Destructive chewing

I got a call from a close friend of mine a few days ago. Her phone call was frantic. Her first words to me were “my dog chewed my Olukais. I had to have her repeat the word since I thought she meant a type of plant, but she meant her expensive sandals. She had just gotten home from a short trip to the store only to find her dog had destroyed an item that cost her a lot of money.

Dogs and puppies learn to chew when they are teething. It relieves the pain of their teeth coming through their gums. Some dogs continue the chewing habit long after their teeth have come completely through. My friend asked me what should she do. I told her that now that she knows her dog is a destructive chewer she should keep all items that she treasures out of the dog’s reach. She should also keep the dog busy by providing a distraction when she is not around. I have found that if a dog is kept active while you are around the dog then the dog would rather sleep when you are not around. A sleeping dog does not chew.