How To Get a Dog to STOP Chewing Wood?

Chewing and biting are one of the most common behaviors of dogs that sometimes costs owners some bucks. These man best friend pets chewing on wooden furniture is a problem and nuisance for many dog lovers. So, not paying attention for just a moment to your dog may cause a disaster to the furniture and other wooden items in the house. 

Wood biting can also cause harm to your dog’s health that will start on the gums with splinters caused by small pieces or shards.

It is essential to understand and know the reason why dogs chew on wood to prevent this!

Understanding the Reasons Why Dogs Chew Wood

During the early months of your puppies, they tend to bring problems to your house items by biting and chewing on furniture or shoes. It is expected since chewing helps puppies with any discomfort and relieves their pain due to growing teeth. But why do adult dogs still have this behavior? 

Depending on the breed, for instance, hunting dogs have their instinct to explore anything with their mouth.

But to help stop dogs from chewing on wood, it is beneficial to understand why they do it, and only then can you prevent it. 

There are several possible causes for this behavior, such as:

• Need for Mental Stimulants – Dogs get bored in no time, then seek out other things to do. Because they develop the habit of chewing while growing and thinking it’s fun, chewing is one of the best mental stimulants for dogs. 

• Separation Anxiety – Some older dogs tend to get stressed when left alone for a while longer than planned. They then have this destructive behavior, and chewing is the best resort to channel their stored energy. Their brain will tell them to ‘be disastrous!’.

• Teething – When teething, it is common to chew on wood or any things that seem enticing to their sore gums. This is to ease discomfort and pain because of their growing teeth.

• Curiosity – It is natural to chew and bite everything that looks attractive. Dogs want to explore everything, often by using their mouths. But this also means that their brain is working, which is a good thing, and they are socially healthy.

Understanding the root cause is essential to solving this problem to keep your beloved pets safe. You can also take time to apply these steps, providing more mental stimulation through interactive toys. Another is to provide a safe chew toy that satisfies their need for chewing without damaging your furniture.

Then, provide a safe alternative, a chew toy or a rawhide chew. 

Continuing reading below, doing the 5 quick tips on how to get a dog to stop chewing wood is one great solution.

5 Quick Tips for Dogs to Stop Chewing on Wood

Training how to get a dog to stop chewing wood is a challenging task. However, with such care, patience, and consistency, you can teach your dogs to stop this destructive behavior. Here are some tips that will help in training your beloved pets:

1. Provide Appropriate Chew Toys

Make sure to provide appropriate chew toys for them to munch on. Giving them something else to chew. Like different toys, let them choose their favorite one instead of wood.

This will help them learn to chew on toys rather than wood until they are used to not seeing wood.

2. Supervise Playtime

Always supervise playtime, and you must take extra precautions for the dogs to not have access to wooden furniture. Or any objects where they could potentially chew on. You could also clear your yard where your dog is free to roam, it’s better if the place is clear with wood.

Instead of some wood, scatter toys are like their favorite plaything.

3. Redirect Their Attention

If you catch them chewing on something that is not allowed, redirect their attention by offering them a toy or treats instead of scolding them for it. It is also good to try to distract them by calling or throwing the toy and then asking them to retrieve it in exchange for a reward.

4. Use Positive Reinforcement

Praising and rewarding the dogs when they do something right instead of punishing them for wrong behavior. This will only create further confusion and frustration. Your dog has sharp teeth, so you must check to keep them apart by giving them toys to play with.

This will also reduce the risk of your pets accidentally biting us in some instances.

5. Patience is Key

Your pups and dogs do not start as perfect learners, but with your patience and care, you are growing them into smart and behaved dogs!

Understanding the Benefits of Rewards-Based Training for Chewing Prevention

Rewards-based training is also a great way to teach your dog not to chew on furniture, shoes, or other items at home. When your dogs are trained, they will know what is allowed and not appropriate. 

Talking with your dog when petting them if they have done a great job makes them feel they did well and will feel loved. This is the same as telling them a firm ‘no’ when they are doing inappropriate actions.

But by providing rewards when your dog chews appropriate items like toys, as owners, you can help your pets learn that chewing the wrong things will not lead to getting a reward. With consistent practice and patience, rewards-based training is an effective way to teach dogs how to stop unwanted chewing habits.

I prefer this training, sometimes called positive reinforcement training. As a dog lover, I am not a fan of violence or using a negative method to train dogs. 

The Best Toys & Treats That Can Help to Stop Dogs from Chewing Wood

Dog chewing is a nuisance for most pet owners. It is frustrating to find the toys and treats that will keep the dogs from destroying furniture and other items. Fortunately, plenty of toys and treats are available out there that can help to stop them from chewing wood. 

From interactive puzzle toys to edible chews, these products provide an enjoyable distraction while also helping to satisfy a dog’s instinct to chew. With the selection of toys and treats, dogs will keep away from that expensive furniture in no time!

Give More Attention to Help them Stop Chewing Wood

One factor is that your dog chews on everything because they lack attention or want their owners to pay attention to them. For dogs, negative attention is also an attention to them. They might purposely chew on wood because they know that you will stop them and that will give them attention.

Giving more of your attention to your pets and giving them more love will make them behave better. 

It is always good to play with them when there is more activity between your pets. This is also a form of exercise when playing, walking, and running with your pets. Other than that, the bond between the dog and the owner is tighter than before.

And, showing your dogs more affection and love by petting them is a way to have more interactions to lessen any feelings of anxiety.

Conclusion

The dogs are natural explorers, they will try to use their mouths as often as possible. Chewing on almost everything is very common, and wood is one of the favorites, which is also unhealthy. Therefore, to solve how to get a dog to stop chewing wood one great way is to understand the reasons for this behavior. 

The 5 quick tips for dogs to stop chewing mentioned are a good start for prevention. Then adding positive reinforcement training to your dog’s daily life will help them behave well. You can give them more toys, different kinds will help them not to get tired of their plaything. 

As time went on you can see more appropriate behavior in your dogs. If you also give them more attention, care, and love. Your bond with your pets will not only get better but will make them healthier, physically, and mentally.