Effective Ways To Stop Your Dog From Destroying Your Rug

Choosing a rug is a difficult decision, there are many factors that need to be considered, such as the size, colour, texture, and the material used to make your rug. Alongside this, rugs can be expensive and you’ll want it to last.

The good news is that most rugs are durable and will last unless your dog decides to chew it and destroy it for you.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to stop your dog from destroying your rug.

Choose The Right Rug

If you have a dog then you need to consider them when choosing your rug. There are plenty of great pet friendly rugs/dog-friendly rugs on the market which is worth looking at.

One of the key attributes of a dog-friendly rug is what the rug is made of. The best ones are generally synthetic materials, such as polypropylene or nylon.

The reasoning behind this is simple, they smell less natural to a dog and are, therefore, less appealing. Alongside this, most of the synthetic rugs are washable and stain-resistant, making them easier to clean if your dog has an accident.

Training

Choosing a dog-friendly rug and the right material is a huge step in the right direction. It’s equally as important to train your dog properly. They need to know that the new addition to the house is not for them.

The first step in training is simply to keep an eye on your dog, never leave them alone with the rug.

As soon as you spot them trying to chew the rug, firmly say ‘no’. You shouldn’t need to raise your voice, the firmness of it will tell your dog that this type of behaviour is unacceptable.

To back this up, have a chew toy ready. As soon as you’ve said your dog’s name and the word no, the dog is likely to look at you. This is your cue to show them the chew toy, let your dog come to you for the chew toy.

You can just give it to them or play with them for a little while, depending on what time you have available.

You’ll need to repeat this several times so that the dog realizes it’s the rug they aren’t allowed to chew.

If you have more than one chew toy let your dog have different ones each time. It helps you know their favourite and them to know any toy is alright while the rug is a no.

Spray Bottle

If your dog is persistent it can help to fill a spray bottle with water and keep it handy. This can be used instead of the chew toy when your dog starts to eat the rug. Again, you’ll need to say no and then spray them with the water. It won’t harm them but they won’t like it and they will certainly be distracted from what they are chewing.

Again, you’ll need to repeat this every time until your dog realizes that you don’t want them chewing the rug. It takes less time than you think.