My dog chews blankets. How do I stop her and find safe toys?

This is a difficult behavior to stop. The more she does it, the more she's practicing the behavior, and harder it is to break the cycle. First, increase her physical, mental, and emotional/social activity. For example, take her on a couple 30-45 minute walks a day (physical), do 2-3 10 minute training sessions with her (mental. It doesn't really matter what you're training, it's the brain workup that's important), and spend 5-10 minutes a day sitting and brushing her (social/emotional). Next, I would recommend removing all the blankets that are problems for her. Consider using a basket muzzle to prevent chewing if you can't remove the blankets. She can be in a crate when not directly supervised to prevent destruction. Give her other toys to play with with the blankets totally out of the picture. You may be able to bring them back later, but you may not. Some dogs that chew/destroy are anxious. If she seems like a nervous or skittish dog, I recommend talking to your veterinarian about some treatments or doing a consultation with me to talk about OTC options. Good luck! Behavioral issues can be very frustrating.

Chewing on toys is a great activity for dogs to help them burn off energy, keep them occupied, and help keep them from chewing on other things in the house that are inappropriate for them to chew on. Dogs have individual preferences for the types of toys they chew on, so it may take a bit of experimenting to find out what Abby likes. Rope toys, soft toys and rubber chew toys are all good options. There are even puzzle toys where you can hide food and that will keep your pup busy trying to get the food out. Avoid any toys that are too hard- you should be able to easily dent the surface with a fingernail, as anything harder than that could lead to fracturing of the teeth. Avoid offering bones, antler, and similar objects for this reason. Always supervise play, and if you notice your dog trying to eat any pieces of the toys, take them away, as the pieces could cause a blockage of the intestines that could lead to the need for surgery to remove it.

Not all dogs will play with their toys. Some dogs are just not interested in them. I would recommend taking some extra time out of your day to get some play time or extra walks in since Buddy isn't interested in his toys. I would be careful with him chewing blankets. My concern would be him eating a piece of one and he can become obstructed with a foreign body if that happens. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Object sucking (or nibbling) is common in dogs, typically seen in dogs that were [weaned](https://www.petcoach.co/article/weaning-puppies) too early. It is a self-soothing behavior, much like thumb sucking in small children. There is no harm to your dog to engage in this behavior unless she begins to ingest the blankets. Restricting access may actually increase her stress, but you can try to restrict access to the particular room if she has a favorite blanket. If that isn't possible, [calming aids](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-calming-aids), such as[ pheromone products](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-calming-aids), may be effective in easing any stress or anxiety causing her to nibble. Try to determine and reduce or eliminate the offending stimulus if there is one.

Kong toys with frozen peanut butter or other frozen treats can provide hours of entertainment without the added risk of breaking teeth on hard bones. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

You are correct that antlers and nylon bones will break teeth, but they can also cause obstructions and/or perforations in the GI tract. I recommend a Kong toy. Those are very tough chew toys that are hard to dogs to destroy. You can also fill them with treats. I'd recommend, as an occasional treat, filling it with peanut butter and freezing it overnight in the freezer. That will keep her occupied for a while.

This is typically associated with the nursing behavior seen in puppies. Adults dogs who do this behavior do it for comfort, as it mimics how puppies nurse from their mother. You can take away her access to blankets to stop her from doing this. If it isn't possible to take away her access, I would distract her immediately when she tries to do this behavior. Try to engage her play or give her a toy filled with a treat to move her attention away from the blanket. Encourage any behavior that is positive and doesn't involve sucking on blankets with praise, attention, and treats.