Destructive Chewing in Dogs: Causes by Age and How to Stop It

Dogs chew because they need to: it relieves teething pain, lets them explore, occupies them and helps them calm down. Destructive chewing stops when the dog has no access to the wrong things, plenty of access to the right ones, and enough exercise, mental work and rest. Start by working out why your dog chews, because a teething puppy, a bored adolescent and an anxious adult need different answers.

Why dogs chew: causes by age

Age	Typical cause	What helps most
Puppy, about 3–7 months	Teething, exploring the world with the mouth	Puppy-proofing, cool and soft chew items, constant supervision
Adolescent, about 6–18 months	Exploration, surplus energy, boredom, strong jaws and new confidence	Tougher chew items, more exercise and mental work, continued management
Adult	Boredom, under-exercise, habit, stress or anxiety, sometimes medical causes	Review the daily routine, film absences, vet check if the behavior is new

Teething

Puppies lose their baby teeth and get their adult teeth between roughly three and seven months. Gums are sore during this time, and chewing brings relief. Puppies also investigate everything with their mouths. Hands and trouser legs are frequent targets too; the guide to puppy biting deals with that part.

Boredom and under-exercise

A dog with too little to do finds its own work. Typical signs: chewing happens at predictable low points of the day, the targets vary, and the dog looks relaxed while doing it. Young dogs of working and sporting breeds are particularly prone to this. The solution is not hours of ball throwing but a mix of walks with sniffing time, short training sessions and chewing or search games.

Anxiety and stress

If damage happens only when the dog is alone, focuses on doors, frames and window sills, and comes with barking, pacing, drooling or house soiling, separation-related distress is the more likely cause. Chew toys will not solve that. Follow the plan in the guide to separation anxiety and get professional support. Dogs may also chew more in response to noise, changes at home or conflict.

Medical reasons

Dental pain, gastrointestinal problems and nutritional issues can increase chewing or lead a dog to eat non-food items such as stones, fabric or plaster. A sudden change in an adult dog, or swallowing what it chews, is a reason to see a vet.

Step 1: Puppy-proof and manage

A dog cannot learn what is off limits while it keeps having fun with forbidden things. Until the habit is established, control the environment.

1. Clear the floor. Shoes, socks, children’s toys, remote controls, glasses and chargers go into cupboards or above head height of the dog.
2. Secure cables. Use cable protectors or route cords behind furniture. Chewed power cords can cause burns and electric shock.
3. Remove hazards. Keep medication, cleaning products, batteries, houseplants and trash behind closed doors or lids.
4. Limit space. Use baby gates or a playpen so the dog is only in rooms that are prepared. Freedom grows with reliability, room by room.
5. Supervise or confine. When you cannot watch a puppy, it rests in a playpen or in a crate it has been introduced to properly. See the guide to crate training for how to build that up.

As a rule of thumb, extend freedom only after two to four weeks without incidents at the current level.

Step 2: Provide legal chew outlets

Offer a choice of permitted items and make them more interesting than the furniture.

• Variety of textures. Keep three to five items available: for example a stuffable rubber toy, a rope or fabric toy for supervised use, and an edible chew suited to the dog’s size and age.
• Rotate. Swap items every few days. A toy that has been away for a week is new again.
• Cool for teething. A rubber toy filled with soaked kibble and frozen, or a damp cloth that has been chilled, soothes sore gums. Supervise cloth items.
• Right size and hardness. The item must be too large to swallow whole. Very hard items can crack teeth; a common guide is that you should be able to dent the surface with a fingernail. Avoid cooked bones, which can splinter.
• Supervise edible chews and take away small end pieces by trading for a treat.
• Daily chewing time. Plan 10–20 minutes of chewing or licking once or twice a day, ideally at the times when the dog used to go looking for something.

Praise or reward the dog when it picks up its own item unprompted. That choice is the behavior you want to grow.

Step 3: Interrupt, redirect and trade

When you catch the dog with something it should not have, stay calm. Chasing turns the object into a prize.

Redirect

1. Interrupt with a neutral sound, such as the dog’s name or a kissing noise.
2. Offer a permitted chew item and make it lively for a second or two.
3. When the dog takes it, praise quietly and let it chew in peace.
4. Then remove or block the forbidden item so the situation does not repeat.

Teach a trade or “drop it” cue

1. Start with a toy of low value. While the dog holds it, say “drop” once and place a treat directly at its nose.
2. When the dog lets go to eat, pick up the toy, then give it straight back. The dog learns that giving things up does not mean losing them.
3. Repeat 5–10 times per session over several days. When the dog starts releasing on the word alone, give the cue first and produce the treat afterward.
4. Raise the value of the objects gradually: toy, chew item, then safe household objects you set up on purpose.
5. In real situations with forbidden items, always pay with something better and return a legal item where possible.

If the dog stiffens, growls or gulps things down as you approach, do not take the item by force. That is resource guarding and needs a professional. Learning to read the early signs is covered in the guide to dog body language.

Common mistakes

• Punishing after the fact. The dog cannot link scolding to something it did an hour ago. It learns only that your return is unpredictable.
• Chasing the dog. It becomes a game and encourages running off with items or swallowing them quickly.
• Old shoes or socks as toys. The dog cannot tell an old shoe from a new one.
• Too much freedom too early. One chewed cable is enough to prove that the dog was not ready for the whole apartment.
• Relying on physical exercise alone. More running builds fitness. Sniffing, training and chewing tire the mind and promote calm.
• Unsafe chew items. Cooked bones, items small enough to swallow and toys that are falling apart are risks, not solutions.
• Leaving a damaged toy in use. Check items regularly and replace them when pieces come off.

What to do if your dog swallows something

Chewing becomes dangerous when pieces are swallowed. Socks, toy parts, corn cobs, stones, string and bone fragments can block the gut; batteries, medication and some plants and foods are toxic.

Call your vet or an emergency clinic immediately if you know or suspect that the dog has swallowed an object or a harmful substance. Say what it was, how much and when. Do not induce vomiting on your own and do not wait to see whether it passes. Vomiting, retching, refusing food, a tense or painful belly, straining or unusual tiredness in the hours and days afterward are also reasons for prompt veterinary care.

When professional help makes sense

See a vet if an adult dog suddenly starts chewing, eats non-food items, drools heavily, shows pain when eating or has bad breath. Work with a qualified, reward-based trainer or behavior professional if the damage happens mainly when the dog is alone, if it guards objects, or if consistent management and enrichment bring no improvement after four to six weeks.

For most puppies and young dogs, chewing settles as teething ends and routines take hold. Setbacks in adolescence are normal, and returning to tighter management for a few weeks is usually enough. A structured day helps; the puppy training schedule shows how to combine activity, training and rest.