Well, the holidays came upon us and I didn't get the chance to write Part 2 of The One Year Old Dog as quickly as I hoped. Meanwhile, I got 3 calls from people who needed help with... yes, you guessed it... their one year old (or close to that age) dog.
Almost everyone wants to know what to do to end the chewing. Why is that one day the dog is left alone and everything is fine... and the next day the dog is left alone and you come home to your couch in pieces?
The first thing to understand is that your dog is not chewing your house apart to annoy you. To your dog, chewing is instinctive and fun. Your dog chews as part of his teething stage and to strengthen his teeth. Your dog chews to investigate, much the same way a human baby sticks everything in his or her mouth. It's interesting; it gives tactile stimulation. And to a dog that is left home without human stimulation and becomes bored, chewing is a very rewarding activity.
The most important piece of advice I can give about dogs going through the destructive chewing phase is this - I don't trust them. Simple as that. I don't trust a young dog to be left to roam the entire house while no one is there. Your dog may be housebroken, but if you want your plants to remain in their pots, your sofa cushions to remain on the sofa in one piece and your carpet to stay intact, you won't leave your dog alone for extended periods of time.
So what do you do? If you've crate trained your dog, yay for you! Your dog can remain in his crate for up to 4 hours or so while you are gone. If you are gone all day at work, find another secure area to contain your dog - a kitchen with a baby gate, a dog pen, an area that is not too large but not too small and is free of items you don't want your dog's mouth on.
So won't Fido still try to chew on things like kitchen cabinets? Yes, sometimes. It's best to try to leave your dog with one or two interesting items to focus on. Do not leave 500 toys for your dog to play with. Chances are he will get bored with them, and if he has that many toys, he just assumes everything is his. I like leaving a marrow bone filled with yummy stuff or wedging a piece of hot dog in the bone that the dog can try to get out. There are great interactive toys you can purchase - some of which contain hidden treats for the dog. Rotate your dogs toys as well. Take away a favorite toy for a few days and then leave it with him one day while you are gone. He will be so excited to see that squeaky duck again (or whatever it is)!
If you have found that your dog has already started chewing something he shouldn't, you may want to purchase a product called Bitter Apple (or something equivalent). Make sure you spray the product on your finger and place it on your dog's tongue. He will not like the bitter taste (usually!). Then spray the Bitter Apple on the area you want him to avoid. The taste will fade off the area, but the smell will remain, reminding your dog of that bad, bitter taste. Most people make the mistake of simply spraying the item on the couch or wherever and expecting the dog to avoid it. The dog doesn't care about the smell. He must relate the bad taste to the smell.
So when can you start to trust your pet? Does he have to be contained forever? The answer is no. Gradually, as your dog matures, you want to let your dog be alone in the house for short periods of time. Or you may want to extend the area in which he stays. Try going out for coffee or a quick lunch and see how he does. Praise him if you return to a home with no destruction. With time, you can start to trust your dog.
Remember, the destructive chew stage is from around 8 months old - 2 years old. Sometimes the time frame is less, sometimes more. If you exercise your dog before leaving the house and follow the advice I have mentioned, you will get through this stage with less damage!
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