Breaking Your Dog of Destructive Chewing
As the lead behavior modification trainer at a Professional Dog training facility, my primary responsibility when a new dog arrives at our kennels is to evaluate the specific needs of the owner as well as the reasons for the behavior exhibited by the dog. One of the primary concerns I hear from owners requesting behavior modification training for their dog, is destructive chewing. Below are some steps that you can take on your own to correct this behavior.
The first thing that I do when beginning behavior modification training with a dog is start with a foundation of Basic Obedience. Basic obedience is the solid foundation for any kind of training because it teaches dogs the very fundamentals of a dog and human relationship. The most important rule in training, as well as a daily relationship with your dog is to be sure that you and your dog understand each other. You want to be sure that your dog knows that you are in control, that you are the alpha of the relationship, that you are trustworthy, fair and dependable. Because we cannot speak to our dogs and have them understand our every word dog price under 5000, we have to put things in a language that they can understand, and be sure that they understand it before we expect results. Basic obedience is the foundation for this communication. In basic obedience we teach the very fundamentals, walking at your side on leash, sitting, staying there until told to get up, laying down on a dog bed when asked, etc.
These very simple and basic commands tell your dog that you are in control, that you are going to ask them to do some things and you expect your dog to follow your directions. This foundation also teaches your dog how to follow your directions, how to understand the new language that you are creating. When doing behavior modification training, I always begin with a three to four week basic obedience course. In order to correct destructive chewing I suggest that you begin with this course as well. If your dog already responds well to commands such as sit, lay down, can walk on a leash without pulling you then you have a strong foundation to begin modification training. Although if you find that these simple commands escape your dog, you should begin with Basic obedience before attempting to tackle any kind of behavior modification.