The short answer
You don't stop a dog from chewing. You redirect it. Chewing is a normal, hardwired dog behavior — the goal isn't to eliminate it, it's to give your dog something you want them to chew, make the wrong things unavailable, and burn off the energy that's driving the destruction in the first place. Do those three things consistently and most chewing problems fade within a few weeks.
I'm Preston, co-founder of Bully Sticks Central. We've spent years talking to owners about exactly this problem, and the pattern is almost always the same: the dog isn't being bad, the dog is under-stimulated and has nothing legal to chew.
Why do dogs chew?
Understanding the reason tells you which fix to reach for. The American Kennel Club and VCA Animal Hospitals both point to a handful of common drivers:
- Teething. Puppies chew to relieve sore gums, usually hardest between 3 and 6 months.
- Boredom. An under-exercised, under-stimulated dog will find its own job. That job is often your baseboards.
- Exploration. Dogs investigate the world with their mouths. Young dogs especially.
- Anxiety. Chewing that only happens when you leave, and targets doors and windows, is usually separation-related, not a chew-toy problem.
- It just feels good. Chewing is self-soothing. Adult dogs never grow out of the need.
That last one is the one people miss. A perfectly trained, well-exercised eight-year-old dog still needs to chew. Plan for it instead of fighting it.
What should a dog chew instead?
This is the whole ballgame. If your dog has nothing appropriate to chew, everything in your house becomes a candidate.
Give your dog a real chew — something that takes work and lasts. Our chews are 100% natural, single-ingredient, 100% real meat, fully digestible, and contain no rawhide. That last part matters: rawhide is a chemically processed byproduct that doesn't break down well in a dog's stomach, which is why we've never sold it. Everything we make is ethically sourced from grass-fed American and Argentinean farms and 100% high-quality guaranteed.
Where to start:
- Single-ingredient chews — the baseline for any dog. One ingredient, nothing to react to.
- Bully sticks — the workhorse. Long-lasting, fully digestible, and most dogs will pick one over a plastic toy every time.
- Beef trachea — softer, good for seniors or dogs who wear out their jaw on the hard stuff.
- If you've got a teething puppy, start here: bully sticks for puppies.
Rotate. Dogs get bored of the same chew the same way you'd get bored of the same lunch. Keep two or three options in the drawer and switch them out.
Are chew deterrent sprays worth it?
Sometimes — as a supporting move, never the main one. Bitter sprays make a table leg taste bad, which can break a habit on one specific object. But a bitter spray gives your dog nothing to do instead, so they'll usually just move on to the next thing. Use it alongside a real chew, not in place of one.
How much exercise stops destructive chewing?
More than most people think. A tired dog is a calm dog, and a huge share of the "my dog destroyed the couch" cases we hear about are really "my dog had eleven hours of unspent energy."
Two things help:
- Physical exercise. A real walk, twice a day. Not five minutes in the yard.
- Mental work. Ten minutes of training, a puzzle feeder, or a snuffle mat tires a dog out more than a mile of walking. Sniffing is work.
How do you manage the environment?
Training takes weeks. Management works today. Put the shoes in the closet. Crate or gate your dog when you can't supervise. Set up one spot — a bed, a mat, a corner — where the chews live, so your dog learns that's where chewing happens.
And supervise while the habit is still forming. If you catch your dog mid-chew on something wrong, don't scold — swap. Take the shoe, hand over the bully stick, praise them for taking it. You're teaching a trade, not a punishment.
When should you call a vet?
Most chewing is normal. Some isn't. Talk to your veterinarian if:
- The chewing is compulsive, or your dog chews at their own paws or flanks.
- It's paired with panic when you leave — pacing, drooling, howling, damage centered on exits. The ASPCA has a good rundown on separation anxiety, and it's a different problem with a different fix.
- Your dog is swallowing non-food items. That's an obstruction risk and it's urgent.
A certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist is worth the money if you've done the basics for a month and nothing's moved.
The honest summary
Give your dog something good to chew, wear them out, put your stuff away, and be patient. That's it. There's no trick — but there's also no dog we've met who kept eating furniture once they had a bully stick and a decent walk.
This post was last updated at July 15, 2026 22:06
