Why does a dog chew furniture?
There are several reasons for this behavioral problem. Animal psychologists are unanimous in their opinion that the main reason that a dog chews furniture is lack of attention from the owner . The pet tries to attract and evoke emotions in its owner, no matter whether positive or negative.
Hunter's Instinct
Dogs descended from wolves.
The instinct to tear prey lives in them to this day. A domestic dog spoils furniture, guided by the instinct of a hunter, as if tormenting a caught animal.
Changing teeth
In the period from 3 to 7 months, the puppy chews everything it sees. A small animal's gums itch, so it gets rid of annoying itching and helps the molars erupt outward.
A small puppy is given toys, diverting his attention from surrounding objects.
Oral problems
Adult dogs test furniture if they have sore gums or teeth. Tartar and bone damage cause discomfort. By chewing wooden objects, the animal gets rid of pain or itching.
If your dog has bleeding gums and puts his paw into his mouth, you should consult a veterinarian.
Loneliness
When a dog is often left at home alone, bored, he chatters all around. She is not interested in boring toys; the animal wants to try the unknown in the absence of the owner.
Low physical activity
For active young animals, a morning or evening walk is not enough. The owners let them go do their business, run, play, but skip training. After a walk, the energy remains, the dog directs it to deal with the furniture, other things suffer.
Children's habit
The puppy’s harmful actions are stopped immediately.
If this is not done, the habit will take root and an adult animal will be more difficult to train.
Stress
Small breeds of dogs are companions (Chihuahua, Toy Poodle, French Bulldog).
They cannot spend most of the day alone. This causes them stress and a feeling of loneliness. When distracted, the dog damages furniture, wallpaper, and shoes.
Violation of the regime
The dog should have a set daily routine.
The dog gets up and goes to bed at the same time, he must know when the owner will leave and come, then his absence will not cause stress.
Poor nutrition, vitamin deficiency
A poor diet leads to disorders, vitamin deficiencies, and decreased immunity. Oral diseases may develop. The dog looks for missing trace elements everywhere, testing surrounding objects.
Training and toys
Train your dog daily. Exercise stimulates the animal mentally and physically. This will allow him to burn off energy that might otherwise be directed towards inappropriate pranks. The amount of exercise your dog should receive depends on his breed and size. Most animals require 30 to 60 minutes of continuous exercise daily. This may include walking, playing with a stick, running or tug of war. Consult your veterinarian to determine how much daily exercise your dog should receive depending on his size and breed. If you cannot train her daily, hire a dog walker to complete this task for you.
Provide your pet with toys. They should be different to entertain and distract attention from your furniture. For example, you can buy toys that are specifically designed to hide dog treats inside them. You can also purchase items that will help your dog stay active, such as tennis balls for him to chase or ropes for him to chew or toss.
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There are also many toys and bones made from materials that are difficult to chew, such as nylon. Your dog may like them. These activities will help calm your pet if he feels lonely while you are away from home. By the way, you can also use items that carry your scent, such as an old unwashed T-shirt that you no longer want to wear.
How to stop a puppy from chewing furniture
When you take a puppy into your home, you need to agree that all family members take part in its upbringing. At the same time, in order to wean oneself from bad habits, everyone must say the same word: “Ugh!” or “You can’t!” This way the baby will quickly understand the rules of behavior in the house.
Natural curiosity pushes the puppy to chew not only upholstered furniture, but also everything that comes into its field of vision. Therefore, the owner must put small or fragile objects, medicines, and hide wires out of reach. Store shoes on shelves with doors, and outerwear in closets. Wrap the legs of chairs, armchairs, and corners of wooden furniture with cellophane.
Make a spacious enclosure for the puppy, in which you will place it while all family members leave home. To prevent the puppy from getting bored, leave toys, water, and bedding there for sleeping.
SobakinoAbout dogs for people
In almost every modern home you can find pets - cats and dogs. Favorite pets wait for their owners from work, greet them at the door, make everyone in the household happy and don’t let them feel sad in the evenings. For many they become family members. At the same time, conflicts almost always arise in the family, the main cause of which is furniture.
Dogs may chew the legs of sofas and chairs or leave hair on them. Some decide to take radical measures: either remove the claws or isolate the animal. Such measures are resorted to extremely rarely, since it is, at a minimum, inhumane towards your pet. There is another way to protect upholstered furniture without harming your pet. The best defense in this case is to choose the right furniture for your home.
When the dog starts teething, it will sharpen them on the wooden legs of chairs, sofas and even armrests. When choosing furniture, this important factor should be taken into account. It would be best to buy furniture without legs at all, but if it is impossible to refuse them, then you should opt for metal legs.
It is recommended to choose chenille as the upholstery material. This durable material will retain its texture and color for a long time in the same form as it was on the day of purchase. Faux suede is just as durable. This material is in great demand among dog lovers. To the touch it is difficult to distinguish it from natural suede, since the fabric is almost as soft and velvety.
For upholstery of a sofa or chair, you can choose matting or flock. Like suede and chenille, these materials are durable enough to withstand external influences for a long time. In addition, matting creates a special atmosphere of comfort and warmth in the house. The fact is that in its production they use burlap, which looks very natural.
Most often, dog breeders choose velor. It is popular among buyers due to its wear resistance and velvety texture. If your home furniture is already damaged, then instead of buying a new sofa, consider purchasing a removable cover. Thanks to it, you can not only save money, but also make the appearance of the furniture more attractive.
Caring for upholstered furniture
You can deal with some upholstery stains yourself, especially if the stain has just appeared. However, getting rid of old stains is much more difficult. In some cases, only dry cleaning can help. To save money, you can first try to get rid of fur and stains yourself. In this case, you will need some equipment:
- Vacuum cleaner with turbo brush. With its help you can easily get rid of hair, even in hard-to-reach places;
- Antistatic spray. Thanks to it, cleaning the upholstery is much easier. Wool is easier to remove, since its adhesion to the upholstery is weakened by the antistatic agent;
- Roller for cleaning clothes. A sticky roller is often used not only to get rid of hair on clothes, but also to clean upholstered furniture;
- Special brush for suede and nubuck. An excellent product for cleaning these materials from all kinds of contaminants. The brush has special rubber bristles that make it easy to remove stubborn stains;
- Napkins. They can be used to clean velor or flock. The main material used in the production of napkins is microfiber. Before using the wipes, remove dust from the upholstery using a stiff brush. Then take a napkin soaked in a soapy solution and clean the upholstery in the direction of the pile. After removing dirt, blot the upholstery with a dry cotton towel.
Thus, if you follow the recommendations given in the article, you can keep the upholstered furniture in the house in good condition if you have a four-legged pet. And the dogs will only make you happy, and molting time will no longer be a disaster.
How to correct the behavior of an adult dog
Dog handlers advise not to punish a pet for an offense that has already been committed. But when gnawing is detected, it is necessary to immediately begin working on the mistakes.
As a punishment for an adult dog, you can use the commands “Ugh!”, “You can’t!”, and then “Lie down!” or “Sit!”
That is, the guilty dog must remain in a motionless position for a long time (several minutes). Next, the owner needs to ignore the pet (about one hour). The lack of human attention and affection is hard for the animal, and it learns its lesson.
If the owner cannot stop the dog from chewing furniture on his own, he must seek help from a dog handler. There are courses in which a specialist tells what to do if a puppy chews furniture legs and other things. He explains the psychology of pets and teaches how to build proper communication with animals. During practical training, the dog learns commands.
Dog behavior
Train your pet from childhood to stay away from furniture. While the dog is young, you must make it clear to him that furniture is a forbidden place for him. If you have trained him carefully, this boundary will become clear and the dog will stay out of areas where you do not want him to be. This type of training can take a long time. Be patient and understand that you must be consistent in your demands so that the animal understands what you want from it.
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Correct your dog's behavior. When you catch her on your furniture, you must make it clear that such behavior is unacceptable. This will help your dog understand that he is misbehaving. Say a firm “no” the moment you see her jumping on the couch or chewing on a chair leg. This will let her know that you are unhappy and make her stop.
Redirect your attention. Give your dog one of his toys immediately after you scold him for breaking into the furniture, and then praise him when he starts playing or chewing on the toy. This will help your pet understand what behavior you consider more acceptable.
Important rules to follow
There are a number of rules that will help correct your pet’s behavior and eliminate possible bad habits.
Physical exercise
It is very important to keep your dog physically occupied. This means not just a walk, but active games in the fresh air. You need to let the dog play and run around to its heart's content. An animal that is tired from a walk is more likely to sleep and will simply not have time to chew furniture.
After a walk, it is necessary to feed the dog well, because it is known that on a full stomach animals do not feel much excitement and anxiety, so they will not try to keep themselves busy.
Treats for chewing
You can keep your dog busy by leaving him his favorite treat. Special cartilage, pig ears, and beef tracheas are excellent for this. It is important to leave your favorite treat in its entirety so that the dog cannot finish it in one go.
Note! Various treats, chosen correctly, are necessary for the normal growth and development of a young dog. Such delicacies are cartilage, which not only helps strengthen the body, but helps prevent the appearance of plaque.
Help from a dog handler
In some cases, the dog does not want to obey the owner and continues to chew furniture during his absence. Experts recommend taking full courses on behavior correction and pet obedience.
Protective sprays
Pet stores sell products to stop dogs from chewing furniture.
Knabber Stopp
Trixie has made a spray for puppies and dogs in a convenient plastic bottle with a spray nozzle. The liquid does not smell at all, but has a strong unpleasant taste. The bitterness is created from safe plant extracts, so the product can be sprayed even near outdoor pots with indoor plants.
Dog chewing protection
The Russian company Api San has released a series of “Smart Sprays”. One of them – “Protection against chewing dogs” – has a slight orange smell and a pronounced bitter taste. It contains red pepper extract, isopropyl alcohol, and essential citrus oils.
After contact with objects treated with the spray, the pet experiences a burning sensation on the tongue and increased salivation.
Mr Fresh
The Russian company Ecoprom, together with the German company Veterinar Bio, has produced a spray “Protection against chewing for dogs.” The main component in the composition is wormwood extract, and additional components are purified water, alcohol, and fragrances. The product is used to treat furniture legs, wires, and shoes. It does not leave streaks, but is incredibly bitter, which scares away curious pets.
Folk remedies
Some dog owners apply herbal infusions with a bitter taste to certain surfaces. The dog quickly understands that it is not worth chewing on objects with a composition that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
The method is not very effective; besides, furniture and shoes should not be wetted with a solution that emits a specific odor. This processing method is suitable for rooms that have old sideboards, cabinets, and beds with headboards, which the owner plans to replace later. Wires and moisture are incompatible things.
Another, safer option for folk remedies: apply a little grapefruit or orange essential oil to the furniture. Pleasant for people, but strong enough for dogs, the smell will keep your pet away from areas that are most likely to suffer from dental damage.
A more effective and reliable method described in the next section will help to wean an animal from gnawing things in the absence of the owner.
Restricting your dog's access to certain areas of the house
If the owner has tried various methods on how to stop a dog from chewing furniture, but his pet continues to do it, then the only 100% way to prevent such unwanted behavior is to keep the dog away from certain places in the house, for example, always close the doors to the room where the furniture is. . If the owner has resorted to this method of solving the problem, then you need to know that leaving the dog alone for a long time closed in a small room is not recommended, as this will provoke a feeling of melancholy in the pet or increase stress, which will further aggravate the problem.
Limit the places where the dog can be
Confine your dog to an area without furniture. Send her to an enclosed yard with a fence when you are not home. This will allow the animal to roam freely without damaging any valuable items or furniture. You can also place your dog and his toys in an unfurnished room to prevent damage. If you leave your pet outside when you are not home, make sure it is protected from extreme temperatures and bad weather conditions, and that water and food are available to it at all times.
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Block access to furniture. If your pet likes to lie down on the sofa or bed when you're not home, you can block access to them.
Useful tips
- When it comes to a puppy, you need to remove valuables from his sight. Shoes should be in the closet, children's toys in drawers. It is important to ensure that all doors are closed. The corners of the sofa are wrapped in a plastic bag. These actions are necessary until the baby loses interest in chewing. You can close several rooms in the apartment. Some owners temporarily leave their pets in a spacious playpen. For example, when there are no people at home.
- Show things that are permissible to chew. If an animal encroaches on the chair, it is important to clearly say “No”. Then you should give him a bone or a toy and praise him when he starts chewing it. Thus, his attention is switched. It is important not to scare your pet and speak calmly.
- Involve all family members in the educational process. Each person in the house should keep things in their place, away from the dog's toys. You need to choose a single method of punishment and commands so that everyone adheres to them. Different educational techniques will confuse the animal.
- Prohibit biting people. The pet must take the owner's words seriously. When he encroaches on skin or clothing, you need to suddenly pull him back and scold him. Then you need to stop the game and start ignoring the dog. Turn away from her, avoid eye contact. When your pet calms down, you can continue working together. He will soon understand that people do not approve of bites, and he feels bad after them.
- Hide legs, armrests and corners of furniture. These areas are considered the most vulnerable.
- Keep toys within your pet's sight. If the dog is not interested in them, you can play together “fight for things” or give the command “fetch”.
- Give your pet attention. It is important to constantly find activities and teach new things. Affection and shared communication are also necessary. Then the dog will not have time for pampering.
- Leave the radio or TV. Because of this, the pet will feel less lonely. Don't forget to hide the wires.
