It is healthy and normal for puppies and grown dogs to chew, as long as it's on a proper chewing item made for that purpose. Chewing is not just needed for puppies. Chewing helps with keeping their teeth & gums strong and healthy. To read what chewing items I prefer and the ones I disapproved of, press here. (I'll soon have the chewing items webpage up.)
 
 

It's very important to be very firm toward your dog when you really do not want him or her to chew an item. Then give it a proper chewing item in place of it. If you walk in a room and catch your lovely dog chewing on your shoes or favorite dog magazine. Immediately start commanding, "No, no, no!", and take the item away with an angry looking face. If they don't pay attention to you by looking at you, try to get the dog or pup to look at you with your voice or some other sound like clapping or slapping your pants. If this doesn't work, you may need to get up close to their face to get the message across to them. However, if you have a pup or dog that has a tendency to nip or bite, don't do this. Then you get the desirable chew item and say, "You chew this! Chew this!", and in a pleasing but firm tone, give your dog the chewing item. If you have a dog or pup that growls or bites at you when try to take the item, use it's favorite toy to get it away and use it as the item to be chewed on. You will have to do this repeatedly, until finally the dog realizes what toys are to be chewed on and what is not to be chewed on. To your dog just about everything is a toy. Therefore, you need to teach what is a dog toy and what are human toys. Chewing is not an easy thing to stop. However, if you apply the above every single time when you find your dog chewing on an undesirable item, the repetition will teach the little chewing monster to become a well behaved chewer. This will produce a dog or pup less likely to chew on undesirable items. For more info on nipping and biting, press here. (I am currently constructing the nipping and biting page.)
 
 

If you don't catch your dog in the act of chewing the undesired item then show the pup or grown dog what it chewed and say, "You see this?", "Look at what you did!", and then command, "No, no, no, no!". Many trainers say not to scold a dog or pup after the bad situation has been done but I believe most pups and adult dogs are able to comprehend and recognize their wrong behavior. However, if the pup seems to not show any remorse for the act by lowering head or batting their eyes or something, then I stop because it's pointless to continue. Continue to scold with grown dogs. I would then give the correct item to the pup and say, "Chew this!". For both grown dogs and pups, I would show that bad item while commanding, "No! Bad dog! Bad (his or her name)!", and then I put it behind my back while I bring the correct item out from behind my back held in my other hand and say, "Good Dog! Chew this! Very good! Good (his or her name)!". Then I leave the desired chewing item with him or her and take the disapproved item with me. You may need to get up close and personal and in their face to show your facial expressions from bad item to chew, to good item to chew on in order for the dog or pup to get the message.
 
 

Some dogs will go chew something when they had been scolded for something previous to being found chewing. If you have a dog or pup that has been scolded for something else and then goes to chew something undesirable for chewing, as a means of revenge for being scolded. Then if possible, during the first scolding situation give your dog the correct item to chew on before they have a chance to go do any undesired chewing. Since you know that your dog has this habit and it is his or her routine, you need to be smarter and quicker than the dog. You need to give the correct item after the incorrect item or situation happens. This will help your dog realize what is correct and what is not. As it is, you scold, he or she then goes off and chews on an undesirable item or do another bad thing. Then what happens? You scold more, then again she or he chews, and the process goes on. So when you scold, give your dog a proper item to chew on and then watch to see if she or he decides to go off and chew on something or do some kind of bad thing. If your dog does go off, call him or her back and do something positive with him or her. Praise your dog when she or he does chew the correct item, or does any situation correctly. If you don't do this, this is also an issue which may be causing him or her to go off to do something bad because she or he doesn't feel appreciated. You may be wondering if giving a toy after scolding, would seem like a reward for doing bad. No, because it is obvious your dog really gets the message by going into damage or revenge drive and that he or she has a very sensitive personality.

If your dog chews mainly when you have left they house then he or she may have Separation Anxiety. For more on this go here.
 

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