Dog Training Basics

Posts Tagged ‘dog boredom’

You may be pulling your hair out because your cute new puppy is chewing your house and possessions to bits. You may have now gathered that your little puppy can create a huge amount of damage, from scratching wooden floors and doors, to chewing your brand new pair of very expensive shoes. As with any negative behavior, there is always a reason for chewing.

It should be understood that chewing is a natural and healthy activity for puppies and shouldn’t be stopped. It is only when the chewing becomes destructive that it should be stopped. The aim of this article is to illustrate the main reasons for chewing, then to give you advice on how to end this.

There are many reasons why your puppy is chewing your house to shreds. The ones detailed below include teething, boredom and separation anxiety.

Teething
At about 3-4 weeks your puppy’s teeth start to emerge. By 16 weeks they will start to fall out when the first permanent teeth start to break through. When their gums are sore, they chew to ease them.

Boredom
Young puppies are quite likely to get bored quickly. They need an outlet for their energy such as exercise and mental stimulation. If left alone for too long, your puppy could easily become bored and will then turn to a destructive behavior such as chewing.

Stress and separation anxiety
Your puppy may start chewing in order to relieve his stress and separation anxiety especially if he is left alone too long.

Once you know what the reasons for your puppy’s destructive chewing, it will help you to take remedial action. Here are some tips to help you stop inappropriate chewing.

• Start by giving your puppy three or four toys. Make sure that they are different in texture, taste and shape and are sturdy so your puppy does not become bored too quickly.
• By playing regularly with your dog with the toys, they are more likely to play with them when left alone because of pleasant.
• Any items of value should be put out of reach. You can also discourage your puppy from chewing your furniture and other objects by spraying something like Listerine or other anti-chew deterrent. You puppy will not like the taste and will stop them from chewing.
• In the beginning it is important not to leave your puppy alone for extended periods of time. Start off with a short 10 minute period and gradually build up to longer absences.
• If you are away for a period of time or cannot watch your puppy, you could confine them either in a pen or crate.
• Always praise your puppy when you see him chewing appropriate items. This establishes the desired behavior through positive reinforcement. On the other hand if you see your puppy chew on something he shouldn’t, say something like “no” or “stop” in a stern voice. Consistently doing this will give a negative association.

Now that you understand the reasons for your puppy’s chewing, you should be able apply the necessary remedial course of action. It is very important to reward the desired behavior and to correctly teach your puppy what he is allowed to chew and what he is not allowed to chew.

Check out these links to read more about how to stop a puppy chewing, separation anxiety in puppies and boredom in dogs.

Ever get home after a long day at work to find your dog has been digging in your favorite flowerbed or chewed up the sofa?  If you’ve ever faced this situation, you definitely want to prevent it ever happening again.  One possible reason for this kind of behavior is separation anxiety, especially when a dog has been left alone for a long period.  However, it could also just be that the cause is simply just boredom.

Dogs need company and stimulation just as we humans do.  It shouldn’t, therefore, surprise you that your dog may get bored if left alone for a lengthy period of time.  If you don’t provide stimulation for your dog, he will find his own activities and these could involve chewing up your possession, digging up your garden, barking or whining constantly. 

Dogs should never be left alone for longer than four hours at most.  If because of your life circumstances or job, you can’t avoid leaving your dog alone for long periods, here are some tips:

•    Consider hiring someone to take your dog for walks.  Find a friend, neighbor or professional walker who can spend between 15-30 minutes a day with your puppy or dog.  Walks are a great activity for dogs. They stimulate him with all the fascinating sights and smells.  It’s fantastic exercise too

•    Being an only puppy or dog, like being an only child, can sometimes be lonely.  It could be well worth considering getting a second puppy or dog.

•    Create a specific place in your garden where your dog can ease his boredom.  You could create a dog sandpit where he can dig as much as he likes without ruining your lawn.  At the start it is vital to reward him repeatedly with a treat left in the sandpit so that this has positive associations.

•    Keep a variety of chews and toys for him changing the ones you give him daily to keep his interest high. Dispensing toys have a great interest for dogs when they are stuffed with treats as you can imagine. I would recommend that you try them. Also, make sure that you keep anything you do not want chewed out of reachI.

•    One way to keep up your dog’s interest is to hide treats around the house.  The treats should be placed to provide a bit of a challenge to your dog, but reasonably easy to access.  You could hide them under an upside-down bowl or Frisbee, or in an old sock.

I hope you find these recommendations helpful in dealing with boredom in dogs.  Obviously when you are with your dog, make sure that you take him out for regular walks and play games with him.  It is essential that you puppy dog is given the correct training.

Read more about separation anxiety in dogs and about dealing with emotional problems in dogs.