If you're about to become a dog owner, you should be ready to handle a wide spectrum of different issues. Chewing is one of them. Jack Russells are notorious for chewing problems and will chew just about everything, including themselves, if you don't intervene.

Jack Russell Chewing - Why Do They Do It?

Generally speaking, a number of factors could cause your dog to chew household items, and owners shouldn't assume that this is just a sign of a rebel dog. Here are some of the leading factors that contribute to chewing which may help illuminate the issue:

Easily Bored

This is the primary reason, and it's really quite understandable. Many of us resort to undesirable habits when we're bored and your dog will be no exception.

They Are Anxious!

Your dog could suffer from general anxiety because of loud noises or something within the environment or have separation anxiety which causes him to get nervous each time you leave him alone. The latter of these causes the most chewing as these dogs are so desperate to get to you that they will scratch and chew through doors and walls.

Result Of Teething

Teething isn't fun for any animal and so your puppy will need to chew in the same way a baby does.

Curiosity

Often it's simply a case of your puppy wanting to learn about the world, and what better way to do that than to see what things taste like-Many times your dog is just trying to learn about the world, and what better way to do that than using his mouth?

All of these are valid and understandable reasons for chewing. However, just because you understand why he chews, doesn't mean you should let him.

How To Stop Your Jack Russell Chewing

Another way of thinking about this is preventing your dog from chewing certain things. Clearly, chewing can never be completely erased as it's an important part of what makes a dog a dog. Indeed, chewing is acceptable with certain items, but not with others, so your dog will have to undergo training in order to distinguish between the two.

So just what can you do? Well, the first thing you might want to try is keeping them occupied. If chewing is a sign of boredom, it makes sense to provide your dog with additional entertainment, doesn't it? Keep them busy with exercise and simulation and they should be less liable to chew.

If you catch them chewing something, don't punish them. The more effective approach is to substitute the item with a toy that they're allowed to chew and praise them once they accept the toy. This is the best way for them to learn the difference between what they can and cannot do, and if you praise them for doing the right thing they will be more likely to replicate that action.

However, there's still the problem of what to do when you're not there, and that's where an abundance of chew toys come in. With enough chew toys lying around your dog should be entertained enough to not start sniffing out other things to chew on, like your favorite shoes- although, you should probably have your favorite shoes where your dog can't reach them, why take the chance?

The issue of anxiety is a little more difficult. When you're home with your dog you can calm him if he becomes anxious, but obviously that's harder to do with separation anxiety. Fortunately many puppies eventually grow out of this once they understand that you are not leaving them forever; until that point, try to protect against any chewing or scratching that may occur while you're gone.

Even though Jacks love to chew for a variety of valid reasons, there are things you can do to help. Make sure your Jack is entertained with lots of toys and cannot reach your expensive items and you can leave the house with confidence.