Think hard about providing your dog with more company or mental stimulation as well as breaking the chewing habit with barriers or sprays. If your dog is bored and every time he chews on the drywall, you play with him to distract him or take him on walk, next time, he may chew in hopes of play time or a walk. What are Accidental Behavior Chains in Dog Training. Puppy chewing is often caused by the fact that either their baby teeth are erupting, or they are being replaced by permanent teeth. Fearful Escape Behavior: Dogs who are kept in a garage or certain room of the house often develop wall chewing after experiencing a single or repeated thunderstorms or exposure to outdoor fireworks while in this environment. This only works if he's chewing on a particular section of the trim -- otherwise, you'll have to spray your whole house. help. You have to work on training your dog to learn what he can and cannot chew. Similarly, a dog who experiences a fearful event in the room itself (e.g., the dog is stung by a wasp or knocks over a cabinet) may attempt to escape from that room in a panic by digging at or chewing walls. Separation Distress: Many dogs experience distress when separated from family members and will attempt to re-establish contact with family members by eating through the walls of their enclosure. ANSWER: 3. When an owner does not respond immediately, the dog may continue to chew through the wall in an ongoing attempt to obtain these responses from the owner. Not always though the attention has to be of the negative type though. They may also chew as a symptom of separation anxiety. ← "Science Friday! So if chewing through the drywall gets your attention (and it certainly does! You can also make a spray at home by using vinegar and water. Because each of these categories represents a different function, or cause, of the behavior, intervention strategies will vary based on your animal behaviorist’s assessment of your particular situation. A dog staring at the wall, gazing into a corner, or ‘into space’ on occasion isn’t a concern for dog owners. ": Research Paper Review, Leading by the Head: Addressing Leash Pulling →. In this case, chewing on the drywall provides sensory reinforcement, in other words, it just feels good. Call in pest removal or consider it could be pipe noise. If your dog is in a small room or if he hides in a closet, his panic may cause him to dig or chew the drywall in a desperate attempt to escape the threatening situation. When our dogs were puppies they chewed on everything from door frames to kitchen tables. For instance, if your dog chews through drywall because he is anxious, you will likely need to get help from a professional to implement a systematic desensitization program. If it’s an elderly dog staring at the wall, dog dementia is a possibility that needs to be considered. The behavior can persist or escalate merely because of the enrichment it provides for the dog. (Such a program will be outlined in more detail in next month’s column.) Stage 5 – Seniority Classification Period (12 to 16 weeks of age). puppy chewing corners of walls (☑ ) | puppy chewing corners of walls puppy chewing corners of walls (☑ ) | puppy chewing corners of walls how to puppy chewing corners of walls for Question: My 11-month-old Dalmatian has become aggressive towards younger and submissive dogs. How to stop a dog from chewing on wood trim? ? If the response is triggered by separation distress, we must teach the dog to be calm and even enjoy time home alone. 4. Puppy chewing is an important part of the teething process. A behavioral one? This article was co-authored by Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN. In my experience, they're only a negative effect on your dog. Some common reasons for this behavior will be described here but your sister-in-law should seek counseling with a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or board certified veterinary behaviorist before implementing any strategies on her own. With health issues ruled out, then it’s time to roll up sleeves and put on an investigative hat to pinpoint the problem. Very similar to bone! Common motivations for eating holes in the wall, destroying furniture and making a general mess of things include anxiety, boredom and immaturity. Have the blood tested. These loud, sudden noises can trigger severe fear responses in many dogs, and they may begin digging at or eating walls in an attempt to escape from this perceived threat. With energy drained, the introduction of interactive toys and attention provided only when desirable behaviors take place, the drywall will become less and less attractive over time. Try dog chewing deterrents. Fearful Escape Behavior: Dogs who are kept in a garage or certain room of the house often develop wall chewing after experiencing a single or repeated thunderstorms or exposure to outdoor fireworks while in this environment. Bored dogs, or dogs in need for attention, benefit from being provided with more exercise and mental enrichment. In this case, chewing on the drywall provides sensory reinforcement, in other words, it just feels good. I lived in an apartment up until 3 months ago and once I moved into a house, my dog picked up a new habit of chewing on the base of wall corners. He has plenty of toys to play with. It might not make sense to us, but when we see things from a dog’s perspective, chewing and even eating the drywall, may start to make sense.. Well, perhaps we should say, it becomes a tad bit more understandable. Ralston. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); DogDiscoveries.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for websites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Another option is to spray the baseboard trim with something disgusting that will send your dog running the other way. The reasons behind your dog's destructive tendencies vary with the root causes. She has chewed my corners of most of my walls and still going. Use a hacksaw to cut away the metal corner bead on a damaged corner and pry off the damaged section of corner bead with a pry bar. When a dog does chew walls or the framework of your home, it’s especially important to remember that this kind of behavior, especially in adult dogs, is often associated with isolation or anxiety. 3. My sister-in-law has a 1-year-old Collie who continues to chew holes in her drywall walls. If the response is based on fear or distress, we must decrease or eliminate uncontrolled exposure to the fear-provoking stimulus while teaching the dog to tolerate necessary events like thunderstorms in a systematic desensitization program. After a few months he started chewing on the baseboards and wall corners in the kitchen. It get's your dog around other people and dogs to socialize while getting the training you need. puppy chewing wall corners When can Puppies take a bath? A dog chewing on walls with this component can quickly become intoxicated even if the pieces of drywall ingested don’t cause any blockage. They get into such a level of panic that they just aren’t thinking.” ~Stephen Blake, holistic veterinarian. Dogs don’t just chew your home to be destructive, they do it because they are bored or stressed and need an outlet. In some cases, chewing through drywall may be a sign of pica. As with many other dog behaviors, it’s important to go to the root of the problem and tackle the underlying cause. I have a lab puppy born Sept. 4, 2006. It is important that you discourage all the biting and nipping of human hands or clothing and leashes. If your dog is anxious about noises in general or scary events such as thunderstorms or construction workers drilling holes in an apartment nearby, he may experience intense anxiety and fear. Puppies can be expected to be destructive as they're going through teething and learning house rules. The behavior can persist or escalate merely because of the enrichment it provides for the dog. ), this moment of brief attention, even if of the negative type may reinforce the wall-chewing behavior. By Dr. Kristy Conn Inappropriate chewing is a fairly common problem in young dogs and stems from the fact that puppies use their mouths as a means of exploring the world around them. Why would a dog chew through drywall? Dog chewing can be overcome with consistency. Especially for dogs whose energy needs exceed their opportunities to tire themselves out during the course of normal family interactions, this chewing can provide for an important outlet for energy expenditure (albeit one that is clearly problematic from the owner’s perspective). Chewing dogs should be blocked from gaining access to the drywall area while the dog is trained to learn that other behaviors garner attention such as calmer, more desirable behaviors garner attention. 1. Be sure to specify exactly what material the dog is chewing and whether the dog is ingesting any of it. Any solutions? Dogs may chew and eat the oddest things, and the behavior of dogs chewing through drywall can certainly be classified as one of dog’s most peculiar behaviors. They wrecked baseboard trim, the woodwork around doors, the actual door, and even a kitchen cabinet. Provide several safe chew toys of different textures for sensory enrichment and don’t forget to rotate them to keep a sense of novelty. “I’ve seen them go right through windows, and chew through doors, drywall, even chain-link fences, breaking off their teeth and nails. It is still not well understood what exactly may trigger pica. It’s a spray that can be applied to household items — making them taste bad. Behavioral explanations of wall chewing can be grouped into several main categories based on different possible functions, or causes, of the behavior. Another common anxiety trigger in dogs is being left alone. The chewing of walls by a dog can stem from a variety of causes, so a detailed assessment of the situation is necessary before an explanation or intervention can be provided for any individual dog or family. She received her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University in 2010. 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