Almost all dogs will chew on your furniture or shoes or whatever gets their fancy if you don’t nip it in the bud and train them properly.

The first thing is if your dog is a chewer make sure they have something owner approved to vent on.  Something that will last a while, not a treat that will be eaten up in an hour.  I prefer a nylabone, or even a real bone.   If you get them a toy, make sure that it does in no way resemble your shoes. 

Why do dogs go for shoes?  They are stinky and dogs like stinky.  So, until they are trained keep your shoes behind a closet door, it’s to enticeing for them.

Give the dog their chew toy.  Play with them to establish that this is alright to chew on.  Eventually the dog or you will get bored or preoccupied with something else. 

For instance you could be sitting at your kitchen table doing some bills while fido is at your feet chewing on it’s chew-toy.  Inevitibly, as puppies will, Fido will start to explore his new surroundings. 

Watch what he does. It will probably lead to chewing on something like wooden furniture legs.  When you catch him doing this swat him on his but with a rolled up paper, and yell, No,” or “bad.”  He’ll run and scoot away from you, and give you the, “what did I do?” look.

Then put his chew toy in his mouth as a replacement.

Watch him some more until he repeats the behavior.   Again swat him and yell, “no,”

Most dogs will get it after a few times.  If you have real problem with this, then it’s time for tough love.   Next time the dog goes and chews on it’s favorite piece of furniture you should grab the dog by the collar, push his nose right into the leg he was chewing on and whack him on his but repeatedly while shouting, “no.”   With a problem dog I will whack them until they cry and yelp. 

Then I will let the dog go.  They will either run, or cower.  In either case point at the table leg and yell no. 

Again this is just a rolled up paper.  Not a real thick one.  So, the pain is all just a surface sting and does no real harm.

You may have to repeat this a couple of times.  Eventually though your dog will come to understand what happens when they chew on furniture and they will no longer do it. 

Also, they will come to understand what the rolled up paper is for.  So, if you see them about to chew on something all you will have to do is wave it and say, “no.”

Some people may advocate simply spraying a nasty tasting spray on furniture.  I tried it and it doesn’t really work that well.  A dog will just chew on something else or even keep trying it’s favorite piece of furniture until the spray wears off.

Also, the dog will not be learning that chewing on furniture is a definite no no.  It will only learn that some furniture does not taste good and some does.

It’s not often that I advocate hitting a dog.  And by hitting I mean a stinging whack with rolled up newspaper that is harmless, not a beating.

But, when it comes to chewing on furniture being nice can cost you a lot of money.

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