How to stop dog from chewing is sometimes difficult. Chewing is regarded as a perfectly natural dog trait, so the problem can be a little more difficult to control. Ironically, dogs often chew what they value the most.

Shoes, and other leather-based products, are often prime targets because they either contain the owners smell or scent, or they just taste really good. Adding to the mix, is the fact that they like to chew wood to help keep their teeth clean and strong, over complicating the solution of how to stop a dog from chewing.

The easiest solution is to puppy-proof or dog-proof your environment where possible. The trick to how to stop a dog from chewing is removing any shoes and items that will contain the owners scent, or that dogs would find interesting and entertaining to play with when left unsupervised.

The most obvious solution on how to stop a dog from chewing, is therefore, providing them with toys which they can chew on, usually with food treats inside to keep them occupied for hours upon end.

Always encourage the dog to chew on only the items you want them to chew on, and reward and praise this behavior with lots of fun attention. Conversely, when addressing how to stop a dog from chewing, you must chastise the negative behavior which you will not tolerate. When you finally realize that how to stop a dog from chewing is no different to other negative behaviors, it becomes easier to implement.

Another possible answer on how to stop a dog from chewing, could be boredom or simply lack of exercise. Every dog requires an extensive exercise routine, so exercise is often the cheapest way on how to stop a dog from chewing items inside the house. Always take the dog for long walks prior to leaving them for any extended period of time, and provide them with chew toys which are appropriate in size for the dog.

As this is an exercise in how to stop a dog chewing, always segregate dogs that chew away from dogs that do not chew. As this is a natural behavior which you are trying to de-train, they will copy the actions of other dogs faster than they will copy you. If you have several dogs, ensure that each dog has its own chew toys, otherwise chewing could escalate into nipping or biting aggression. Providing a companion to play with and distract this behavior, while seemingly a great idea, often doubles the troubles.

As a last resort in how to stop a dog from chewing, the use of a commercial spray applied to furniture, or other items you want to protect from chewing, will make it a distasteful deterrent. Applying a mix of six parts water to one part vinegar, and spraying this on to furniture, is often the most effective way to stop a dog from chewing items that are at their eye level or below.