Believe it or not, dogs are capable of chewing on anything that is made of wood. In fact, I even had a uncle who told me that at least one of his two dogs tried to do just that. We may not realize it, but there are many things that are made of wood like desks, dining tables, coffee tables, drawers, and chairs. These kinds of furniture are common within homes.
So, it is likely that you have at least a few things that are made of wood at your home. Even though chewing on wood doesn’t look exactly the same as chewing on a couch or a pair of shoes, it can still be ruinous to a furniture made of wood. So, there is a good reason for you to be concerned about the potential for your dog to chew on wood. So, you will want to find ways that you can go about how to stop a dog from chewing on wood. Here are the ways you can do that.
How To Stop A Dog From Chewing On Wood In Six Ways
1. Give Your Dog Something Else To Do
Does your dog have anything to do at all? If not, that will raise the likelihood that your dog will chew on a piece of wood as that would be better than doing nothing at all.
One thing that you can do to keep your dog occupied is to provide him/her with a chewy toy. Kongs are by far the best chewy toys because they are designed to take a long time before your dog finishes chewing them.
That will help to keep your dog busy and keep his/her mind off even the temptation to chew on your wooden furniture. Kongs can also be filled with tasty treats as a reward for your dog for completing the chewing.
I would suggest that you order the Canine Carry Outs Dog Treats as it offers different kinds of treats for you to choose from like bacon and cheese, chicken, and hot dog. Kongs come in three different sizes. So, just pick the size that is best suited to your dog.
Dogs also love to play with balls. So, it would be helpful for your dog if you have a couple of balls that he/she can play with in a spacious area inside your home. If you don’t have any balls at home, the Jolly Pets Bounce-n-Play Dog Toy Ball is a great option.
2. Spend Time With Your Dog
If your dog is feeling alone at home, chewing on wood is one way that he/she will try and get your attention. So, you will want to make sure that you are spending quality time with your dog, especially if you are usually away from home during the day.
That will give your dog company and help you to bond with your dog better. So, don’t just allow your dog to play around with balls.
Get yourself in on the fun of pushing the balls around with your dog. Playing a game of frisbee is another fun way to spend time with your dog, especially on a nice day. You can order the Hyper Pet Flippy Flopper Dog Frisbee.
Those frisbees are soft which is ideal because you don’t want to risk injuring your dog’s teeth when throwing a frisbee to your dog.
3. Exercise Your Dog
Exercising is not only good for your dog’s health, but also, dogs who are active and well exercised tend to be better behaved which will greatly reduce the chances of your wood being chewed on.
So, give your dog an opportunity to exercise each and every day. In the previous section of this post, I mentioned about playing a game of frisbee with your dog.
It is not only a fun way to spend time with your dog, but also a great way for him/her to get some exercise since he/she will be constantly running around in order to catch the frisbee that you throw in the air across the playing area.
If your dog doesn’t know how to catch a frisbee, you can teach him/her how to do that. You can also take your dog out for a good long walk around your neighborhood, provided that he/she is already trained not to pull on your leash during walks.
4. Spray Tasting Deterrent On Wood
If your wood tastes so good to your dog, why wouldn’t he/she want to chew on it? In order to greatly reduce the chances of that happening, you will want to make sure that your wood sucks when your dog tastes it.
The way to do that is to spray what is known as a tasting deterrent on the wooden furniture. If you aren’t sure which tasting deterrent to get, I would recommend that you order the Grannicks Bitter Apple Taste Deterrent as it is the most well known option out there.
5. Gate Your Dog
You may want to consider identifying a room in your home that is devoid of any wooden furniture so that you can keep your dog there while you are gone during the day. Make sure that you completely shut the door in order to prevent your dog from leaving the designated room.
If the room that you have designated for keeping your dog lacks a door, you will want to install a baby gate in order to block your dog from leaving the room. If you don’t have a baby gate, the Cumbor 51.6-inch Baby Gate should do it.
6. Tell Your Dog No
Whenever you catch your dog in the action of chewing on your wood, you will want to tell your dog to stop by saying the word “no.” You can use a firm voice, but be careful that you don’t yell at your dog if he/she chews on the wood.
After using the “no” word, immediately use a treat, like the one I mentioned early on in this post, as a lure to draw your dog away from the wooden furniture. If the wood chewing behavior stops, go ahead and reward your dog with the treat.
There You Have It For How To Stop A Dog From Chewing On Wood
These are the ways for you to use for how to stop a dog from chewing on wood. What are your thoughts? Has your dog ever chewed on a piece of your wood? Feel free to leave a comment below.
It can be very frustrating to come home and find that your fancy furniture is no longer fancy as it has been eaten. I think most of the time it happens due to boredom, and the fact that dogs like to chew.
I like the tips that you have given, especially the one on making your wood taste terrible by spraying something onto it, and of course buying your pet a tough chewy toy.
Yes, for sure, I get your frustration with coming home only to find a piece of wood being damaged from your dog chewing on it. I am glad that I came up with this post with all of these tips so that I can help you to rein in your dog’s wood chewing behavior.
Honestly, I never knew that dogs chewed wood, what do you think is the reason that dogs chew on wood? This is something that is new to me. I see that you have listed here 6 things you can do to discourage dogs from making a meal out of your furniture. This list of things is so helpful. Thank you so much for your help.
You are very welcome. I am glad that you have found all of these things to be very helpful for getting your dog to stop chewing on anything made of wood. As for why dogs chew on wood in the first place, that is a very good question. There are a few reasons for that, including boredom, loneliness, being full of energy, and the taste of wood itself.