When your dog is constantly chewing on its crate, you may not know what to do. While you may be extremely worried about your dog, you should know that it’s actually fairly common for dogs to chew on their crate. Whatever the reason for your dog’s destructive behavior, you’ll be happy to know that there is a solution. Here’s exactly how to stop a dog from chewing on a metal crate.
Why Does Your Dog Chew On Metal Crate?
Many pet owners want to know what’s causing their dog to chew on a metal crate. Even if you use the best dog crate, any pup can still have this destructive behavior. The truth of the matter is that every dog will chew on a metal crate bars for different reasons. The following are the most common reasons why a dog chews on a metal crate:
Separation Anxiety: Many dogs chew on crates because they’re experiencing separation anxiety. Severe anxiety in dogs often occurs as soon as pet owners leave home. If dogs don’t feel safe in the crate, they will become extremely anxious when the dog owners are away.
Teething: If your dog is a puppy, it will probably chew on the crate while teething. Teething in dogs usually occurs when they’re less than six months old.
Scared Of The Crate: If your dog hasn’t had positive experiences with the crate, it may be really scared of the crate. Your dog may associate the crate with something “bad.”
Severe Stress: Some adult dogs will chew on metal crates because they’re severely stressed. Stress in dogs can be caused by a recent move, a new schedule, strange noises, aging, and new people.
Boredom: A dog could chew on a crate simply because of boredom. If there aren’t toys or a bone in the crate, a dog doesn’t have anything to do.
Eating Disorder: A large majority of dogs suffer from an eating disorder called Pica [1]. This eating disorder causes dogs to eat non-food items. Many experts think that stress can be the cause of this eating disorder.
Too Much Crate Time: If you leave your dog in the crate for long periods of time, your best pal will probably start to chew on it. According to most vets, you shouldn’t leave your furry friend in the crate for more than eight hours.
How You Can Prevent Your Dog From Chewing On Crate
While it’s natural for dogs to chew anything and everything, they should be taught that a metal crate is off-limits. The following are some great ways to prevent your dog from chewing on a crate.
Get A Strong, Durable Metal Crate
Before you can effectively prevent your dog from chewing on a crate, you should get a strong, durable, and heavy duty dog crate. The reality is that flimsy crates are much easier for your dog to chew. With a strong, durable metal crate, your dog will have a harder time chewing the metal. As an added bonus, most dogs feel much more secure with a top-quality crate.
Crate Train Your Dog
The second thing that you should do is crate train your dog as soon as possible. The ultimate goal of crate training is to ensure that your puppy or adult dog accepts his crate as a safe space.
One way to make the crate a safe place is to put dog treats in it. While your dog is in the crate, you can also soothe it with positive words and back rubs.
For the best results, you may want to hire an experienced dog trainer for help with effective crate training.
Give Your Dog A Chew Toy
Another great way to prevent your dog from chewing on a crate is to simply give it a chew toy. If you give your dog a chew toy while it’s in the crate, you’ll be promoting healthy chewing habits.
In order to ensure that your dog doesn’t get bored, give your dog a different chew toy every few days. Before giving your dog toys, make sure that they are safe for dogs. The best toys for dogs are extremely durable and non-toxic.
Offer Your Dog Other Chew Items
Did you know that chew toys are not the only items that your dog can chew?
There are a wide variety of items that your dog can also chew. These chewable items include bones, rawhide treats, and frozen treats. Just make sure you choose items that aren’t too big for your furry friend.
Apply Anti-Chew Spray-On Crate
A great anti-chew spray can also be the key to preventing your pup from chewing on a crate. You can either make an anti-chew spray or buy one from the pet store. Whether you choose to create an anti-chew spray or purchase one, make sure that it contains safe ingredients for your dog to consume. When using this product, you will need to apply the anti-chew to the crate often.
Take Your Dog On A Walk
If your dog has a lot of pent-up energy, it could chew on the crate excessively. The best way to release your dog’s pent-up energy is to take it on frequent walks. You can also take your dog hiking, running, and swimming. Dog parks are also a great way for your dog to release pent-up energy. Playing with your dog in the backyard is also a great way to wear it out. When you exercise your dog regularly, you discover that it is chewing on metal less often.
Hire A Dog Walker
If you work eight hours a day, it may be hard to let your dog out of the crate in the middle of the day. You may want to consider hiring a dog walker so that your best pal isn’t stuck in the crate for hours and hours. A dog walker can also make sure that your dog gets the attention and stimulation that it needs.
Try Dog Calming Treats
When you’re desperate for a way to stop your dog from chewing metal, you can always try dog calming treats. These types of treats have been shown to improve your dog’s agitation, stress, fears, and anxiety.
These specific treats are formulated with key ingredients such as hemp oil and melatonin, which have a calming effect on dogs. Dog calming treats can often be found at grocery stores, pet stores, and online. You can even ask your vet for recommendations for the best calming treats.
Say “No” To Your Dog
Whenever you observe your dog chewing on its crate, you should say “no” in a firm voice. By doing so, you’ll be teaching your dog that chewing on the crate is not acceptable. Always remember to be extremely patient with your best pal. When you maintain a calm demeanor, your dog will trust you more.
Place Your Dog In Daycare
Dog daycare is also a great option if you can’t tend to your dog in the middle of the day. The best dog daycare will make sure that your best pal gets plenty of exercise throughout the day. The dog daycare should also interact with your dog a lot. There are several excellent dog daycares from which to choose.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Whenever your dog displays a good behavior, you’ll want to reward it with tasty treats and lots of praise. You can even give your dog a new toy, take it to the dog park, or let it run around outside for longer.
Take Your Dog To The Vet
If your dog is chewing the crate because of separation anxiety, you should take it to the vet. The vet will be able to prescribe effective medication for your dog.
After a thorough examination, a vet will also be able to tell you if a medical condition is causing your dog to chew on its crate. If you have any questions about your dog’s behavior, don’t forget to ask them. Furthermore, you should learn how to crate train an older dog with separation anxiety.
What Happens If Your Dog Chews On Metal?
If your dog chews on metal for an extended period of time, your dog’s teeth will be severely worn. The best-case scenario is that the vet will be able to save your dog’s teeth with crown therapy. The worst-case scenario is that the vet will need to remove some of your dog’s teeth.
Once you take your dog to the vet, he/she will thoroughly examine your dog’s teeth to determine the best treatment. The vet may use a dental radiograph during the examination. The most common signs of severely worn teeth are foul breath, loose teeth, and chipped teeth.
Since your dog could potentially lose its teeth, you should stop your dog from chewing metal sooner rather than later.
FAQ
1. Why does my dog chew on metal?
A dog can chew on metal for an extensive array of reasons including severe anxiety, boredom, lack of exercise, too much crate time, an eating disorder, and teething.
A dog will also be on metal if it isn’t getting enough stimulation and attention. Many dogs will chew on crates if they’re stressed. A new environment, aging, different schedule, and loud noises can cause severe stress in dogs.
2. How do I stop my dog from destroying his crate?
One of the most effective ways to stop your dog from destroying his crate is crate training. During the crate training, you want to reassure your dog that a crate is a safe place.
You can also prevent your dog from destroying his crate by taking it on frequent walks, placing it in daycare, buying an anxiety dog mat, giving it chew toys, and using an anti-chew spray. Don’t forget to use positive reinforcement when using these tips to stop your dog from chewing on metal.
If you suspect that your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, you should take it to the vet for prescription medication.
3. Why does my puppy chew on her metal crate?
Many puppies chew on their metal crate because they are teething. When your young puppy isn’t teething anymore, she will probably stop chewing on its crate. Most puppies stop teething when they’re six months or older. If your dog is still teething when it is one year old, you may want to call a vet to determine why.
4. Is chewing metal bad for dogs?
Many vets do not recommend dogs chew metal. The reason why is because metal can significantly damage a dog’s teeth.
When your dog chews metal for an extended period of time, a vet may have to remove its teeth. Depending on the extent of your dog’s worn teeth, a vet may be able to save its teeth with crown therapy.
In order to save your dog’s teeth, you should stop your dog from chewing on metal in a timely manner.
