My Dog Chews Everything!
Post Date:
November 9, 2023
(Date Last Modified: November 13, 2025)
Dogs use their mouths to explore and to relieve physical or emotional needs, so chewing is a common behavior with many underlying causes.
Causes of Chewing
Chewing can be driven by instinctual exploration, oral development, stress, or pain; identifying the root cause lets you choose the most effective response. Puppies and young dogs commonly mouth and chew more intensely during the first 6 months as deciduous teeth fall out and permanent teeth erupt, increasing oral sensitivity and exploratory behavior.[1]
Beyond development, dogs chew to investigate novel objects, to obtain attention, or to reduce anxiety. When chewing appears in response to environmental change — for example after a move or a schedule change — the behavior is often motivated by stress or boredom rather than a simple desire for a toy.
Developmental Stages & Teething
Puppy dental development follows a typical timeline: deciduous (baby) teeth usually erupt between about 3 and 6 weeks of age, and permanent adult teeth generally appear between about 4 and 7 months of age.[2]
Teething discomfort often corresponds to the windows when specific teeth erupt, and for many puppies a short, intense period of soreness corresponds to each eruption event; owners commonly report a 2- to 3-week span of noticeable increased chewing around major tooth changes.[2]
Adolescent mouthing may continue as dogs reach social and sexual maturity, but if strong new chewing starts after about 2 years of age it is prudent to evaluate medical, dental, or behavioral causes rather than assume a developmental phase.[1]
| Stage | Age range | Common behaviors | Recommended actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puppy | 3–12 weeks | Intense mouthing, teething bites | Safe chews, supervised exploration |
| Late puppy / adolescent | 3–7 months | Chewing during tooth replacement, increased activity | Redirect, training sessions, durable chews |
| Young adult | 6–24 months | Drive-driven chewing, play-related destruction | Increase exercise, target enrichment |
| Adult / senior | 2+ years | Chewing from dental pain, cognitive change | Veterinary exam, dental care |
Breed, Genetics & Temperament
Breed drive and inherited tendencies influence how much chewing an individual dog needs; many working and sporting breeds have elevated oral and physical drives that require structured outlets. High-drive dogs commonly benefit from multiple activity periods rather than a single long walk, and programs that supply purposeful work decrease unwanted chewing.
Some breeds and bloodlines require structured exercise and task-based outlets measured in multiple daily sessions; for example, handlers often plan several 30- to 90-minute activity blocks to meet the drive in highly active working dogs.[3]
Temperament assessment — observing play style, persistence, and response to redirection — helps predict whether chewing will be occasional, situational, or a more persistent trait that needs a long-term management plan.
Environmental Triggers & Boredom
An unstimulating environment or inconsistent routine frequently produces chewing as an outlet. For many dogs, adding a single structured 10- to 20-minute play or training session each day reduces the frequency of destructive chewing episodes.[3]
When unsupervised time is lengthy, unwanted chewing is more likely. Incremental confinement and supervised freedom can prevent accidental reinforcement of the behavior while the dog learns acceptable alternatives.
Health & Dental Causes
Because pain can drive chewing or mouth-focused behavior, dental disease should be ruled out before relying solely on behavioral strategies. Periodontal disease and other oral pathology affect up to 80% of dogs older than 3 years in some clinical surveys, and untreated dental pain commonly alters chewing patterns and oral preference.[4]
Oral injuries, retained baby teeth, fractured teeth, and foreign bodies can produce acute chewing or avoidance; veterinary examination including oral inspection and dental radiographs is the appropriate diagnostic step when pain or abnormal drooling, bleeding, or changes in appetite are present.
Safe Chew Toys & Materials
Select durable chews sized to the dog: a chew that can be swallowed or reduced to a dangerous fragment is unsafe. Choose chews so that the smallest fragment a dog could detach is larger than about 0.5 in (12 mm) to reduce choking and intestinal foreign‑body risk.[2]
- Rubber toys: resilient and flexible for strong chewers when rated for heavy duty.
- Nylon and hard chews: can be long-lasting but may risk tooth wear or fracture if excessively hard.
- Edible chewables and dental sticks: useful for short-term redirection but should be used under portion control.
Rotate toys and retire any item that shows significant wear or that splinters; many owners plan a regular inspection and remove toys showing sharp edges or substantial mass loss, and some professionals suggest replacement intervals based on observed wear rather than calendar time.[2]
Training & Positive Reinforcement Techniques
Training that focuses on rewarding desired alternatives is more effective than punishment for stopping chewing. Use immediate replacement: when the dog takes an unacceptable item, calmly remove it and offer an approved chew; reward the dog for accepting the approved item to reinforce the replacement behavior. Timing matters — rewards delivered within 1 to 2 seconds help the dog associate the action and the consequence.[3]
Short, frequent training sessions are easier for dogs to learn from than long sessions: sessions of about 5 to 10 minutes repeated 2 to 3 times per day maintain focus and accelerate learning of cues such as “leave it” and “drop.”[3]
Management & Puppy-Proofing the Home
Practical management prevents accidental reinforcement while training is underway. Store shoes, cords, and small objects out of reach; for young puppies, crate training and short confinement periods help avoid unsupervised chewing until reliable recall and replacement behaviors are established.
A common approach to increasing freedom is gradual: provide a small increase in unsupervised time each day (for example an extra 5 to 10 minutes) while monitoring behavior and stepping back if chewing resumes.[3]
When Chewing Is Severe or Dangerous
Ingestion of toxic substances or large foreign objects is an emergency. If a dog swallows a potentially hazardous object or a known toxin, early veterinary assessment and possible endoscopic or surgical retrieval within 24 hours can reduce complications in many cases.[4]
Compulsive, repetitive chewing that continues despite consistent management, enrichment, and veterinary clearance for pain or medical disease often requires referral to a certified veterinary behaviorist or experienced applied animal behaviorist; cases that persist more than about 3 months despite structured intervention commonly need specialist input.[5]
When chewing is linked to severe separation anxiety, destructive patterns, or repeated ingestion of foreign bodies, coordinated care combining behavior modification, environmental management, and medical options delivers the best outcomes.
Dogs use their mouths to explore and to relieve physical or emotional needs, so chewing is a common behavior with many underlying causes.
Causes of Chewing
Chewing can be driven by instinctual exploration, oral development, stress, or pain; identifying the root cause lets you choose the most effective response. Puppies and young dogs commonly mouth and chew more intensely during the first 6 months as deciduous teeth fall out and permanent teeth erupt, increasing oral sensitivity and exploratory behavior.[1]
Beyond development, dogs chew to investigate novel objects, to obtain attention, or to reduce anxiety. When chewing appears in response to environmental change — for example after a move or a schedule change — the behavior is often motivated by stress or boredom rather than a simple desire for a toy.
Developmental Stages & Teething
Puppy dental development follows a typical timeline: deciduous (baby) teeth usually erupt between about 3 and 6 weeks of age, and permanent adult teeth generally appear between about 4 and 7 months of age.[2]
Teething discomfort often corresponds to the windows when specific teeth erupt, and for many puppies a short, intense period of soreness corresponds to each eruption event; owners commonly report a 2- to 3-week span of noticeable increased chewing around major tooth changes.[2]
Adolescent mouthing may continue as dogs reach social and sexual maturity, but if strong new chewing starts after about 2 years of age it is prudent to evaluate medical, dental, or behavioral causes rather than assume a developmental phase.[1]
| Stage | Age range | Common behaviors | Recommended actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puppy | 3–12 weeks | Intense mouthing, teething bites | Safe chews, supervised exploration |
| Late puppy / adolescent | 3–7 months | Chewing during tooth replacement, increased activity | Redirect, training sessions, durable chews |
| Young adult | 6–24 months | Drive-driven chewing, play-related destruction | Increase exercise, target enrichment |
| Adult / senior | 2+ years | Chewing from dental pain, cognitive change | Veterinary exam, dental care |
Breed, Genetics & Temperament
Breed drive and inherited tendencies influence how much chewing an individual dog needs; many working and sporting breeds have elevated oral and physical drives that require structured outlets. High-drive dogs commonly benefit from multiple activity periods rather than a single long walk, and programs that supply purposeful work decrease unwanted chewing.
Some breeds and bloodlines require structured exercise and task-based outlets measured in multiple daily sessions; for example, handlers often plan several 30- to 90-minute activity blocks to meet the drive in highly active working dogs.[3]
Temperament assessment — observing play style, persistence, and response to redirection — helps predict whether chewing will be occasional, situational, or a more persistent trait that needs a long-term management plan.
Environmental Triggers & Boredom
An unstimulating environment or inconsistent routine frequently produces chewing as an outlet. For many dogs, adding a single structured 10- to 20-minute play or training session each day reduces the frequency of destructive chewing episodes.[3]
When unsupervised time is lengthy, unwanted chewing is more likely. Incremental confinement and supervised freedom can prevent accidental reinforcement of the behavior while the dog learns acceptable alternatives.
Health & Dental Causes
Because pain can drive chewing or mouth-focused behavior, dental disease should be ruled out before relying solely on behavioral strategies. Periodontal disease and other oral pathology affect up to 80% of dogs older than 3 years in some clinical surveys, and untreated dental pain commonly alters chewing patterns and oral preference.[4]
Oral injuries, retained baby teeth, fractured teeth, and foreign bodies can produce acute chewing or avoidance; veterinary examination including oral inspection and dental radiographs is the appropriate diagnostic step when pain or abnormal drooling, bleeding, or changes in appetite are present.
Safe Chew Toys & Materials
Select durable chews sized to the dog: a chew that can be swallowed or reduced to a dangerous fragment is unsafe. Choose chews so that the smallest fragment a dog could detach is larger than about 0.5 in (12 mm) to reduce choking and intestinal foreign‑body risk.[2]
When introducing new chews, observe the dog for the first 10 to 15 minutes to detect aggressive nibbling that creates shards or exposes hard cores; many owners find the initial supervised session is the best way to test compatibility and durability.[2]
Inspect chews and toys on a routine schedule — for example weekly — and remove any item that shows cracking, deep gouges, or piece loss greater than roughly 50% of its original mass, since worn chews present higher ingestion risk.[2]
Training & Positive Reinforcement Techniques
Training that focuses on rewarding desired alternatives is more effective than punishment for stopping chewing. Use immediate replacement: when the dog takes an unacceptable item, calmly remove it and offer an approved chew; reward the dog for accepting the approved item to reinforce the replacement behavior. Timing matters — rewards delivered within 1 to 2 seconds help the dog associate the action and the consequence.[3]
Short, frequent training sessions are easier for dogs to learn from than long sessions: sessions of about 5 to 10 minutes repeated 2 to 3 times per day maintain focus and accelerate learning of cues such as “leave it” and “drop.”[3]
For dogs that repeatedly retrieve forbidden items, practice exchange games: teach the dog that giving up an object earns a higher‑value treat or toy immediately, which increases voluntary relinquishment over time.[3]
Management & Puppy-Proofing the Home
Practical management prevents accidental reinforcement while training is underway. Store shoes, cords, and
