My dog is chewing up my furniture, how do I stop them from doing this?

There are two big reasons dogs turn to chewing; if they’re puppies, they may be teething, but for most other dogs, they’re just bored. And if you leave a dog to entertain itself, unfortunately they may chew up that new couch you just bought for the living room. There are temporary fixes for this problem, like putting the dog in the backyard or bringing them to a daycare facility, but neither really teach the dog that chewing is not okay. Much like the jumping habit, try to find an effective means of correcting the dog if you catch them in the act. Showing them that this behavior is not accepted by telling them “No,” maybe spraying them with water (as long as they don’t like water), or using a startling method can work. But if they only chew when unsupervised, I would suggest confining them or restricting them from the object they like to chew on while you’re away. Pet stores also carry repellent sprays that have a bitter taste to them. By applying them to the surface that’s being chewed, your dog may be deterred from chewing on it. Obedience training can help the dog develop a level of respect for you and your possessions, but most importantly, establish the value of using the verbal correction “No.” With an obedience class, “No” will be used to redirect a dog if they don’t sit or down, but can then be useful in all troublesome areas.