Hi Folks,

I've got a 7 month old Rat Terrier named Murphy.  I love him dearly, but he is winning in the war to train him.  (training is not a "war".  It's just part of owning a pet).  Murphy has been fixed, and I thought this would calm him down.  (neutering does solve some unacceptable behavior... but doesn't usually calm a dog down especially if it's a young dog).  Not so much.

One of the most destructive habits habits he has -- even more than not being housebroken -- is that chews.  When I put him outside, he chews on the outside of the door frame!  When left unattended for any amount of time, he chews on furniture (he's ruined some very nice bedroom furniture). (If he has totally "ruined" some nice furniture, then perhaps he was left unsupervised too long?) He has chewwed up several of my son's toys. (shut the door to your son's room or any other room you don't wish for the dog to go into).   When We have boarded him, we put his crate in the cage with him, and he he chewwed on crate!  It's not as if the animal doesn't have chew toys, and he has a friend in our 9 year old Carrin Terrier (alpha dog). 

Help?  Advice? Recommendations for sedatives for me?

There are various reasons for destructive chewing. Pups need to chew when they are teething between the age of four to six months and this often carries over until a dog is a year or more of age. They are like babies putting everything in their mouths. This is a pleasurable and necessary experience for them and must be handled properly or a chewing habit may be carried into adulthood. The best way to handle this problem is to soak several old wash rags in water, squeeze them out, and put them in the freezer. Whenever you catch your pup chewing, give him one of these frozen wash rags. The coldness will soothe his swollen gums.  Also, try giving him a kong filled with peanut butter to keep him busy for awhile.

Older dogs usually chew to release tension. There are several things you can do to help your dog feel more at ease. Try to avoid emotionally charged departures. When you leave, just say, "Good-bye, see you later." The greater fuss you make, the more anxiety you create. Establish your leadership through training. Dogs are more secure knowing they have a leader. Do not give in to his demand for excessive attention when you are home. The more you give, the more he will want and, when you are not there, he will be frustrated. Do not isolate your dog as punishment for chewing. This will create more tension and lead to more chewing. Do not physically punish him for chewing. He is chewing to relieve tension, and punishment creates more tension, hence, more chewing. Instead, give him plenty of exercise before leaving him home alone. Exercise works the same way for dogs as it does for humans. It relieves tension.  Less tension = less chewing.

If your dog insists on chewing, there are some things you can do to slow down the habit and redirect the chewing to permissible objects. Do not play tug-of-war games. This stimulates the oral/mouthing response. Get him a toy-box and fill it with permissible chew toys-nylon bones, racquet balls, rubber rings, and nylon rope. Do not put any personal belongings in this box such as old slippers, knotted socks, or any leather or fabric items. Whenever he chews on a personal belonging, say, "NO CHEW!" and lead him over to his toy-box, give him one of his chew toys and say, "CHEW," followed by "Good Dog!" This will teach him that he can chew but only if the item comes out of his toy box. If he has a personal item in his mouth, do not pull it out. Instead, distract him with one of his toys or a food tidbit. If this does not work, blow a whistle, pop a balloon, or blow a horn. A loud noise will cause him to release. Physical punishment for having this forbidden item in his mouth will only serve to reinforce this behavior. In other words, the chewing will continue and will, in all probability, increase in frequency.

The key factor in anything that you do is to establish a bond with your dog. It is essential that you spend time training him. Part of any good training program includes breaks for playtime. And, of course, lots and lots of daily exercise is absolutely necessary.

And of course... until the dog is older and the chewing behavior is curtailed.... ALWAYS make sure he's supervised (you can't correct the behavior if you don't see it)... and make sure he is in his crate when he's not supervised.  Close the doors of rooms you don't want him in... and keep stuff PUT UP (shoes, etc.) that you don't want to run the risk of him getting ahold of.

 Edited to add:  I personally don't advise allowing your dog to chew on sticks.  They can get them stuck in the roof  of their mouth, run with them and get it imbedded in them, or choke on them.   (My doxie almost choked to death when she got a twig embedded in her throat and it scared me to DEATH a few years ago!!)  As much as possible i would avoid your dog chewing and gnawing on them.