Short answer: dogs chew because it's hardwired into them. Chewing relieves teething pain in puppies, burns off mental energy, lowers stress, and helps scrape plaque off teeth. It isn't a behavior problem to fix — it's a need to redirect. Give your dog the right things to chew on, and the couch legs stop looking so appealing.
I'm Preston Smith, co-founder of Bully Sticks Central. I've spent years talking to dog owners who think their dog is "being bad" when really the dog just has nothing appropriate to work on. Here's what's actually going on and what to do about it.
Why do dogs chew?
Chewing is normal canine behavior at every life stage. The American Kennel Club notes that chewing serves different purposes depending on a dog's age, and understanding which one you're dealing with tells you how to respond.
- Teething relief. Puppies get their adult teeth between roughly 3 and 7 months, and gnawing eases sore gums. If you have a puppy, see our guide on bully sticks for puppies.
- Mental stimulation. A long chew session is real work for a dog's brain. Bored dogs find their own projects, and you usually don't like the ones they pick.
- Stress and anxiety relief. Chewing is self-soothing. Thunderstorms, a move, a new baby — chewing often spikes during upheaval.
- Dental benefit. The mechanical scraping of chewing helps reduce plaque buildup, which VCA Animal Hospitals identifies as the root of periodontal disease — the most common health problem in adult dogs.
Is chewing bad behavior?
No. Destructive chewing is bad behavior. Chewing itself is not. The difference is almost always what's available. A dog with nothing to chew will chew what's in reach: shoes, baseboards, the corner of the couch. A dog with a good chew in front of him will pick the chew nearly every time.
So the fix isn't stopping the behavior. It's redirecting it.
What should dogs chew on?
This is where a lot of owners get tripped up, because the pet aisle is full of things that look fine and aren't.
We make the case for single-ingredient chews for a simple reason: when there's one ingredient, you know exactly what your dog is eating. Our chews are 100% natural, 100% real meat, and fully digestible — no rawhide, no fillers, no chemical processing. They're ethically sourced from grass-fed American and Argentinean farms and 100% high-quality guaranteed.
Rawhide is the one we get asked about most. It's a byproduct of the leather industry, often chemically treated, and it doesn't break down well in a dog's stomach. The FDA has warned about the choking and obstruction risks that come with hard or poorly digestible chew items generally. That's why we don't sell rawhide and never will.
For lighter chewers, or dogs who need something softer on the teeth, beef trachea is a good place to start.
How do I stop my dog from chewing furniture?
Six things that actually work:
- Keep real chews stocked. Most "destructive chewing" is an empty-chew-basket problem. Don't run out.
- Rotate what's available. Novelty matters. Cycling through a few options weekly holds interest far better than leaving the same item out for a month.
- Give chewing a place. A consistent spot — a mat, a crate, a corner — teaches your dog where chewing happens.
- Redirect, don't just scold. Catching your dog on the couch leg and saying "no" only teaches half the lesson. Hand over the right thing immediately so the correction has somewhere to go.
- Match the chew to the chewer. A dog who demolishes a chew in four minutes needs a denser, longer-lasting option. A senior dog with worn teeth needs the opposite.
- Retire small pieces. Once a chew gets down to a swallowable nub, take it. This is the single most common way chews cause trouble.
How long should a chew session last?
For most dogs, 15 to 30 minutes of active chewing once a day covers the need. Longer isn't automatically better — a dog who chews hard for an hour straight can get a sore jaw or an upset stomach, especially if it's a rich chew and they're not used to it. Start new dogs short and build up.
Do I need to supervise?
Yes, especially early on. Supervision isn't about hovering — it's about being in the room so you catch the moment a chew gets small enough to swallow whole. Puppies, fast chewers, and gulpers need closer watching than a mellow adult dog working slowly through a bully stick.
If your dog has dental issues, a sensitive stomach, or a history of gastrointestinal problems, run your chew choices past your vet first. The ASPCA also has useful guidance if the chewing seems tied to separation anxiety rather than ordinary boredom, since that's a training problem a chew alone won't solve.
The bottom line
Chewing isn't something to train out of your dog. It's something to plan for. Keep good chews on hand, match them to your dog's size and chewing style, supervise, and pull them when they get small. Do that and the behavior takes care of itself.
This post was last updated at August 6, 2026 23:04
