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That is a question that has plagued dog owners for centuries. Well, we need to break that question down to make sense of it. First of all, how old is the dog that is chewing the wood? Is it a puppy that we're talking about or a full grown dog? Is he or she chewing the wood outside of the home or are they chewing on your wood furniture? I'll bet that most people that find this article are trying to stop their dog from chewing their WOOD FURNITURE! So let's start there, shall we?
First of all, ALL dogs like to chew wood,(among other things...), and if the dog that is chewing the wood is a puppy, then you have an easily handled situation. The chewing of the wood is most likely from teething or "erupting" as most vets refer to it. Puppies get their baby teeth at about 4 weeks. But it doesn't stop there! The teething continues until they get their permanent teeth! Which will happen between 2 to 8 months of age! So you have a lot of chewing going on until then! What can you do about it?
Well, as a concerned dog AND furniture owner, you can buy lots and lots of chew toys! Your puppy is teething and just like a human baby, he will explore everything with his mouth! The chewing on the wood relieves some of the pressure and pain he is feeling in his gums. For an even better experience for him, put the chew toys in the freezer. The cold on his gums will feel great to him!
As far as an older dog, you have to do the same thing. But with a little verbal reinforcement. You already know from the condition of your furniture that you cannot leave him at home all alone while you're at work! So your full grown dog needs chew toys also. I recommend the rawhide ones that can take a beating. Remember we're talking about a full grown dog here with full grown teeth! So he will need a little more to chew on.
Once you introduce it to him and he begins to chew on the brand new chew toy. Let him know that you approve of it by saying," Good Boy!" or "Good Dog!" The added verbal reinforcement will let him know that you would rather him chew on the chew toys and NOT your furniture!
