Toys Are For Dogs

Chewing is one of the most common problems we come across as dog trainers. In some households, the damage is vast, involving things such as sofas, carpeting, moulding, and more. But in many households, particularly ones with puppies, there is at least some level of chewing that goes on, even if it’s just the occasional sock, child’s toy, or remote control.

Either way, one of the most important things you can do is to make sure that your dog has toys to chew on. Dogs instinctively need to chew something, and it is our job as humans to teach him that chewing is okay… but only on his dog toys, not household items.

The week before I wrote this article, I provided three presentations at preschool and kindergarten classrooms. During the course of my presentations, one of the things I mentioned about being a dog trainer is that I teach dogs to have good manners, come when you call them, not to chew things around the house and so forth.

I couldn’t believe how in all three groups, numerous children regaled me with stories of their dog, their Grandma’s dog, or their friend’s dog, who chews things all the time. Of course, I told them that’s part of what I do… teach the dogs to chew only on the dog toys, not other things. That’s when the real shocker came… many of the kids informed me that their dog doesn’t have any toys of his own!

Just as babies need things to teethe on, children need toys to play with, and adults need activities to keep themselves entertained, so do dogs. Having a variety of dog toys is the first step toward eliminating chewing issues.

The next step is to do some obedience training with your dog. By working on simple commands such as “heel,” “sit,” “down,” “stay,” and “come,” your dog will learn to respect you and the rules of your home. Also important, is that he will learn the meanings of “no” and “good dog.”

Then, when you catch him chewing a sock and tell him “no,” he will more clearly understand what you mean. Further, when you replace the sock with a dog toy and say “good boy,” it will mean much more to him too.

With a little common sense, basic obedience training, and a bit of patience, every dog or puppy can learn to keep his teeth on his toys!