Have a pup that just doesn’t stop chewing on things? Our Chicago dogwalkers have seen just about every problem you can imagine. While we appreciate that our canine friends have prepared newspaper shred confetti for us, it can be a bit awkward to explain later! There are a number of training methods and tips that we have picked up over the years taking care of our fluffy clients, so arm yourself with the knowledge of an experienced Chicago dog walker and nip this unwanted behavior in the bud! Er… Tail!
Why Do They Chew?
Understanding why your dog does what he does is very important when you want to get along comfortably! Considering that man’s best friend still hasn’t learned to speak human yet, we’ve had to learn to bridge the communication gap as a dog walker! Chicago dogs tend to chew when:
- They suffer separation anxiety (you work all day and they miss you)
- They are bored (empty houses can be very boring)
- They are teething (you chewed on things too when you were teething)
- Are excited and expecting your coming home soon (so excited, MUST CHEW!)
- They are afraid of suffer a phobia (loud noises make me anxious)
- They desire attention (he pays attention to me when I chew up his stuff!)
Take a moment and consider what is likely the root of your dog’s chewing problem. It may reveal the best course of action! Puppies will need to be properly trained, and bored dogs will need to be kept active to help them resist the temptation!
Calm Down
There is no greater advice from Chicago dogwalkers than learning to have patience and keep calm. While your first reaction may be to yell at and hit your dog when you find your favorite sneakers ripped to shreds, it’s definitely not a good thing to do! There’s no worse thing you can do than hit a dog as Chicago dogwalkers!
By the time you find the remains, your dog has already long forgotten about what he’s done. (Just a bit of advice, that sad and chastised look they give isn’t because they know what they did wrong, it’s because you’re yelling!) While it’s not fun cleaning up the pieces, take a moment to breathe and calm down before you clean up. Yelling at your dog isn’t going to correct the behavior; it will just make them afraid of you raising your voice!
Correct Them When You Catch Them
Carrying on from our last point, you need to watch your dog like a hawk when you can and issue a firm “No!” when you spot him chewing on your favorite penny loafers. Firm verbal correction is one of the most important traits of a dog walker! Chicago dog owners should also keep in mind that if you don’t correct a dog within two seconds of their bad behavior, they won’t know what it is they’re being disciplined for.
Want another crucial tip to training? Be consistent! If you don’t correct a behavior every time your dog will get mixed messages and won’t correct their behavior! Trust us, your dog definitely wants to please you, so you just need to help teach them what behavior you like!
Coat the Object in a Repellant Substance
A Chicago dog walker has many tools to help themin their job, and pet owners aren’t exempt from this either! There are a lot of things you can use to protect your furniture when you can’t be there to save it. Use a foul tasting substance like bitter apple, tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper to coat the object of their chewing obsession. Nothing stops a dog in mid chew like a bite of bitter table leg!
Just remember this is only temporary solution. Making their usual source of chewing taste terrible won’t teach them not to chew and there’s a good chance they’ll move onto chewing up something else. You’ll also want to remove things from their reach if you’re not willing to let it be a sacrifice in your dog’s jaws.
Take Some Classes
Dog owners aren’t expected to be masters in Doggy Psychology, but it definitely helps! Obedience training isn’t just for disruptive cases; it’s for all dogs, owners and especially a dog walker! Chicago has a ton of places where you can take classes and build a stronger relationship with your dog, as well as ask an experienced dog trainer for tips and advice. Trainers are the go to experts for correcting behavior, and can show you the proper way to handle and discipline your dog while building a strong relationship of trust and affection.
Leave It
A very useful command that all dogs should learn alongside ‘sit’ and ‘come,’ ‘leave it’ is a way to gain voice control of your dog and make them pay attention to you instead of taking part in unwanted behavior. Nothing helps out aChicago dog walker and owner than having this command in their canine call list!
Keep your training firm and consistent and you’ll have the gentle pooch you know and love without the damage fees to dread! Keep up the great work Chicago dog owners and keep on Cruisin’!
