My dog chews everything - how do I get him to stop?

Depending on the breed of pet, there are always quite a few options! If you have a pet in the sporting or hunting breed, (such as setters, pointers, terriers, border collies, etc) then these high-energy pets really benefit from having interactive toys to keep their boredom at bay. There are toys in both Petsmarts and Petcos that will dispense treats or a few kibbles as long as your pet interacts with the toy by nudging it or playing with it. Other toys will have drawers or doors that hide yummy treats that they can smell. Majority of pets that are food-oriented love toys where you can hide a treat or food such as Kongs. To make Kongs last even longer, you can fill the inside with a tasty treat then put it in the freezer so it'll last even longer! An alternative, if your pet is not the food-oriented type, is to invest in something called "Bitter Spray" which a spray liquid with a bitter agent. This can be sprayed on your pet (if we're constantly licking our paws) or some bitter sprays are even allowed on furniture, plants, etc. Majority of the time, this spray deters pets. Other times, you'll have a pet making an icky face and continue to chew!

Many dogs use chewing as a way to calm themselves. Puppies who are teething chew to relieve pain. Provide an object that they can safely chew, such as a chew toy or a bully stick. If your dog chews up objects while you are away from home, this may be a symptom of separation anxiety

I decided to trial many toys to find one my mastiff really liked and was durable enough to last longer than a day. Then I got enough to put one in every room of the house. This way he has a chewing outlet wherever he decides to lay down. I only had to do this while training, but I still keep a few around at all times now. To limit expense, I recommend looking in the discount items after a holiday and buying backups. Most of mine are red and green from the after Christmas sales.

I would recommend purchasing a bitter apple spray or another dog taste deterrent, and then work on training using positive reinforcement. If they are chewing it's best to interrupt the behavior by making a loud noise to change their focus and then give them an acceptable chew toy and praise them when they chew on the toy to associate toys with good behavior. If your dog is a chewer it's important to make sure that you are buying appropriate toys and natural chews for your dog to stimulate their need to chew. Plush toys will most likely be destroyed quickly- but toys like the Kong Extreme are much more durable. Another alternative are natural chews like the Himalayan Ruff Root, No-Hide (an easily digestible safer alternative to rawhide), water buffalo horns or elk antlers.