My dog bites the furniture: what should I do? It is a situation that responds to many circumstances and requires commitment on the part of the person to find a solution to the problem. For this, it is important to recognize and identify the causes that are causing the dog to chew on furniture, and to apply strategies that will benefit everyone in the household in the long run.
One of the biggest fears of those who decide to share their life with a dog is to find their house upside down, and their furniture completely destroyed along with it. Biting furniture is one of the characteristics associated with dogs, and a behavior that many owners do not usually delve into, leading in many cases to sad outcomes for the animal.
Why does my dog chew the furniture?
The key point to solving this behavior is to find out why your pet is doing it in the first place. Biting and licking objects is a natural part of dogs, one of their ways of getting to know the world and releasing tension. However, chewing on furniture and other household objects can have a greater meaning than simple pleasure.
In puppies, chewing on everything around them is often due to their exploratory stage and teething, the latter of which forces them to seek desperate relief, which they get by chewing on objects, including socks. In these cases this behavior disappears with time, especially if the dog is properly trained.
When it comes to adult dogs, this situation becomes even more worrisome, as it is a clear indication that the animal is suffering from some kind of problem, physical or mental, which is being externalized through biting. The most common causes in adult dogs are lack of training in puppyhood, lack of physical activity, boredom, stress and anxiety, food deficits and excess energy or hyperactivity.
How should I approach the problem?
In order to stop the dog, puppy or adult, from biting everything within its reach, risking its health, it is necessary to follow the following steps:
- Identifying the cause: what triggers the behavior in the dog is the key to finding and applying the solution. Depending on the cause, the dog may need help from a professional or may only require minor modifications in its routine.
- Modify the routine: this problem usually develops when the dog lacks toys and activities that help redirect its energies, in addition to not having an adequate means to practice biting when necessary. Adding walks of at least ten minutes a day, daily play sessions, chewing and Kong toys are essential to prevent the dog from chewing furniture.
- Readjusting the home: it takes time to redirect the dog’s attention to the new activities and toys in his life instead of the furniture, so it is necessary for the person to take precautions, for the sake of his pet and the furniture. Live objects and anything breakable should be kept out of reach, while furniture such as sofas need to be protected with special covers. And although it is not entirely recommended due to its level of effectiveness, a person can use scent sprays to discourage the dog from biting.
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