How to Stop a Dog Chewing Everything: Destructive Chewing Training for Dogs

Quick Answer
  • Most destructive chewing is not spite. It is usually normal exploration, teething, boredom, stress, or anxiety when a dog is unsupervised.
  • Start with management first: pick up tempting items, use gates or a crate, and give durable food-stuffed toys or approved chews every time your dog is alone.
  • Reward the behavior you want. When your dog chooses their own toy, praise and offer a treat or brief play right away.
  • Increase daily exercise and mental work. Many dogs chew less when they get predictable walks, training games, sniffing time, and enrichment feeding.
  • Call your vet promptly if your dog may have swallowed part of an object, is gagging, vomiting, drooling, pawing at the mouth, or suddenly starts chewing more than usual.
Estimated cost: $0–$60

Why This Happens

Chewing is a normal dog behavior. Puppies use their mouths to explore and often chew more during teething. Adult dogs may chew because they are bored, under-exercised, curious, or left with easy access to tempting items like shoes, remotes, trash, and laundry. Veterinary behavior references also note that many destructive behaviors happen when dogs are unsupervised and not engaged in more appropriate activities.

Sometimes chewing points to a bigger issue. Dogs with separation-related distress, confinement stress, noise fears, or general anxiety may chew doors, crates, trim, bedding, or household objects when left alone. A sudden increase in chewing can also happen with pain or medical problems, including dental discomfort, skin disease, or pica. That is why a behavior plan works best when paired with a quick check-in with your vet if the chewing is new, intense, or paired with other symptoms.

The goal is not to stop chewing completely. Dogs need safe outlets for chewing, shredding, licking, and foraging. Training works by changing the setup around your dog, meeting physical and mental needs, and making the right choices easier than the wrong ones.

Step-by-Step Training Guide

Estimated total time: Most mild cases improve within 2-6 weeks with consistent management and training. Anxiety-related chewing often takes longer and may need professional support.

  1. 1

    1. Prevent rehearsal of the problem

    beginner

    For the next 2 to 4 weeks, manage the environment like training is already in progress. Pick up shoes, cords, kids' toys, laundry, and trash. Use baby gates, exercise pens, closed doors, or a crate if your dog is already comfortable with it. The fastest way to reduce destructive chewing is to stop giving your dog chances to practice it.

    Start today; maintain daily for 2-4 weeks

    Tips:
    • Set up one dog-safe room or pen with water, bedding if your dog does not shred it, and approved chew items.
    • If your dog destroys bedding, ask your vet or trainer what safer setup fits your dog.
  2. 2

    2. Upgrade chew options

    beginner

    Give your dog legal chewing outlets every day. Rotate durable rubber toys, food-stuffed toys, long-lasting edible chews approved by your vet, and supervised chew sessions. Offer these items during predictable high-risk times, like after dinner, during work calls, or before you leave the house.

    Daily; 10-30 minutes per session or longer for food toys

    Tips:
    • Reserve the highest-value chew items for alone time.
    • Supervise new toys and remove them if pieces start breaking off.
  3. 3

    3. Meet exercise and enrichment needs first

    beginner

    Chewing often improves when dogs get enough movement and mental work. Before expected rest time, give a walk, sniff break, training game, fetch session, or food puzzle. Many dogs settle better after a predictable routine of exercise, elimination, feeding, and quiet enrichment.

    Daily; usually 20-90 minutes total depending on the dog

    Tips:
    • Aim for breed- and age-appropriate activity, not one-size-fits-all exercise.
    • Sniff walks, scatter feeding, and short training sessions can tire dogs out without overdoing physical activity.
  4. 4

    4. Teach 'take this instead'

    beginner

    When you catch your dog approaching a household item, stay calm. Interrupt gently by calling them away, then immediately offer an approved toy. The moment they take the toy, praise and reward. This teaches a replacement behavior instead of turning the situation into a chase game.

    Practice 5-10 repetitions daily

    Tips:
    • Keep toys in every room so redirection is fast.
    • Do not punish after the fact. Dogs do not connect delayed scolding with earlier chewing.
  5. 5

    5. Reinforce calm alone-time habits

    intermediate

    If chewing happens mostly when your dog is alone, work on short, easy departures paired with a stuffed toy or chew. Start with very brief absences your dog can handle and build gradually. Camera monitoring can help you tell the difference between normal chewing and anxiety-related distress.

    Daily for several weeks to months

    Tips:
    • If your dog panics, vocalizes, drools, or tries to escape, pause and ask your vet about separation-related distress.
    • Keep departures low-key and predictable.
  6. 6

    6. Teach cue-based skills that support impulse control

    intermediate

    Practice cues like leave it, drop it, go to mat, and settle using reward-based training. These skills do not replace management, but they make it easier to redirect your dog before chewing starts and help your dog learn what to do instead.

    5-10 minutes, 1-2 times daily

    Tips:
    • Use high-value treats at first.
    • Keep sessions short and end before your dog loses interest.
  7. 7

    7. Track patterns and adjust

    beginner

    Write down what your dog chews, when it happens, whether anyone was home, and what exercise or enrichment happened first. Patterns often reveal the cause. For example, chewing only during absences suggests separation-related distress, while evening chewing may point to under-stimulation or a need for a better routine.

    Daily for 2-3 weeks

    Tips:
    • Use your phone notes app for quick tracking.
    • Bring the log to your vet or trainer if progress stalls.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

One common mistake is assuming the chewing is spite or revenge. Dogs chew because the behavior works for them in that moment. It relieves discomfort, fills time, reduces stress, or gives access to something interesting. If you frame it as disobedience, it is easy to miss the real cause and choose a plan that does not help.

Another mistake is relying on punishment, yelling, leash corrections, or scary tools. Veterinary behavior groups recommend reward-based training and advise against aversive methods because they can increase fear, anxiety, and conflict. Punishment also tends to happen too late, after the chewing already occurred, so your dog learns very little except that people can be unpredictable.

Pet parents also run into trouble when they skip management. Training is much harder if your dog still has daily access to socks, furniture, trash, or baseboards. Anti-chew sprays may help in some homes, but they are not enough by themselves. If your dog keeps finding rewarding items, the habit stays strong.

Finally, do not ignore the possibility of a medical issue or foreign-body risk. Dogs that chew and swallow pieces of toys, fabric, wood, or rocks can develop choking, mouth injuries, broken teeth, or intestinal blockage. If your dog is ingesting what they chew, this moves out of the training-only category and into a veterinary concern.

When to See a Professional

See your vet promptly if destructive chewing starts suddenly, seems intense, or comes with drooling, bad breath, mouth pain, vomiting, diarrhea, pawing at the mouth, decreased appetite, or signs your dog may have swallowed something. Your vet may want to rule out dental disease, pain, skin disease, gastrointestinal issues, or pica before you focus only on training.

Professional training help makes sense when home steps are not enough after 2 to 4 weeks of consistent work, or when the chewing happens mostly during absences. Dogs that chew doors, windows, crates, walls, or bedding when left alone may have separation-related distress rather than a simple manners problem. In those cases, a reward-based trainer, behavior consultant, or veterinary behavior professional can build a more specific plan.

Choose someone who uses positive reinforcement and can explain their methods clearly. A general trainer may be a good fit for mild chewing and routine skills. If your dog also shows panic, escape attempts, growling over stolen items, or self-injury, ask your vet whether a behavior consultant or veterinary behavior specialist would be the better next step.

Training Options & Costs

Spectrum of Care means you have options. Here are treatment tiers at different price points.

DIY / Self-Guided

$0–$60
Best for: Mild chewing, puppy teething, boredom-related chewing, and pet parents who can supervise closely and stay consistent.
  • Home management with gates, closed doors, or crate if already crate-trained
  • Picking up tempting items and setting up a dog-safe area
  • 1-3 durable chew toys or food-stuffed toys
  • Daily exercise, sniff walks, and short reward-based training sessions
  • Tracking triggers, timing, and progress at home
Expected outcome: Good for many mild cases if the routine is consistent and the dog is not swallowing objects or showing anxiety when alone.
Consider: Lowest cost range, but it takes time, daily follow-through, and good management. Progress may stall if the chewing is driven by anxiety, pain, or pica.
Most Common

Group Classes / Online Course

$150–$350
Best for: Dogs with mild to moderate chewing who also need basic manners, impulse-control skills, and a more structured plan.
  • Structured reward-based lessons
  • Coaching on leave it, drop it, settle, and redirection
  • Homework plans and accountability
  • Social learning for pet parents and troubleshooting common setbacks
  • Sometimes includes video review or email support
Expected outcome: Often good when chewing is linked to under-stimulation, routine gaps, or inconsistent training at home.
Consider: More guidance than DIY, but less individualized. Group settings may not fit dogs with strong anxiety, panic when alone, or complex behavior concerns.

Private Trainer / Behaviorist

$50–$150
Best for: Moderate to severe chewing, chewing that happens mainly when alone, dogs that ingest objects, or cases not improving with basic home training.
  • One-on-one assessment of triggers and home setup
  • Customized management and behavior-modification plan
  • Coaching for separation-related chewing, pica risk, or multi-dog households
  • Video review, follow-up plans, and progress adjustments
  • Coordination with your vet when medical or anxiety concerns are part of the picture
Expected outcome: Best option for complex cases because the plan is tailored to the dog, household, and likely cause.
Consider: Higher cost range and more scheduling effort, but often more efficient for difficult cases and safer when foreign-body risk is present.

Cost estimates as of 2026-03. Actual costs vary by location, clinic, and individual case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my dog grow out of destructive chewing?

Some puppies improve as teething ends, but many dogs do not outgrow the habit without management and training. If chewing has become rewarding, it usually continues unless you change the setup and teach better options.

Should I punish my dog for chewing my stuff?

No. Punishment after the fact does not teach the right lesson and can increase fear or conflict. Reward-based redirection, better management, and more enrichment are safer and usually more effective.

Do anti-chew sprays work?

They can help on some surfaces and with some dogs, but they are not a complete plan. Many dogs ignore them, and some chew anyway if the behavior is driven by boredom or anxiety.

How much exercise does a chewing dog need?

It depends on age, breed, health, and temperament. The key is enough physical activity plus mental work. Many dogs need a mix of walks, sniffing, training games, and food enrichment rather than exercise alone.

When is chewing a medical problem instead of a training problem?

Talk with your vet if the chewing starts suddenly, your dog seems painful, has bad breath, drools, paws at the mouth, eats nonfood items, vomits, or has other behavior changes. Medical issues and pica can look like behavior problems at first.

What if my dog only chews when left alone?

That pattern can suggest separation-related distress, especially if you also see pacing, barking, drooling, escape attempts, or destruction around doors and windows. Ask your vet and consider a qualified behavior professional.

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