How to Stop dog Chewing:

Is your Coton de Tulear a Chewer?

If you learn how to stop dog chewing early on in your puppy’s life, you will find it much easier than if you try to correct dog chewing problems in an older dog.

What’s normal behavior for a puppy is not good behavior for an older dog. What’s cute as a tiny little puppy can be disruptive or even dangerous later on. Be responsible and train your little pup early on.



how to stop dog chewing

Next to housetraining, chewing is the most common behavior problem cited by puppy owners. I’m not sure if the Coton de Tulear is particularly prone to chewing, but Luc certainly had issues as a puppy.

I haven’t tallied the total cost, but the list of items Luc destroyed as a puppy included:

  • 3 pair of eye glasses
  • Several remote controls
  • Computer printer wires
  • Many, many, many, many books
  • The baseboard in the kitchen
  • Pillows (only the expensive ones)
  • Blankets
  • Shoes
coton de Tulear chewing sneakers

I was a little concerned that Luc wouldn’t outgrow this phase because his need to chew was so intense. He wanted to chew everything except the chew toys I bought him.

I could have avoided some of the above cost and damage if I had known the following chewing behavior suggestions:

  • Keep chewable things out of their reach if possible (you’d think I would have learned that after Luc ate my first pair of eye glasses or the 1st book he stole out of the bookcase). You can’t really blame your dog for eating something that’s just sitting right in front of him, after all, he’s curious and thinks everything within his reach is his.
  • Reward your dog when he is chewing appropriate dog toys. If you see him chewing a pair of your shoes, just divert his attention and replace the shoes with a dog toy.
  • Don’t chase your dog around the house if you catch him with a forbidden item. He will definitely think that’s a fun game and will keep doing it.
  • Try doggy chew deterrent sprays on his favorite chews of choice. He’ll stop chewing the chair legs if they taste really bad. White vinegar is an easy and affordable option since most dogs don't like the smell.
  • Understand why your dog is chewing so you can figure out how to stop dog chewing. Is he teething? Try ice cubes several times a day to reduce some of the pain. Try some of the dog bones and chews that are made to be used frozen as well. Is he bored? Make sure you give your dog a wide variety of safe dog toys and bones. Make time to be with him, play with him, and go for long walks. Is he afraid? Dogs can overcome fears pretty easily if you understand what’s causing the fear and you socialize him to get over the fear. Make sure you don’t punish a dog who is afraid because it will only make the problem worse. It’s also not a good idea to pamper or fuss over a dog who is afraid because then he learns there’s a reward for his fear behavior.
  • Dog chewing behavior can be frustrating and expensive, but is it dangerous? It can be dangerous if your dog chews on the wrong things such as cleaning products, chocolate, drugs, or certain household plants. Keep all potentially dangerous items out of his reach. Make sure you keep these common dog dangers out of reach. One of the things that worked with Luc was letting him chew on carrots. It satisfies the need to chew and it’s a healthy inexpensive treat. 




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