The first step in stopping your best friend from chewing on everything is to understand that dogs are natural chewers and, as such, need to be provided with toys or other 'chew-ables' that are allowed and suited for a dogs natural chewing desire. Most dogs will prefer to chew on their 'toys' rather than furniture or other household objects if properly introduced and later directed to the toys or 'chew-ables'. There are many dog owners who have few, if any, problems with their dogs chewing habits due to the fact they have provided proper chewing items for their dog from the start. After a destructive chewing problem has begun or has become ongoing, it may be a little tougher and require a bit more work on the owners part in order to stop the negative behavior.
The second step involved to remedy a chewing problem is to obtain a variety of dog toys or other chew-ables, such as stuffed or plush toys, rubber or plastic toys (i.e. squeaky toys) as well as some edible treat type chew-ables (i.e. nylabones, raw-hides, etc.). Providing a variety of the different types of toys is very important because, like a human child, a dog can become easily bored when given only one type of toy. They really need to have a selection of hard, soft and edible items to chew on. The variation of hard and soft coupled with the different textures of the toys/chew-ables will better enable your dogs' chewing habits to be satisfied, therefore he/she will have no need or want to chew on forbidden household objects.
The next step is to introduce your dog to the different types of toys/chew-ables. This is best done through play. Show your dog the new items and allow him/her adequate time to investigate and sniff the new toys. Then entice your dog to play with the toys. Anytime your dog sniffs, licks or puts his/her mouth on the toys praise him/her immediately through verbal (i.e. good boy, good dog, etc.) as well as positive physical (i.e. petting, scratching ears/chest, etc.) methods. Repeat this process over and over on a daily basis so that your dog becomes happy to play with and chew on his/her toys. Remember that most training is a result of repetition and patience.
Once your dog has become comfortable with the new chewing items, you can use them to further the training. Every time that you see your dog chew on a forbidden object such as a table leg, use the dogs name followed by a sharp, quick 'NO!' Usually, with the majority of dogs, sharp, quick verbal reprimands are more than enough to get the dogs attention and allow him/her to understand your displeasure with the actions he/she has just committed. Negative physical punishment (i.e. hitting, spanking, etc.) is not necessary as most dogs cannot understand the connection between physical punishment and the act they committed prior to said punishment. The scenario would occur as follows: *You walk into the dining room just in time to witness 'Barkley' chewing away on the dining room table leg. Immediately say, in a sharp quick exclamation, "Barkley, No!" Follow this verbal reprimand by showing and then giving a favorite toy to Barkley, enticing him/her to chew on or play with the toy. At the first sign of Barkley showing interest in the toy immediately congratulate him/her with verbal and positive physical praise. Continue to play with Barkley and his/her toy. Barkley's attention should remain on the toy. If Barkley checks the toy out but then chooses instead to continue chewing on the table leg repeat the process starting with "Barkley, No!".
If you don't witness the actual chewing, it will do little good to reprimand your dog. Dogs have fairly short term memories. If they chew on a forbidden object at 10a.m. they are not going to remember partaking in that activity at, say, 12noon. Let's say that you come home and enter the house to find evidence that a forbidden object has been chewed but at the moment Barkley is just happy your home and happens to be nowhere near the 'crime scene'. It will do little good to tell Barkley 'no' or that he/she is a 'bad dog' because Barkley does not remember chewing and therefore the two events (chewing and then being reprimanded) are not able to connect within the dogs mind.
Also, note that many dog owners implement the use of a crate for their dog while the are away from home. A dog crate can be a very useful tool for the dog and the dog owner alike. Crating your dog can be coupled with other training to provide better results by allowing the dog a safe quiet place to 'just be' and to control any negative behavior (chewing) the dog is exhibiting. Further reading should be done by the dog owner on proper crate training. Some basic facts about crate training are: *your dog should be happy going into his/her crate, *your dog should be comfortable with and feel safe in his/her crate, *you should never use the crate as a means of punishment for your dog (you don't want your dogs 'safe place' to become the 'bad place'/ Also, in a dogs mind, punishment is not connected to whatever he/she did wrong). Research crate training for more detailed training tips and instructions.
The tips and training suggestions in this article, while usually very productive in most average companion pet dogs, may not be everything an owner needs to cure destructive chewing in dogs that may have an underlying behavior problems. Behavior problems can include obsessive/compulsive disorders, separation anxiety, and more. In those special cases more research and learning must be sought by the owner in regards to advanced training, behavior problem solutions and desensitization training.