offer at least three to five “legal” chew options for your dog and rotate a couple of times a week. That keeps your pet happy, and your favorite property safe from his teeth. Puzzle toys like a Kong filled with yummy treats keep mouths busy and away from dangerous or valuable items.

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Stay up to date with the latest book giveaways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!  Amy Shojai, CABC is a certified cat & dog behavior consultant, a consultant to the pet industry, and the award-winning author of 35+ pet-centric books and Thrillers with Bite! Oh, and she loves bling!