Labradors are known for their playful way of doing things casually and endless energy. However, this playfulness may sometimes result in a lot of biting. Worry not; you are not alone in facing this misbehavior of your lovely Lab. A lot of Labrador parents encounter the same problem of chewing and biting.
By utilizing the right approaches, you will be able to stop this particular trait effectively. To provide you with ease, I will discuss some detailed methods on how you can end this bad behavior on your own Labrador through training.
Let’s discuss it further below!
Understand Why Labradors Chew
Natural Instinct
Dogs chew because it is natural. A study shows that 25 percent of Labradors and 66 percent of all flat-coated retrievers feel hungrier between meals and chew everything to satisfy their appetite.
On the other hand, it is their way of exploring, dealing with stress, and maintaining cleanliness in terms of dental health. In the case of puppies, chewing helps alleviate the pain associated with teething. At the same time, for grown-up canines, it is a means through which they distract themselves from idleness or anxiety.
Teething in Puppies
Dealing with a teething Labrador puppy is not an uphill task. Puppies usually undergo a teething stage between three to six months of age. In this critical time, they probably chew too much because their gums are sore. Keeping in mind that this phase comes to an end soon is a great way to adjust appropriately with appropriate expectations and responses. But in this phase, you should choose the best chew toys for Labrador puppies.
Boredom and Lack of Stimulation
Dogs that are intelligent and have a lot of energy, like labradors, can be very playful and curious. One bad thing to their owners would be when they chew on all the things they find around the house without stopping simply because they quickly get bored if left unattended for long periods of time. Appropriate mental or physical activities with these types of animals completely eliminate this bad behavior.
Anxiety and Stress
Dogs can also chew as a way to cope with anxiety or stress. You may also notice this behavior in your dog when it is anxious about a variety of situations, including being alone at home, changes within the household, or loud noise disturbances such as thunderstorms or firecrackers. This behavior can be reduced if the precise cause of the anxiety is identified and dealt with.
Effective Ways To Prevent Labradors From Chewing Everything
Provide Plenty of Chew Toys
Chew toys are one of the great Labrador chewing behavior solutions for your dog’s mental stimulation as well as providing items for him to play with. This helps to keep him interested and less likely to get bored. Therefore, provide Healthy chew alternatives for Labradors.
Types of Chew Toys
- Chew toys designed to endure excessive biting, like KONGs or Nylabones, are available in various forms to suit every dog’s needs.
- Bully sticks, rawhide, or dental chews are fantastic at maintaining your friends’ dental hygiene as they play.
- For long periods of time, dog puzzles are a great way to engage their minds. They ought to be treated as play with food rewards.
Rotating Toys
To keep your dog interested, rotate their toys frequently. Introduce new toys occasionally instead of holding them in the same place for a long time. This will help prevent them from becoming bored with their toys and seeking other things within the house.
Exercise Routines For Energetic Labradors
Physical Exercise
A tired dog is a good dog. Physical activities can reduce Labradors’ excessive energy. Walking them every day, playing games with them, fetching balls, or swimming can help maintain their physical health and mental stimulation.
- Daily Walks: Aim to walk for at least one hour every day. Change your routes to make them more exciting and give your dog different sensory experiences.
- Playtime: The advice is to play interactive games, such as fetching, tug-of-war, or hiding. These games will improve your relationship with your dog and also give it the necessary mental exercise.
- Dog Sports: Get your Labrador to participate in Dog Sports, i.e., agility, obedience, or dock-diving, and see how much value you will add through all the physical activities.
Mental Stimulation
Labradors, like all other dogs, require mental stimulation in addition to physical exercise to remain healthy. Common behavioral problems in dogs are caused by boredom thus engaging the dog’s mind adequately is essential.
Best Practices for Labrador Puppy Training
Consistent training is beneficial because it keeps the animal’s mind working and reminds him of what is right. You may do this by teaching him new instructions, stunts, or tasks to perform, like bringing a newspaper.
Training and Positive Reinforcement
Training is considered vital to avoiding your Labrador retriever’s unwanted behavior. Therefore, if you want to keep your Labrador puppy under your control, these step-by-step instructions can be used to teach the Labrador retriever not to destroy your valuables.
- Commands can be used to train your dog to react to “leave it” or “drop it.” Commands that teach your dog to respond to these phrases might be what you need to prevent him/her from chewing on things that are not meant for chewing.
- Positive reinforcement is another way to get your dog to chew on what is appropriate. You may use treats, praise, or playtime for this.
- If you fail to maintain consistency in taking care of your pet, chances are high that its behavior will change for the worse because it is unable to differentiate when it’s right or wrong about certain things. On the other hand, redirecting demonstrates a tort in a way that makes it difficult for a dog to resist.
- So, when you catch a lab chewing on the wrong thing, just take it from the dog and give it something else, like a chewing toy.
Preventing Access to Chewable Items
Dog-Proofing Your Home
It is essential to remove items that your Labrador can chew and find attractive so as to prevent this. Below are some helpful :
- Preventing access to shoes, remote controllers, and children’s toys is advised so your dog cannot reach them.
- Baby gates are an option to keep doorways or hallways secure if they have important things for your puppy to chew on.
- Keep your dog from being shocked by using cord organizers or protective covers over electric cords.
Use Bitter Sprays
If you happen to have a dog that keeps chewing the furniture, Bitter sprays could come in handy. They don’t harm pets but taste bad, which discourages such behavior. Below are the steps on how to utilize them correctly:
- Choose a Pet-Safe Spray: Ensure your product can be used around animals.
- Apply consistently: keep applying that spray to all items your dog takes delight in chewing up.
- Monitor reaction: Some canines are persistent, while others are not. Watch your dog’s reaction so that you can reapply when necessary.
Establish a Consistent Routine
The key to a calm and relaxed dog is following a schedule. By making a schedule for your lab, it will feel very secure, with no stress involved, and hence, you will remain relaxed. To formulate a seating chart that your dog can recognize, stick to specific timings when feeding it and taking it out for exercise or playing purposes. By doing this your Labrador behaves what you are expecting from him.
- Regular Feeding Times: Manage dog diet consistently at the same hour daily.
- Scheduled Walks and Playtime: It is important to ensure that the dog gets regular exercise to keep it mentally engaged.
- Consistent Bedtime: Provide your dog with fixed timings for sleeping.
Regular Vet Check-Ups
For your Labrador’s health, it is of utmost importance to go for regular veterinary check-ups. By chewing, they may show other health problems that might not be easily known. Dental problems and gastrointestinal issues are some of the conditions which may also result in increased chewing.
Gradual Desensitization
If your Labrador is distressed when left alone, gradual desensitization can ease the situation. A good way is to leave the animal alone for shorter periods and gradually increase the time. Always use progressed treats and praises when she’s not her usual self.
Create a Safe Space
When you leave the house, be sure that there’s a place for your lab where they’re safe and feel relaxed. You can do this by providing a crate or a special room which includes its bed, toys as well as some other comforts for it. Just make sure there are no other objects that could be chewed by their teeth in your own area.
Calming Techniques
Reduce your dog’s anxiety by employing relaxing techniques. You may also consider pheromone diffusers and anxiety wraps in such a situation. As well as playing calm music or using white noise will contribute to soothing atmosphere.
Engage in Interactive Play
One-on-One Interaction
Schedule some quality time to engage with your lab. It helps strengthen your friendship and offers some level of intellectual excitement. Also, it is very engaging as a dog. You may consider playing games such as fetch-it, tugging, or hide-and-seek to keep it busy; thus, boredom can be a thing of the past.
Socialization
you can give your labrador an additional amount of physical as well as mental stimulation by making this dog socialize with other dogs and people. In order to develop social skills and be less destructive, dogs should be taken to obedience classes, regular playdates, or the dog park.
Conclusion
To stop your Labrador from chewing everything, you need to have: an understanding of their natural behavior, give them alternative things to chew on, use consistent training methods, plus deal with health problems or anxiety. As a result, you will help protect your items as well as keep your pet safe and happy.
Do not forget that each dog has its peculiarities, and what might be beneficial for one can hardly be suitable for another. Instead, you must keep on being tolerant, variable, and ready to adapt when necessary. Over time, with hard work and perseverance, Labradors will learn how to chew responsibly while living harmoniously with humans.