How To Stop Your Dog Chewing Things

Every dog owner will be required to stop dog chewing problems at some stage.

When our puppies and dogs chew it is a perfectly acceptable and natural behavior for them. The real problem arises when they chew on inappropriate, dangerous or expensive items.

Dogs chew on just about anything they can wrap their mouths around. My dog's favorite chewing objects are socks, shoes, furniture and my Whippet, Pocky actually chewed a large whole in the side of our house!

What Causes Dogs To Chew?

• Through loneliness or boredom.
• Separation anxiety, this form of chewing often occurs if you work long hours away from home. 
• When they are teething (this can be a very trying time for owners). 
• Through fear or a phobia. 
• Seeking attention. 
• Through anticipation, some dogs chew just before their owner is due to arrive home. 

It's important that we stop our dogs chewing not only because it frustrates us, but also because it can be very dangerous for our dogs. If your dog chews into electric wires, poisons and any number of other objects they could be in serious danger. Having said this it should also be noted that chewing on appropriate items offers many benefits to the health and wellbeing of your dog.

How To Stop Dog Chewing Problems

Always keep in mind that your dog can't tell the difference between a $200 pair of shoe's and a worthless old rag. And your dog is not chewing to spite you, dogs don't think like us humans.

If your dog has a particular liking for a certain object like a furniture leg you can try this method. Coat the object with a foul tasting substance (non toxic) such as bitter apple, cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce. 

This method can be effective but because it doesn't actually teach your dog to stop chewing, it may mean that your dog simply chews on a different object. Of course, if you put some tasty treats in the area, the chewing behavior will hopefully shift straight over to these. 

If you catch your dog in the act of chewing, give a firm "No!" and replace the inappropriate chewing object with a tasty chew toy. Give your dog praise when he starts chewing the toy. Never ever reprimand your dog if you don't actually catch him in the act of chewing. If you don't issue your correction within about two seconds of his inappropriate chewing behavior, he won't have a clue what you are disciplining him for

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A good solution to stop dog chewing and any other dog behavior problems is to apply some obedience training. This establishes you as the firm but fair leader in your owner-dog relationship. It will also help to build a strong bond between you and your dog, based on trust, two way communication and mutual respect. To learn how to properly obedience train your dog at home visit dogproblems.com. This is a fantastic community of positive, reward based dog trainers. 

Teach your dog the "Leave It" obedience training command.

In order to control your dog's annoying chewing habit all you need to do is consistently follow the above training methods. Add a touch of common sense and patience and you will be well on your way to stopping your dogs chewing problem.

How To Stop Your Lovely Dog From Barking Very Fast!

Working out how to stop your dog from barking can be a difficult and time consuming task.

Dogs love to bark. It's a perfectly natural thing for your dog to do, just as it's normal for us humans to speak.

It's when our dogs bark excessively that it becomes a problem for all concerned - including our cranky neighbors.

Considering this, our goal really isn't to stop dog barking altogether, but rather to control the excessive barking.

Keep in mind that there are situations when we want our dogs to bark (and I guess there are also times when I like my chatty aunty to speak!;)

The first step in modifying the behavior of an excessive barker is to determine the reason why the dog is barking in the first place. Once you've identified this cause or trigger, you can then plan the correct training solution.

Why Do Dogs Bark?

• Stop Your Dog From Barking Now!To express their needs (being bossy). 
•  Some dogs are bred to bark (some terriers and hounds).They are staking out their territory. To alert other members of their pack (that's you and your family) of impending danger. 
•  When playing, just through sheer excitement - this is a very common type of puppy barking.Barking at other animals. Depending on where you are in the world, it could be squirrels or possums (I'm in Australia - my dogs go crazy at possums). 
•  If they are isolated.Some dogs bark excessively when separated from their pack (you and your family). 
•  If they are trapped behind some type of barrier like a fence or window.Just for fun! 
• To express dominance (puppies normally test you out at some stage with a display of dominance barking).They bark because their owners have inadvertently rewarded excessive barking in the past (this is crucial to understand) 
•  Through boredom or a lack of physical and mental stimulation.May feel stressed or uncomfortable for some reason. Things like feeling threatened or if they don't have an appropriate place to sleep can cause excessive barking problems. 
•  Dogs that haven't been properly socialized often become nuisance barkers.May be looking for a response or some attention from their pack.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even though it may appear to you that your dog is barking at nothing, this is not necessarily the case. This is due to the fact that your dog has a much more acute sense of hearing, smell and sight than us humans. Your dog's excessive barking is most probably being triggered by something.

How To Stop Your Puppy-Biting Problems

There a lots of proven training methods to help correct your puppy's behavioral problems. Before I get into the specific techniques you can use to stop your puppy from biting, always keep these general dog behavior training rules in mind:

• Puppy socialization and bite inhibition training go hand in hand.
• Never slap or hit your puppy in the face. This does not work! Your puppy will just think you are playing or could become afraid of you. This may even lead to some much bigger problems than simple puppy nipping. 
• The general rule to stop puppy biting problems is to always encourage acceptable behavior and always discourage unacceptable behavior. To learn more about this fundamental rule of dog obedience training (including how to stop biting problems) visit Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer.
• While you are trying to stop your puppies from biting, never play tug of war, wrestling or chase type games with them. This only encourages the biting and nipping.
• Whichever method you choose to train your puppy the golden rule is be consistent. This means that you and anyone else who comes into contact with your puppy must enforce your chosen strategy every time your pup takes a nip.
• If you don't clearly communicate to your dog that the biting is unacceptable, he will not know he is doing anything wrong. It's up to you to show him what is acceptable behavior, don't just expect your puppy to know this! (You are really taking on the role of his littermates for this task).
• Another (extreme) reason puppies can bite is if they are trying to assert their dominance over you. If this is the case with your puppy, it must be stopped immediately. When you have a dominant puppy his biting will only be the beginning of many behavioral problems.

How To Stop Your Puppy From Biting

Managing and controlling puppy biting problems can be a major challenge for us dog lovers. Puppy biting or nipping starts out as a bit of fun, but needs to be controlled quickly to avoid ongoing problems.

For most young puppies biting is a perfectly natural and essential phase to go through, especially when they are teething.

Puppies love to sink their sharp little fangs into just about anything during this teething stage, including the hands and feet of their owners. In some cases it's like you've brought a snappy alligator into your home, instead of the cuddly little puppy you had hoped for.

The good news is that most puppies can be trained to regulate and minimize the biting pretty easily. The sooner you start to educate your puppy in bite inhibition (having a soft mouth) the easier it will be - for all concerned.