Terrier Chewing Solutions
It’s my third pair. I was shocked the first time I saw the heel chewed off. But now, all I can do as ask myself, “How do I keep my dog from chewing on my shoes?”
I read up on dog chewing problems. And Terrier chewing is quite common across the board. But Terrier chewing behavior needs to be corrected as soon as it’s noticed.
Chewing on furniture, rugs, shoes, and other items is destructive and costly. More importantly, if your terrier starts chewing on wires or electrical cords, it can turn dangerous.
Depending upon the age of the dog, you have different alternatives to try and stop terrier chewing.
Is Your Terrier Teething?
If your terrier is teething, he needs to chew on something because his teeth are coming through. His mouth hurts. It’s sore and may be swollen. He’s trying to gum everything he can get a hold of to make his mouth feel better.
If you don’t have a rope toy for him, get one. Soak it in water, place it in a plastic bag, and freeze it. When your puppy needs to chew, make sure you corral him into a small easily mopped up floor space and give him the frozen rope. The cold will soothe his mouth and the rope will last forever.
Soft chew toys can also be placed in plastic bags and frozen. These don’t tend to stay cold for very long once they are removed from the freezer, however, it’s a fast and easy solution for when your puppy needs to chew on something immediately.
Catching Him In The Act
As soon as you see your terrier chewing on something he shouldn’t be, correct him with a firm “No” and remove him from the item. Replacing the item with a squeaky toy, ball, or chew toy will usually redirect his attention.
Another method that many have success with is using a “no” can. Fill a clean empty aluminum can with a few pennies or pebbles. Place a few of these cans around the house where they can be easily accessed when needed. When you see your terrier chewing, immediately reach for a no can and give it a quick shake. You will need to firmly tell your dog “No” at the same time. The noise will startle your terrier and he will stop chewing. Remove what he was chewing and replace the item with one of his chew toys.
It will not take your dog many times before he will associate the shaking of the can with the negative habit of chewing.
Alternatives When You Can’t Be There
There is a product readily available called bitter apple that most dogs intensely dislike. It comes in a spray bottle. If you have caught your terrier chewing on the wooden couch leg, then you would spray the leg with the bitter apple liquid. This product will not harm dogs, however, many dogs dislike it so much that they stop chewing where the spray has been applied.
Many owners spray hanging wires and electrical cords with this solution as a preventative measure.
