How to Stop Dog Barking and Chewing: Behavior Solutions
Excessive barking and destructive chewing are two of the most common behavior problems dog owners face. Whether your dog barks at every passerby, chews your furniture, digs up your garden, or all of the above, these behaviors can strain your relationship with your pet and your patience. The good news is that most of these issues are solvable with the right approach. This guide covers the root causes of these behaviors and provides step-by-step training solutions that work for dogs of all ages.
Why Dogs Bark, Chew, and Dig
Understanding the motivation behind your dog’s behavior is the first step to solving it. These behaviors are not random acts of mischief — they are natural canine behaviors that serve specific purposes.
Barking is one of the primary ways dogs communicate. Alert barking warns you of perceived threats. Demand barking seeks attention or resources. Boredom barking stems from insufficient stimulation. Fear barking arises from anxiety-provoking situations. Each type requires a different intervention.
Chewing is equally natural. Puppies chew to relieve teething pain. Adult dogs chew to relieve stress, pass the time, or satisfy their innate need to manipulate objects with their mouths. Some breeds, particularly retrievers and terriers, have stronger oral fixations than others.
Digging is an instinctive behavior rooted in your dog’s ancestry. Dogs dig to create cool resting spots, hide resources, pursue burrowing prey, escape confinement, or simply because the act of digging releases endorphins. Understanding which motivation drives your dog determines which solution will work.
How to Stop Excessive Barking
Before addressing barking, rule out medical causes. A sudden increase in barking can indicate pain, cognitive decline, or hearing loss. Once health issues are ruled out, apply these training techniques.
Identify the Barking Trigger
Keep a bark journal for three days. Note the time, location, trigger, and your dog’s behavior pattern. You will likely discover patterns — the mail carrier arrives at 10 AM, the neighbor’s dog barks at 3 PM, or your dog barks at passersby through the front window. Once you know the trigger, you can manage the environment and train a replacement behavior.
Teach the Quiet Command
The quiet command gives you control over barking. Wait for your dog to bark two or three times, then calmly say “quiet” in a normal tone. The moment your dog stops barking, even for a second, mark with a click or the word “yes” and offer a high-value treat. Repeat this until your dog learns that silence earns rewards. Gradually extend the duration of quiet required before the reward.
Manage the Environment
For dogs that bark at outdoor stimuli, management is essential. Close curtains or apply window film to block visual access. Use white noise machines or fans to mask outside sounds. Create a quiet zone with a bed away from windows where your dog can relax. These environmental changes reduce barking opportunities while you work on training.
Desensitize Your Dog to Triggers
Play recordings of the trigger sound at very low volume while giving your dog treats. Gradually increase the volume over multiple sessions as your dog remains relaxed. This counter-conditioning process changes your dog’s emotional response from fear or excitement to calm anticipation of treats.
For a deeper understanding of why dogs behave the way they do, check out our comprehensive dog behavior training guide. If your dog’s barking or chewing is accompanied by growling, snapping, or territorial behavior, review our dog aggression guide for safety protocols.
How to Stop Destructive Chewing
Dogs chew for different reasons at different life stages. Your approach should match your dog’s age and motivation.
Provide Appropriate Chew Items
Your dog needs clear guidance about what is acceptable to chew. Provide a variety of textures: rubber toys (Kong, Goughnuts), nylon chews (Nylabone), bully sticks, and natural chews (raw bones, antlers). Rotate toys every few days to maintain novelty. The general rule is that if you do not want your dog chewing something, keep it out of reach.
Exercise Before Confinement
A tired dog is less likely to chew destructively. Ensure your dog gets adequate physical exercise before being left alone. A twenty-minute brisk walk or fetch session releases endorphins and reduces the urge to chew. Mental stimulation — training sessions, puzzle toys, or nose work — is equally important because mental fatigue is more calming than physical exercise alone.
Use Taste Deterrents Strategically
Bitter apple spray and other taste deterrents can help protect furniture and baseboards. Apply the deterrent to problem areas daily for two to three weeks. Most dogs find the taste unpleasant enough to abandon the target. Note that some dogs ignore taste deterrents entirely, so this method works best as part of a comprehensive approach.
Address Separation-Related Chewing
If your dog only chews when left alone, the behavior is likely related to anxiety or boredom rather than teething or play. This requires addressing the underlying emotional state. See our guide on dog separation anxiety for targeted strategies.
How to Stop Digging
Digging is one of the hardest behaviors to eliminate because it is strongly self-reinforcing. The act of digging feels good to the dog regardless of consequences.
Create a Designated Digging Area
Build a sandbox or designate a garden corner as your dog’s digging zone. Bury toys and treats in the approved area to encourage use. When your dog starts digging in an off-limits area, interrupt with a cheerful “ah-ah” and redirect to the approved zone. Praise and reward digging in the correct spot. This management strategy works best for terriers and other breeds with strong digging instincts.
Increase Exercise and Enrichment
Dogs often dig because they have excess energy and insufficient stimulation. Increase daily exercise by fifteen to twenty minutes. Add enrichment activities: scatter feeding, snuffle mats, frozen Kongs, and food puzzle toys. A mentally stimulated dog has less motivation to dig.
Eliminate the Payoff
If your dog digs under the fence to escape or to pursue animals, you must make the outcome unrewarding. Bury chicken wire or large rocks along the fence line. Install a buried fence barrier. For dogs digging to reach cool soil, provide an elevated bed or a kiddie pool with cool water. For dogs digging to cache bones or toys, pick up valuable items before turning the dog out in the yard.
Preventing Problem Behaviors with Enrichment
Most behavior problems stem from unmet needs. A comprehensive enrichment program addresses physical exercise, mental stimulation, social interaction, and chewing outlets simultaneously.
Structure your dog’s day around these four elements. Morning walk or run to expend energy. Training session or puzzle toy during breakfast. Midday enrichment activity if someone is home. Afternoon walk or play session. Evening calm activity such as a stuffed Kong or chew bone. This predictable routine reduces anxiety and provides appropriate outlets for natural behaviors.
The Role of Breed in Behavior Problems
Breed predispositions play a significant role in how likely a dog is to develop specific behavior problems. Herding breeds such as Australian Shepherds and Border Collies are more prone to barking because they were bred to use their voice to move livestock. Terriers are predisposed to digging because they were bred to pursue burrowing prey. Retrievers are more likely to develop oral fixations and destructive chewing because their mouths are their primary tool for interacting with the world.
Understanding your dog’s breed heritage helps you set realistic expectations. A Beagle will likely always be more vocal than a Basenji. A Jack Russell Terrier will probably always enjoy digging more than a Greyhound. Working with your dog’s genetics rather than against them makes training more effective and less frustrating for both of you.
The Importance of Exercise and Routine
Insufficient physical and mental exercise is the root cause of most behavior problems. A structured daily routine provides predictability that reduces anxiety and prevents problem behaviors from developing. Dogs thrive on knowing what comes next — morning walk, breakfast, training session, crate time, afternoon walk, dinner, evening play, bedtime.
The quality of exercise matters as much as quantity. A fifteen-minute training session that requires your dog to think, problem-solve, and focus is more tiring than a forty-five-minute walk on a familiar route. Scent work, trick training, and food puzzles provide the cognitive challenge that many behavior-problem dogs desperately need.
When to Seek Professional Help
Some behavior problems require professional intervention. Seek help from a certified professional dog trainer or a veterinary behaviorist if your dog’s behavior is dangerous, does not improve after four weeks of consistent training, or is accompanied by signs of severe anxiety such as panting, pacing, drooling, or self-harm.
FAQ
At what age do puppies stop chewing destructively? Most puppies stop destructive chewing around six to twelve months of age when their adult teeth are fully in. However, some high-energy breeds continue chewing into their second year. Providing appropriate chew items throughout this period is essential.
Is it possible to stop a dog from barking entirely? No, and you should not try to eliminate barking completely. Barking is a natural form of communication. The goal is to reduce excessive or inappropriate barking while allowing normal alert barking and play vocalizations.
Why does my dog only chew my things and not their toys? Dogs often prefer items that carry their owner’s scent. Shoes, socks, and remote controls smell like you, which is comforting. Keep valuable items out of reach and provide toys that you have rubbed on your skin to make them more appealing.
Will punishing my dog stop digging? Punishment after the fact is ineffective because dogs do not connect past actions with current punishment. Punishment during the act can suppress the behavior temporarily but often increases anxiety and can damage your relationship. Positive redirection and management are more effective.
How long does it take to change a behavior problem? Simple behaviors like demand barking may resolve in one to two weeks with consistent training. Complex behaviors like separation-related destruction can take two to four months. Consistency across all family members is the most important factor in speed of improvement.