Stop dog from chewing my shoes?

Thursday March 31st, 2011

Question:

My dog loves to eat shoes! How do I get her to stop?

Answer:

Your shoes are a strange combination of everything your dog loves: they're chewy and they smell like you. One dog told me that her owner should think of her shoe chewing as a compliment!

Most dogs feel guilty after they've destroyed a shoe. They didn't mean to eat it. They just meant to experience it a little.

To make it stop, you need to remove the three causes of shoe chewing: the temptation, the loneliness and the boredom.

Remove the Temptation
Shoe chewing is an addictive behavior. You need to put your shoes away. Your dog may try to apply her chewing to other things that smell like you. Make sure you keep your clothes put away too.

To control the cravings, give her an alternative like a nylabone or a kong. Do not give her a rawhide chew. Rawhide chews are cowhide. They're a lot like shoes. Let's not confuse her with nuance.

Remove the Loneliness
If she's chewing your shoes because she's missing you, find something fun that the two of you can do together. If she's alone all day by herself, consider getting her a companion or taking her to doggie daycare.

Remove the Boredom
Every dog needs a job. If your dog has something to focus on, besides your shoes, voila, problem is solved. Ask your dog to do something for you. My resident recovered-shoe-chewer's job is to keep our house safe. She looks out the window and occasionally lets the neighborhood know that this house is protected by a tough whippet mix.

I hope your dog's shoe-chewing days are behind her.

Bridget Pilloud is a professional intuitive animal communicator. By telepathically communicating with animals, she helps pets increase understanding, resolve conflict and improve relationships with their human companions.

Tags Dog Behavior, Dog Training

DogTime newsletter

Related Content on DogTime.com

Raising a puppy: Training your puppy to be people-friendly
March 31st, 2011
Raising and training a pup to be people-friendly is the second most important goal of pet-dog husbandry. Remember, teaching bite inhibition is always the most important goal. But during your pup's...
How to stop dogs from destructive chewing
March 31st, 2011
Is chewing a destructive behavior? Here's the simplest answer: Only if he's chewing on the wrong thing. So give him something that's okay to chew. Puppy chewing is an important part of the teething...
The Dog-Wolf Link and Dominance Training
August 12th, 2011
By Katarina Behan, for Pet News and Views If you own a dog you may have been told that your dog is a wolf in dogs clothing, and that your dog is always watching you for signs of weakness so that he...

ok my dog chews his paws constantly he has been on shots, oatmeal baths only he got staph from his paws getting infected , he is on venison and potatoes ,special food. he was on topocal which is a steroid which makes him urinate and always be hungry I am at a loss what to do next he still itches all the time even with dr care. lisa

almost 2 years ago by Anonymous

Recent conversations on these topics

Is it ok to beat your dog when training it?
i just got a new dog and would like to know if beating when it does something bad is the only effective way to train it? ok if theres one thing I hate, its a dog that doesn't listen. If my dog starts doing something like scratching at a door, what alternatives are there other than yelling at it and hitting it? If I do that, then he'll associate me yelling at him with pain. Then hopefully the next time he does something bad and I yell at him, it will be enough So far, no one has really given any good alternatives. Also, gail, if I give the dog a treat everytime it stops scratching at the door, wouldn't it make him more likely to scratch at the door because he knows he'll get a treat when he stops?
Anyone heard of the Hotdoll for Dogs?
This is too funny! Saw this on divinecaroline.com... "The Hotdoll is a doggy love doll that is supposed to help channel the sexual appetite of canine pets." The Hotdoll website doesn't appear to be ready yet but checkout the article and picture here:<a href="http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/33672/33237-hotdoll-dogs">Hotdoll Article</a> Doesn't the dog in the picture look satisfied??!!
Political Animals: Why Some Stray Dogs Have Joined the Greek Riots
An interesting sociological phenomenon is taking place in the city of Athens. Some of the city's stray dogs are joining the anti-government demonstrators! <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/my-puppy-my-self/201005/political-animals-why-some-stray-dogs-have-joined-the-greek-riots">Political Animals: Why Stray Dogs Have Joined the Greek Riots<a> LCK
Canine Communication, II: "Calming Signals" & the Mel Gibson Tapes
Hi dog lovers! Check out my latest article on how dogs communicate, including input from Sigmund Freud, the Beach Boys, and the Mel Gibson tapes. Enjoy! <a href="http://ow.ly/2cxgt">Canine Communication, II: Calming Signals & the Mel Gibson Tapes<a>” LCK