By Charlene Pare on Jul 22, 2023
In case you have a canine, you could have seen that they often prefer to chew on the skirting board or the baseboard of your partitions. This may be irritating and damaging for each you and your canine, as it may well spoil your furnishings and pose a choking or harm danger on your furry buddy. On this article, we’ll discover why canine chew skirting boards and how you can stop or cease this behaviour.
Why Do Canine Chew Skirting Boards?
Canine chew on issues for varied causes, relying on their age, character, and surroundings. A few of the widespread causes on your canine chewing skirting boards are:
- Boredom: Canine want bodily and psychological stimulation to launch power and keep glad. In the event that they don’t get sufficient train or leisure, they could resort to chewing on issues to alleviate their boredom. Canine which can be left alone for lengthy durations of time or have restricted entry to outside house are extra liable to boredom.
- Anxiousness: Canine could chew on issues as a method of dealing with stress or concern, particularly when left alone or in unfamiliar conditions. This is called separation anxiousness or situational anxiousness. Canine that endure from anxiousness may present indicators of nervousness equivalent to panting, trembling, or hiding.
- Teething: Puppies could chew on issues to alleviate the ache and discomfort of rising tooth. This normally occurs between 3 and 6 months of age, when puppies lose their child tooth and develop their grownup tooth. Throughout this era, puppies could drool, have swollen gums, or lose child tooth.
- Curiosity: Canine could chew on issues to discover their surroundings and fulfill their pure instincts. They could sniff, lick, or paw on the skirting boards earlier than chewing them. That is extra widespread in younger canine or canine which can be new to a house.
- Lack of applicable chew toys: Canine could chew on skirting boards in the event that they don’t have sufficient appropriate alternate options to fulfill their chewing wants. Canine want chew toys and bones which can be sturdy, protected, and interesting to them. In the event that they don’t have any toys or bones round them or in the event that they ignore them, they could flip to the skirting boards as a substitute.
The right way to Cease Your Canine from Chewing Skirting Boards?
In case your canine is chewing on skirting boards, you could be questioning how one can cease this behaviour and stop additional harm to your private home and your canine’s well being. Listed below are some efficient tricks to cease your canine from chewing on skirting boards:
- Take your canine for extra walks: Among the best methods to cease your canine from chewing on skirting boards is to offer them with sufficient bodily train. Strolling your canine commonly will assist them burn off extra power, cut back boredom, and relieve stress. It would additionally give them an opportunity to discover new sights, smells, and sounds, and fulfill their pure curiosity. Goal to stroll your canine a minimum of twice a day, for a minimum of half-hour every time.
- Play together with your canine extra typically: One other option to cease your canine from chewing on skirting boards is to offer them with extra psychological stimulation and social interplay. Enjoying together with your canine will assist them have enjoyable, bond with you, and study new abilities. It would additionally preserve them occupied and distracted from chewing on skirting boards. You may play fetch, tug-of-war, hide-and-seek, or different video games together with your canine, utilizing their favorite toys or treats. You can too train them new tips or instructions, or enroll them in a coaching class or a canine sport.
- Hold your canine occupied with chew toys and bones: A 3rd option to cease your canine from chewing on skirting boards is to offer them entry to applicable chew toys and bones that fulfill their chewing wants and preferences. Chew toys and bones might help your canine relieve their teething ache, clear their tooth, and fulfill their pure urge to chew. They’ll additionally preserve them busy and entertained for hours. Ensure you select chew toys and bones which can be protected, sturdy, and appropriate on your canine’s dimension, age, and chewing model. You can too rotate the chew toys and bones each few days to maintain them fascinating on your canine.
- Spray the skirting boards with a bitter-tasting substance: A fourth option to cease your canine from chewing on skirting boards is to make them style disagreeable on your canine. You may spray the skirting boards with a bitter-tasting substance that’s protected for canine, equivalent to apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or a business anti-chew spray. It will make your canine dislike the style of the skirting boards and discourage them from chewing on them. Nonetheless, you must take a look at the substance on a small space of the skirting board first, to ensure it doesn’t harm or stain it. You also needs to reapply the substance commonly, as it might put on off over time.
- Hold your canine away from the skirting board by utilizing a pet pen or crate: A fifth option to cease your canine from chewing on skirting boards is to restrict their entry to the skirting board by utilizing a pet pen or crate.A pet pen or crate is a protected and comfy house the place you’ll be able to preserve your canine if you find yourself not capable of supervise them or if you find yourself away from residence. It could stop your canine from roaming round the home and chewing on issues they shouldn’t, equivalent to skirting boards. Nonetheless, you must ensure that the pet pen or crate is giant sufficient on your canine to maneuver round, lie down, and arise comfortably. You also needs to present your canine with water, meals, bedding, and chew toys and bones contained in the pen or crate. You also needs to practice your canine to affiliate the pen or crate with constructive experiences, equivalent to treats, reward, and toys, and never use it as a punishment or a option to isolate your canine.
- Put one thing in entrance of the skirting board to dam entry to it: A sixth option to cease your canine from chewing on skirting boards is to place one thing in entrance of the skirting board to dam entry to it. You need to use furnishings, bins, crops, or different objects which can be sturdy and secure sufficient to forestall your canine from reaching the skirting board. This could be a momentary or a everlasting answer, relying in your desire and state of affairs. Nonetheless, you must ensure that the objects you employ aren’t dangerous or harmful on your canine, equivalent to sharp, poisonous, or breakable objects
The right way to Practice Your Canine to Chew on Toys As an alternative of Skirting Boards?
Whereas stopping your canine from chewing on skirting boards is essential, it’s not sufficient to unravel the issue fully. You additionally want to coach your canine to chew on applicable objects as a substitute of skirting boards. It will assist your canine study what they’ll and can’t chew on, and develop good chewing habits. Listed below are some steps on how you can practice your canine to chew on toys as a substitute of skirting boards:
- Step 1: Train your canine primary instructions equivalent to come, sit, and keep: Earlier than you begin coaching your canine to chew on toys as a substitute of skirting boards, it’s essential train them some primary instructions that may aid you management and talk with them. These instructions embody come, sit, and keep. These instructions will aid you name your canine away from the skirting board, make them sit in entrance of you, and preserve them in place when you give them a toy or a deal with. To show these instructions, it’s essential use constructive reinforcement and repetition. Optimistic reinforcement means rewarding your canine with treats, reward, or toys at any time when they obey your command. Repetition means training the command a number of occasions a day till your canine learns it properly.
- Step 2: Catch your canine within the act of chewing on the skirting board: The subsequent step is to catch your canine within the act of chewing on the skirting board. It will aid you right their behaviour and redirect their consideration to one thing else. To catch your canine within the act of chewing on the skirting board, it’s essential supervise them intently when they’re close to the skirting board, or use a digital camera or a child monitor to observe them if you find yourself not round. As quickly as you see your canine chewing on the skirting board, it’s essential act shortly and firmly.
- Step 3: Interrupt your canine’s chewing with a loud noise or a verbal cue: The third step is to interrupt your canine’s chewing with a loud noise or a verbal cue. It will aid you get their consideration and cease their chewing. You need to use a clap, a whistle, a can stuffed with cash, or a sprig bottle stuffed with water to make a loud noise or a verbal cue, equivalent to “no”, “stop”, or “leave it”. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t yell, scold, or hit your canine, as this will likely scare them, harm them, or make them extra aggressive. You also needs to keep away from utilizing their identify, as this will likely confuse them or make them assume that you’re calling them for one thing else.
- Step 4: Name your canine to you and make them sit and keep: The fourth step is to name your canine to you and make them sit and keep. It will aid you calm them down and put together them for the subsequent step. You need to use the instructions that you simply taught them in step one, equivalent to come, sit, and keep. It is best to reward your canine with a deal with, reward, or a toy once they obey your instructions. You also needs to preserve your canine on this place for just a few seconds to ensure that they’re centered on you and never on the skirting board.
- Step 5: Give your canine a chew toy or a bone and reward them: The fifth and closing step is to offer your canine a chew toy or a bone and reward them. It will aid you redirect their chewing to one thing applicable and reinforce their good behaviour. It is best to select a chew toy or a bone that your canine likes and enjoys, and that’s protected and appropriate for them. You also needs to reward your canine enthusiastically once they take the chew toy or the bone from you and begin chewing on it. It is best to repeat this step each time you catch your canine chewing on the skirting board, till they study to affiliate chewing on toys or bones with constructive outcomes, and chewing on skirting boards with adverse outcomes.
Conclusion
Chewing on skirting boards is a standard downside that many canine homeowners face. It may be brought on by varied causes, equivalent to boredom, anxiousness, teething, curiosity, or a scarcity of applicable chew toys. It could additionally trigger harm to your private home and your canine’s well being.
To stop or cease your canine from chewing on skirting boards, it’s essential present them with sufficient train, playtime, consideration, chew toys and bones, bitter-tasting substances, pet pens or crates, or objects that block entry to the skirting board. You additionally want to coach your canine to chew on toys as a substitute of skirting boards by utilizing primary instructions,
