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Dogs love to chew on many things. You may come home some time to find your fur baby has chewed up the couch, your favorite shoes, or even gnawed on wood trim! Why on earth would a dog chew on wood trim? That’s a good question!
If your dog loves to chew on wood trim, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll take a look at why dogs chew on wood trim and what you can do to keep your canine companion from chewing on wood. Let’s get started!
Chewing is a Natural Canine Behavior
First, it’s important to know that chewing is a natural behavior for dogs. For instance, when puppies are teething, they will chew on anything hard that relieves the pressure and pain of their new teeth coming through their gums. Puppies may also explore the world around them with their mouths and teeth.
As adults, dogs will still chew for various reasons. This can include relieving stress and boredom and more. The fact is that dogs usually have a reason for chewing things up for no reason.
But why would a dog chew up wood trim? This can include wooden table legs, wooden baseboards, or even windowsills. What would cause a dog to chew these up?
Chewing Up Wood Trim
Dogs may chew up wood trim for various reasons. For some puppies, it may be the only thing available that eases their teething discomfort. In that case, baseboards are usually pretty easy for a puppy to reach without too much trouble. They may even be able to chew up the wood in a place you can’t see them gnawing away.
Another reason for dogs to chew up wood trim is due to boredom, stress, or separation anxiety. Dogs need some way to use up the energy that goes with stress, anxiety, and boredom. So, they may turn to chewing on wood. The wood may be the leg of your favorite sofa. You come home to find something has been gnawing the sofa leg, leaving behind bits of wood and debris. The sofa leg may also look as if a beaver got into your house!
In addition, dogs who don’t get enough to eat or who have a parasite problem may look around in their environment for anything edible. This may even include wood.
Wood is a very satisfying thing to chew. It may have some give, but wood is very firm. It’s also usually easy to find in a home. What’s more, wood trim may even be accessible because of where it’s located. This means baseboards, windowsills, and more are in danger of being gnawed down by a dog.
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Ask a Vet Live NowDangers of Eating Wood Trim
Wood can be dangerous if eaten by a dog. The problem is that wood, when chewed, may splinter. This can leave sharp shards in the dog’s mouth. The shards can become stuck in the dog’s mouth, esophagus, or even in his digestive tract.
Hardwood can also cause broken teeth. And if a piece of wood becomes stuck in between the dog’s teeth, it could lead to an infection.
In addition, wood that’s swallowed can become stuck anywhere in the digestive tract. This can cause a rupture of the intestines, internal damage, and bleeding. The wood may also become lodged in the digestive tract, causing an intestinal blockage. This is a very dangerous medical condition, which can lead to death if left untreated.
One last issue is that a splinter of wood could cause choking if the wood shard becomes lodged in the dog’s throat. This can lead to suffocation and death.
How to Stop Your Dog Chewing on Wood Trim
There are several ways you can get your dog to stop chewing on wood trim, including:
Providing safe teething toys: when a puppy’s teething, they need hard dog toys that can withstand all the chewing while also easing the discomfort of teething. For this reason, it’s important to provide your puppy with safe chew toys that are made for teething dogs. These include:
- Nylabone Puppy Chew Toys
- Kong Puppy Dog Toy
Training: You can also try training your dog or puppy to not chew on wood. We realize that this can be easier said than done; however, with consistent efforts, it’s possible to train your dog or puppy not to eat wood. This means being vigilant, providing the right types of chew toys, and not allowing your dog or puppy to pick up sticks outside.
Puppy-proof the house: along with training and providing the right chew toys, it may be necessary to puppy- or dog-proof your home. This may mean getting down on your hands and knees to see what is at your puppy’s level. Remove anything you can that’s made of wood. If that’s not possible, you may need to consider redecorating a room to remove anything your dog/puppy likes to chew.
Crating your dog/puppy: this is another method that can work to keep your dog/puppy from chewing up wood trim. And it’s a great method to use when you’re away from home. Teaching your dog/puppy to stay in the crate will ensure he has a safe environment while you’re away. What’s more, he won’t be able to get at anything such as wood trim. Remember that your dog/puppy should not be left in the carte all day long. This is only when you need to leave the house. If you must be gone most of the day, then it’s best to put your dog or puppy in a completely dog-proofed room. And it may be necessary to hire a dog walker if you’re not able to get home during the day to let your dog out.
Deterrent sprays: there are also deterrent sprays that work to keep dogs away from various things, including wood trim. You can try one of these deterrent sprays for dogs:
Anti Chew Sprays for dogs: this is a spray that’s made to keep dogs from chewing things in the house. The spray is made with completely natural ingredients. They create a bitter taste that dogs hate. Just spray on wood, and your dog is sure to stay away! It’s completely safe for your dog; this spray only makes wood taste bad.
So, there you have it! With the right chew toys, training, and the use of a deterrent spray, you can help your dog learn not to chew on wood trim. However, if the problem continues, it’s best to take your dog in for a checkup with the vet. Your dog may have an underlying health issue that requires treatment.
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Julie
Julie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, where she studied Animal science. Though contrary to the opinion of her parents she was meant to study pharmacy, but she was in love with animals especially cats. Julie currently works in an animal research institute (NGO) in California and loves spending quality time with her little cat. She has the passion for making research about animals, how they survive, their way of life among others and publishes it. Julie is also happily married with two kids.
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