How to Stop a Cocker Spaniel Chewing Excessively
Cocker Spaniels make popular household pets because they can be well-behaved and easy to get along with. However, these dogs have feelings too and can experience times of stress and loneliness, which could lead to unwanted behaviors like biting or random instances of aggression. Even if your Cocker Spaniel isn’t aggressive, chewing can still be considered a bad sign and should be dealt with.
Before finding ways to handle the situation, you should know first why these Cocker Spaniels tend to chew in the first place.
Cause of Chewing
Puppies will chew often when they are teething. Mature dogs simply do it because they have nothing else to do or are too stressed out. Other dogs may do it because they are lonely and want something to do. Dealing with this problem may take some time, but overall, it is fairly simple to accomplish.
Teething Toys and Treats
Puppies that are teething deserve some special toys or treats that can relieve the teething pain. This is very effective too if you have that problem where the puppy is found of chewing other objects. It is also a good practice if you do not want the Cocker Spaniel to get into that habit of chewing when it gets older. Freezing the chew toy can even be more effective when it comes to pain relief.
Physical and Mental Stimulation
The objective is to give the Cocker Spaniel something to do in order to eliminate those habits. Mental stimulation is an effective way to go which involves challenging the dog to chew its way just to get a treat. This can build the dog’s determination skills, encouraging it to keep itself busy.
Another good way to stimulate the dog is to give it lots of different toys to play with. You do not have to give them all in one pile so it won’t be overwhelmed or intimidated. Instead, you can give a few toys and then add new toys in the mix while removing the others.
It is important that you do not forcefully take the toy away if it is still in your dog’s mouth. If you really need to do that, offer a treat instead so it will drop on its own. Cocker Spaniels can be trained to follow orders so you can also teach it how to leave items alone whenever told to.
The toys idea should be considered especially if you plan to go out for a bit. If you plan on being away for a few days and your dog has separation anxiety, stay clear so it won’t be affected by too much stress which can lead to chewing.
Don’t forget that Cocker Spaniels need to be physically stimulated even if they won’t be used as gun dogs. Give your dog a proper balance of exercise and diet so it won’t be so bored. Trying out all of these methods will lead to sooner results, but refrain from getting angry at your dog because it will cause even more unwanted chewing.