Do you return home knowing that your dog has damaged the furniture, shoes, or other household items? Chewing things in the house is a common behavioral problem in dogs. For young dogs, it’s a way to relieve the pain caused by the incoming teeth. For older dogs, it’s a way to keep their jaws strong and teeth clean. There may be many underlying causes such as pain, anxiety, or boredom. To be able to correct this, one needs to understand the cause behind the behavior.
Puppies, especially of large breeds with a lot of unspent energy exhibit this problem and are prone to chew furniture, shoes, etc. This kind of chewing should not be confused with teething.
Dogs chewing may be associated to relieve stress such as separation anxiety or moving to a new place, fear of loud noises or crackers.
Chewing a variety of objects in the house regardless of you being around them is a sign of boredom. This means they need more play time and physical activity to release energy.
Medical conditions like liver diseases, mouth disorders, etc can lead to abnormal chewing behavior.