Our guest writer is Yasko Endo, an alumni of APBC.
Yasko got her puppy Bodhi from us several years ago, since then they never stopped learning. Yasko and Bodhi have earned advanced handling certificates, AKC Canine Good Citizens test, Urban Dog Handler, agility awards, and service dog certification!
Having a dog that doesn’t stop chewing is challenging.
Dogs chew because their teeth itch or they are bored or because it helps them destress. Average dogs aren’t trying to be destructive.
No matter the reason your dog is chewing, the answer is always the same:
Durable & safe chew toys, keep an eye on him and put him on Place.
If you have an aggressive chewer you first need to give him an alternative to chew. There are a lot of nearly indestructible, super chew toys that can keep your pup occupied, we like this one from Busy Buddy.
Next, keep your eyes on your dog. If you are not watching, the chances of your pup finding something naughty to chew on are high!
Finally, put him in place. I have found that PLACE is absolutely essential in keeping Bodhi in the right state of mind. If you do not have PLACE in your daily routine…you need to add it immediately!
Place means he stays on until released. Until he learns Place, you’ll need to be able to watch him and body pressure him back on, over and over until he accepts that you are the boss.
Once he learns Place, your dog can stop unwanted chewing.
The best phrase I use that I learned from Aly is “let me help you“. As dog owners, it is our job to help our dog stop chewing. So give your dog something he can chew on, keep an eye on him and put him in Place.
Aly really taught me about dogs being dogs, and our job is to help them learn, understand, accept, and follow our human rules we want them to follow.
This concept helped me (and still does) to think of a toddler learning how to co-exist at home, with boring rules like “walls are not for drawing… No riding the dog… We eat oatmeal, not wear it…”.
The valuable information I learned in The Pillars of Pack Leadership ACADEMY keeps me on point, all these years later with Bodhi. The 10 Rules to Live By and the 14 day reset, which we use even now at almost 5 years old, are remarkable in the way both tools bring back our dog’s calm mindset and to keep destructive behaviors away.
