Chew Toy Training
The easiest tip in dog training is this: Feed your dog from hollow, durable chew toys. Give them a healthy chew toy habit and they won't get into as much trouble when you are away from home.
Chewing is an activity that dogs naturally enjoy, and as long as they aren't chewing inappropriate items it's an excellent activity to encourage because it relaxes them and helps them settle down. A dog that is chewing on a chew toy isn't chewing other items, they aren’t barking recreationally, they aren’t trying to escape, and they aren’t digging through the trash or looking for other undesirable ways to pass the time.
Teaching your dog to develop a healthy chew toy habit is easy, all you need is the right sort of chew toy and some food. You'll want to buy at least a half-dozen durable, rubber, hollow chew toys. We have always been big fans of the Classic Kong.
To start, just fill the interior with dry kibble and give it to your dog. The chew toy will smell like food so they will investigate it and as they do, food will fall out. They'll eat the food and be rewarded for playing with their chew toy. They'll quickly learn how to get the food to come out by chewing, pawing at, picking up and dropping their chew toy. They'll grow to love their chew toys and you'll often see them curled up asleep with a chew toy that they were working on when they dozed off.
If your dog is going to be left alone for any substantial period of time, give them a couple of chew toys filled with food. Your dog will appreciate having a hobby and it will make it easier for your dog to settle down and pass the time.
Once your dog has learned to play with their chew toy you'll want to make it more difficult for them to get the food out.
You can smear some food inside the chew toy that's sticky and extra tasty, like peanut butter or honey before adding the dry kibble. Honey is a particularly good choice because of its antimicrobial properties, which is important if you’re not going to do a good job of washing the chew toys regularly.
These foods can be high in fat and sugar, so don’t use them too often and don't use too much. Save them for special occasion chew toys.
You can also mix your dog’s food with water, let it sit for a few hours until it softens, then pour it into your dog's chew toys and freeze the whole thing. Once frozen, it will take a good long while for your dog to get the food out, either by waiting for it to thaw a little or really working it over with their jaws. To save yourself some time, you can make these in big batches, so you have them ready whenever you need them.
If you catch your dog chewing something they shouldn't, or otherwise destroying something in your home, redirect them to their chew toy immediately. Tell them "Get your chew toy" and show them a food-stuffed chew toy to lure them into dropping whatever they were destroying. When they do, take that item and put it away.
Even better, train your dog to Find and Fetch their chew toy on cue, as it means you can redirect your dog to their chew toy without getting up or even knowing where their chew toy is!
This truly is the best dog training idea we’ve ever come up with and it’s so easy and effective you’d be crazy not to try it. Plus, dogs love it!
Also, food-stuffed chew toys are incredibly useful in the upcoming Crate and Playpen section, where we set up and introduce your dog to their confinement areas.