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The act of chewing seems to be a matter of individual preference
among Poodles: some have an innate desire to chew as a pleasurable
activity in itself, and some seem to have no need to chew whatsoever
unless they're driven to it out of sheer boredom.
The phrase "destructive chewing" may sound redundant,
because -- by its very nature -- all chewing is destructive.
Your Poodle has strong jaws full of sharp, pointy teeth:
just about anything your Poodle starts to chew on is probably
going to show the effects of it inside of a minute. So just to
clarify, when I use the phrase "destructive chewing",
I'm referring to inappropriate chewing: the kind of chewing that's
focused on your own possessions and household items, instead
of on your Poodle's own designated toys and chews.
The three main reasons why dogs chew:
- Most dogs have a natural desire to chew. It's fun, it passes
the time, and it's a self-rewarding, self-reinforcing activity
(for example, if your Poodle is chewing on something that
tastes good).
- Chewing provides a nervous, bored, or lonely dog with an
outlet for her emotions. To an anxious dog, the repetitive act
of chewing is soothing -- it's the doggie equivalent of comfort
food.
- Underexercised dogs often use chewing as a way of burning
up nervous energy and giving themselves something to do.
How to Prevent Destructive
Chewing
Poodles are perfectly capable of learning not to chew
your stuff -- you just have to put in a little effort first,
that's all.
1. Take control of the situation: manage your own possessions.
Your first step should be to dog-proof your home. Even if you
have the best-behaved dog in the world, there's still no reason
to test her self-control -- after all, Poodles explore the
world with their mouths.
Dog-proofing your home means taking whatever you don't want
to end up in her mouth, and making it unavailable. Consider her
size and agility when deciding whether something is out of reach:
can your Poodle jump? Can your Poodle climb, or leap
onto something else to reach the desired object? How tall is
your Poodle when standing on her back legs?
Common targets in the home include books, eyewear, clothing,
shoes, garbage, and small crunchy appliances like cameras, cell
phones, and remote controls.
It should go without saying that all food needs to be put
securely away: don't leave snacks on low tables (or even countertops
-- you would be surprised how acrobatic your Poodle can
be when there's food at stake!), put all food into containers
or the pantry. Rinse your dirty plates clean of any food scraps
before leaving them by the sink.
2. Prevent your Poodle from learning the joys of illegal
chewing. The more times your Poodle manages to snatch
a jawful of a forbidden substance -- a chair-leg, a pillow, a
running shoe -- the more readily your Poodle will target
those items in future. If you can prevent her from chewing your
stuff in the first place, it's a lot easier for her to understand
what you expect of her. Practically speaking, this means confining
her in a dog-proofed area until you're confident of her understanding
of the house rules.
3. Don't set her up for failure by blurring the boundaries
between her stuff (OK to chew) and your stuff (not OK to chew).
Don't offer your Poodle cast-off clothes, shoes, or towels
to chew and play with: realistically, you can't possibly expect
her to be able to tell the difference between your current shoes
and the one she's got in her mouth that you gave her five minutes
ago.
4. Provide her with lots of tasty alternatives to your
stuff. If her environment is relatively barren of attractive,
appropriate chewing objects, you can hardly blame her for targeting
your possessions. Remember, most dogs need to chew; if your Poodle
is an adolescent (under three years) or a puppy (under one year),
her needs will be even more pronounced. Go on a toy and chew
shopping spree, then give her two or three to play with at a
time. Rotating the available toys every few days will keep things
novel and interesting for her.
5. Spend lots of time in active supervision. Yes, it
might be easier for you to just keep your Poodle penned
up in her crate, run, or the yard -- but that's boring and horrible
for her, and hardly much fun for you either (if you wanted a
pet that you don't need to interact with, you'd have got a goldfish,
right?) your Poodle can't learn what you expect of her if
your Poodle is spending all her time boxed up in the dog-proof
zone: your Poodle needs the opportunity to explore the boundaries
of your expectations, so your Poodle can understand what's
appropriate and what's not.
6. When you catch her chewing something inappropriate,
interrupt her by making a loud noise: clap your hands or
make an "Ah-ah-aaaah!" noise. Then, immediately hand
her a tasty and dog-appropriate alternative (a rawhide bone or
other chew toy); as soon as her jaws close around it, praise
her lavishly. There is no better way to get your Poodle
to understand that chewing "her" toys equals praise
from you, but everything else equals trouble.
Maintain a Productive
Attitude
Above all, remember to keep your expectations realistic. You're
not perfect, and neither is your Poodle: there's likely
to be at least one incident where a cherished item is damaged
by her curiosity.
Particularly in the early stages of your relationship, your
Poodle is still learning the ropes: it will take a while
before your Poodle is completely reliable (and even then,
if your Poodle is left by herself for too long or feels
neglected, your Poodle may choose your stuff over hers to
occupy her time and jaws with.) Remember to give her time to
learn the rules, and plenty of "you-time" to help her
learn faster -- and don't forget to take precautions and keep
things out of reach until your Poodle has got the hang of
the chewing rules!
For more information on dog training techniques and how to
deal with problem dog behaviour (like chewing), check out Secrets to Dog Training. It's the complete
manual for dog ownership and is designed to fast-track your Poodle's
learning. |
