Brains Trainings for Dogs

How to stop dog chewing: manage, redirect, and meet the need

Chewing is normal, the goal isn't to stop a dog chewing; it's to move the chewing onto things it's allowed to destroy. That takes three things at once: managing access, providing good outlets, and covering the underlying need (usually boredom or, for puppies, teething).

Dog chewing a suitable chew toy on the floor

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Quick answer

Manage: gate off rooms, use a pen or comfortable crate when unsupervised, tidy away tempting items, and use taste deterrent on furniture legs short-term. Redirect: offer appropriate chews and stuffed toys, and reward the dog for choosing them. Meet the need: more exercise and mental stimulation. If the chewing only happens when the dog is home alone, treat it as possible separation-related behaviour.

Three things at once Stopping problem chewing needs managing access to off-limits items, redirecting to acceptable chews and rewarding their use, and meeting the underlying need such as boredom or teething. Managegates, pen, tidy up Redirectchews, reward their use Meet the needexercise, enrichment
Any one of these on its own tends to fail; the combination works.

Why dogs chew

  • Teething (puppies ~3–7 months), sore gums; chewing brings relief.
  • Exploration, young dogs investigate the world with their mouths.
  • Boredom / under-stimulation, the most common cause in adult dogs; chewing is self-entertaining. See dog boredom.
  • Stress or anxiety, chewing is self-soothing; often focused on exits or the owner's scent items when alone.
  • Hunger, dogs on very restricted diets may chew and scavenge more.
  • Habit, a spot that's been chewed before invites more chewing.

If chewing is sudden or paired with other changes, rule out dental pain or gastrointestinal discomfort with your vet.

Step 1: manage the environment

  • Close doors and use baby gates so the dog only has access to dog-proofed space when unsupervised.
  • Use a pen or a crate the dog genuinely likes (built up positively, never as punishment) for short unsupervised periods.
  • Pick up shoes, remotes, charging cables, kids' toys, anything valuable or dangerous.
  • Apply a bitter taste deterrent to furniture legs and skirting as a temporary aid; reapply as directed.
  • Protect previously chewed spots, cover, block, or deter them.

Management isn't the fix on its own, but it stops the damage and the rehearsal while you train.

Step 2: give an acceptable outlet and reward it

  • Offer a range of chew types suited to your dog's size and chewing strength, rotate them so they stay interesting.
  • Stuffed, frozen food toys give a long-lasting, satisfying chew and double as enrichment.
  • When you see the dog chewing something legal, calmly praise or drop a treat nearby, you're reinforcing the choice.
  • If the dog grabs something off-limits, trade calmly ("swap" for a chew or treat), then redirect. Don't chase, that turns it into a game.
  • Avoid telling off after the fact, the dog can't connect it to the earlier act, and it can make anxious chewing worse.

Step 3: meet the underlying need

A dog with enough physical exercise and daily mental work chews far less out of boredom. Build in foraged meals, scent games, short training sessions and chews at the times of day the dog is most likely to get into trouble. See how to mentally stimulate a dog and dog enrichment.

Puppies: teething specifically

  • Provide soft, appropriate teething chews; some can be chilled for extra relief.
  • Supervise closely and swap-and-redirect every time; puppies need dozens of reps.
  • Use a pen or crate for naps and unsupervised time, a tired puppy left loose will chew.
  • It eases as adult teeth settle, usually by 6–7 months, but keep providing outlets into adulthood.

If it only happens when the dog is alone

Chewing focused on doors, window frames, or your shoes and bedding specifically when the dog is left, often with drooling, pacing or house-soiling, points to separation-related distress rather than boredom. Enrichment alone won't resolve it; you need a graduated absence plan and often professional support. See dog destroys house when alone and speak to your vet.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Punishing after the event, ineffective and can increase anxious chewing
  • Giving old shoes or socks as toys, the dog can't tell those from your good ones
  • Relying on deterrent spray alone without providing an outlet
  • Leaving a young or bored dog loose with full house access
  • Assuming the dog will "grow out of it" while the cause is boredom or stress

When to get professional help

See your vet for sudden-onset chewing or if you suspect dental or gut pain, and if the dog is swallowing non-food items (a blockage risk). Involve a qualified behaviourist for chewing that's part of separation-related distress or general anxiety.

Where a program fits

For boredom-driven chewing in a healthy pet dog, a structured reward-based course helps you keep up the enrichment and the "swap"/"leave it" training. Brain Training for Dogs addresses chewing in its behaviour section with this manage-and-redirect approach. It's not a treatment for anxiety-based chewing.

Keep the enrichment consistent

Reward-based games, "leave it" and settle training, plus enrichment, in one self-paced course. See the current offer.

See the current offer

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FAQ

Related guides

References

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These references describe dogs and training in general. They are not evidence about any specific commercial program. This page is general information, not a substitute for individualised veterinary or behaviour advice. Last reviewed: 30 August 2026.