Help – my dog’s chewed up the sofa

Doesn’t he look innocent!   Jack Spratt has his destructive moments though, not quite all of the sofa but the edges certainly and, if he can get to them, he loves nibbling on the cushions.  It’s not a puppy thing either because our Spratt is nearly seven years old.   He still loves to destroy a dog bed especially if it’s brand new and a particularly nice or expensive one.   We get calls most weeks telling us horror stories about ruined kitchens, ripped up flooring, shredded car seats.   It’s obvious that a lot of our stray dogs have been thrown out because they are so destructive.    So what can we do to stop them?   After all, if they didn’t wreck the joint they would still be at home sweet home.    The short answer is that you can’t stop a dog chewing things up.  It’s what dogs do.   They like to chew and gnaw at pieces of almost anything – it used to be animals they’d caught, now it’s more likely to be the remote control or your best loved trainers.   There are a minority of dogs who never chew anything, even as a puppy they are not really interested.  Most other dogs cause mayhem through the growing up stages and never quite lose the desire to chomp away at things they shouldn’t ever consider licking.

It’s expensive, upsetting and downright anti-social behaviour but this in our eyes only.   What dog sees anything wrong in chewing?   They must think we’re mad for telling them off for doing something that, for them, is so natural and satisfying.  Why do dogs chew?  Many reasons – it may be boredom – it gives them something to do – I’ll just trim the cover of this library book.   It’s a satisfying feeling to gnaw on a piece of wood (my 18th century bookcase you crazy dog!).   It’s even nicer to shred a cushion – watch that foam fly! These shoes smell of my special person –  I‘ll rip them up before I bury them.   Plastic makes such a good crunch – another remote control gone. Mobile phones are even better – aaargh! my new Blackberry. One of our Miss Whippets once destroyed a guaranteed indestructible dog bed.  I had to send it back to the makers before they believed me.    Dogs have 42 teeth in their mouths and they are extremely powerful.

What can we do about it and how can we live with a destructive dog?    A firm ‘no’ is the response if they are caught in the act but the only thing that works is prevention.   First try and find out why your dog is chewing.   If it’s because he hasn’t enough to do then exercise will help.   If he’s tired when he comes in he won’t want to chew anything, he’ll want to sleep.    Your dog just might like the lovely feel of exercising his jaws and gnawing on a tough object.    Fine, get him a big meaty bone, and another and another.   You’ll need to cultivate an old fashioned butcher and beg or buy the knuckle bones.   They are messy to feed in the house, outside is fine or put a sheet down in your dog’s den or indoor crate and put his bone in there.  You need to make it a matter of routine, he’ll get used to going in for a chew and it will take his mind off the rest of the house.     I don’t advocate shutting dogs in crates, it’s stressful and they hate it.   How would you like to be behind bars?    But an open door crate, with a blanket draped over the top and a nice comfy bed, lots of toys, bones, chew sticks – well, this is a den and can be your dog’s special relax and recreation place.

Keep everything out of the way, when you lose something extra special and valuable, you’ll probably do this anyway.   Try feeding your dog differently, after all, soft canned mush is for sissies.   Dogs are meant to be hunters and chase and kill their prey and tear it apart….. alright, that’s going too far but you could offer strips of raw meat instead.    This cured one of the most persistent chewers we’ve ever had here.   I tried  all sorts of things but it was breast of lamb that made the breakthrough.   I discovered that this Alsatian wanted to eat like a proper dog and sit with meat in her paws while she gnawed and chewed at it.   She never destroyed anything again.  You can buy breast of lamb from the butchers in most markets and it’s a lot cheaper than the little slices you get prepacked in supermarkets.   We feed it raw, it takes quite a while for most dogs to get through a chunk and they love it.

It’s possible to buy anti-chew strips and stick them on corners of furniture and things you don’t want to come under attack.   Corners of rugs are popular too.   You don’t have to buy any special gizmo though, just paint something hot or spicy on the items you are protecting.   Your dog will hate the scent and the taste and will stay away.   Bitter aloes is one, mustard is another, tea tree oil, vinegar, pine oil, orange or lemon oil – test a small area first and make sure it won’t cause damage or discolouration.    Spraying a bit of lavender or herbal essence in your shoes makes them smell nice and will usually discourage a dog from chewing – the scents we like are not what your pet likes – smelly feet – mmmm!