Understanding Your Pet's Chewing Issues
If you are beginning to feel
like an endangered species surrounded by the chewed up remnants of your
previous existence, fear not. First of all you are not alone. There
are dog owners like you suffering the same fate and having the same
problems getting their otherwise delightful pet to cease and desist from
devouring hearth and home. Not only that, but people, experienced dog
owner type people, have spent a great deal of time and energy on solving
the problem.
Your first step in the direction of rehabilitation is the
same as it is with any such process. You need to establish the exact
nature of the problem. If your pet is a newly acquired puppy then
rampant chewing goes with the territory. It is a natural response to
teething. If your pet is past puppy-hood and showing no sign of quitting or,
if your mature pet inexplicably begins chewing away at stuff, this is a
sign of a more serious problem that needs attention.
Pets of all kinds
can be divided into aggressive chewers and non-aggressive chewers.
Aggressive chewers annihilate what they chew and sometimes swallow the
pieces - often in one sitting. Non-aggressive chewers gnaw, play and
mouth toys without actually breaking them. Many theories attempt to
pinpoint certain dog breeds as most likely to chew aggressively but, the fact
is, it's more personality related than it is breed related.
If your
dearly beloved pet is still a puppy you will need to work out which
category of chewer he or she is as this is an important fact to take into
consideration when shopping from the broad range of dog toys available.
If your dog is an aggressive chewer you will need to buy dog toys that
are chewy and rubbery as well as super strong and durable. Because
aggressive chewers are inclined to bite and then swallow toys that are
brittle, they must be literally unbreakable. Some manufacturers actually
sell toys with an impressive 100% product replacement if the animal
manages to destroy it. Aggressive chewers need their own type of toy made
of tough rubber and rawhide. They need to be kept well clear of toys
that lesser chewers would be safe with.
Black Kongs are ideal for these
enthusiastic chewers, so are toys like the jumbo retriever rolls
otherwise known as 'chronic chew toys'. These are wound out of several feet
of rawhide compacted into one giant roll. Even the most vociferous of
chewing pets can do no better than wear away at the exterior leaving
the tightly wound core still intact. Pressed rawhide bone-shaped toys
are also good options for the aggressive chewer who must be protected
from his or her own capacity to reduce an innocent toy to sharp, dangerous
shards that may injure the pet's esophagus when swallowed.
If your
mature pet is chewing and she is past teething and puppy-hood then there
is a possibility that the chewing may be the symptom of a displaced
anxiety. Here's where you will need to play dog psychologist and spend
time with your pet to discern what is troubling him or her. Are you
spending enough time with your pet? Does he get enough attention? Exercise?
Has there been a recent disturbance in the household routine that the
pet may be responding to?
Your pet is a barometer for any stress or
disruption in the environment. Taking up chewing becomes a comforting
action for the disturbed dog. You will need to spend more supervised time
with your pet reeducating him or her on the rewarding consequences of
desirable behavior. Pets are very much like children in this way; they
will do anything to get attention even if it means demolishing the
surrounding environment. Don't be slow to enlist the aid of an expert when
tackling chronic chewing problems. A fresh and educated viewpoint may
save everyone a great deal of frustration.
Author:
Burke
Jones
