When my husband unexpectedly introduced our family to a new puppy I was not prepared for the adjustments we would need to make to include the little canine in our household. It had been several years since I’d had a dog as a member of the family and I had forgotten just how much dogs love to chew, especially puppies. My memory was about to be refreshed in a most unpleasant way.
I am definitely not a shoe horse so I don’t own numerous pairs of them. Most of the time I’m either barefoot or in my tennis shoes. When I worked outside the home in an office environment I had three pair of dress shoes to wear with my business suits. They were stylish but above all comfortable which is why I chose them. The dog had something else in mind for my shoes; he thought they would be the perfect chew toys.
Although my shoes were safely shut inside the closet, someone left the closet door open and the curious little canine took a gander inside. I didn’t realize what had happened until the next morning when I frantically ran around the house in search of my shoes. I was dressed and ready for work but there I was in my stocking feet in desperate need of a pair of shoes. I finally found my shoes in a pile behind the couch. I opened my mouth to let out a shriek but nothing came out. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.
All three pair of my work shoes had been chewed. What was I going to do? The mall wasn’t even open yet. I had to be at work in less than a half an hour and I had no time to run elsewhere in search of shoes. I examined the pile of shoes and selected the pair that looked as if they had been gnawed on the least. I went to work feeling self-conscious and wearing my chewed shoes. I did my best to disguise my footwear and hoped no one would notice. Of course they did notice though. So I went through the entire day explaining what had happened to my shoes. At least my co-workers found the story cute and had a few giggles for the day.
We have to be realistic; dogs chew. Puppies chew for teething purposes; they chew when they’re playing. Older dogs may chew when they are upset, lonely or bored. They can chew for any number of reasons. You can buy plenty of chew toys but that doesn’t guarantee that your dog wouldn’t prefer your favorite slippers. People often make the mistake of giving their canine friends items such as old socks or shoes to play with. If you do this, chances are your dog will think he can also play with your new shoes, socks or other belongings. Give him only what he is allowed to chew on such as the chew toys that you buy for him.
You can prevent your favorite items from falling victim to your dog’s chewing habit by keeping them out of the dog’s reach or by giving the dog limited household access. For example, if you tend to leave clothes strewn around your bedroom floor you may want to keep the dog out of your room. Work on training methods with your canine companion as often as you can. Teach him how to behave. You’ll know you are making progress when he begins to respond to your commands. Use simple one or two word commands such as no, stay and sit. Don’t physically discipline your dog. It can provoke aggression in the animal or may only serve to frighten him and then he may not respond because he is too afraid to. Only discipline when the animal is in the act of disobedience. It does no good to correct a pet for something he did last night or even this afternoon while you were away from home. He won’t know what he is being disciplined for. You wouldn’t discipline your child today for something he did a week ago, would you? Well, maybe you would, but that’s not the point. Work with your dog until he learns. It takes time and patience but he will learn.
Spend plenty of time with your dog. You are his companion as well as he is yours. He depends on you being there for him. He needs your attention. Give him plenty of love and affection. But if your dog seems to be extremely destructive and doesn’t respond to your commands, you might want to consider obedience school or get assistance from a professional dog trainer. They can help you to teach your dog with proper disciplinary tactics and provide insight into common behavior problems. If you’ve got a dog that loves to chew, take my advice: put the shoes in the closet and shut the door tightly.
