Whether it’s the corner of your wooden coffee table, your favorite pair of slippers, your friend’s handbag, or the tassels of every rug in the house, finding your Rottweiler chewing things is never a pleasant discovery.
There are seven primary motivations behind your Rottweiler’s chewing. Puppies chew to explore and learn about their environment and also when they are teething. Adult Rottweilers chew when they are hungry, bored, have excess energy, want your attention, or are anxious.
Is your Rottweiler just being bad, or is there a reason why they chew things? More importantly, how can you stop it?
Let’s look at seven of the main reasons why Rottweilers chew things and how to stop the behavior in each scenario.
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1. Rottweilers Chew Things When They Are Exploring As Puppies
Just like human babies, Rottweiler puppies go through a stage where they want to put everything they can into their mouths.
It is a way of learning about their environment. They do not know how your chair leg tastes, but they are curious, so they will give it a little nibble.
Some of your things may get away with only one or two tooth marks. However, if your Rottweiler puppy finds something that they like the taste or texture of, then they can destroy it if you do not find them in enough time.
Things that are left on the floor are most particularly vulnerable during this stage because they will be in your puppy’s eye line.
The Fix: Picking Things Up And Training
When your Rottweiler puppy hits the stage where they explore by chewing things, it is safest to be vigilant about picking items up off the floor or not leaving things out.
You should also view this as a sign to start some obedience training. When your Rottweiler puppy understands the “no” command, then you can teach them not to chew things.
Remember to use positive reinforcement training techniques with your developing puppy.
2. Rottweilers Chew Things When They Are Teething
Rottweilers, like all dogs, are born without teeth.
Then from ages three to six weeks, their baby teeth come in. They are not at the age where they can move around and chew on things during their initial teething.
Chewing associated with teething occurs when a Rottweiler puppy is between three to six months of age.
This chewing is in response to the pain produced by the adult teeth erupting through the sensitive gums.
The Fix: Provide Them With An Appropriate Toy
Just because your Rottweiler puppy is chewing to relieve pain does not make the chewing acceptable.
You will need to use your obedience training to stop the behavior, but you should also provide your Rottweiler with alternative chew toys so that they still get the pain relief that they need.
There are many good puppy teething toys available, including this one from Nylabone.
3. Rottweilers Chew Things When They Are Hungry
If your Rottweiler is hungry, then they may start to chew on things.
The occasional, harmless bite on something while they wait for their food to be dished up is not likely to develop into a problematic behavior, but you can still stop this.
However, chewing out of hunger can become a problem if you do not have a proper routine.
If you feed your Rottweiler at irregular times, then they do not know when their next meal is coming, and they can become anxious, which further triggers chewing behavior.
Furthermore, if they notice that you remember to feed them only when they start chewing on your shoes, then this is how they will call you to give them their meals.
Another issue is when your Rottweiler is on a diet. Rottweilers are massive dogs, and any excess weight is extremely harsh on their joints, so it is important to keep them trim.
But if you put them onto a calorie-restricted diet, your Rottweiler may be hungrier throughout the day and turn to chewing.
The Fix: Feed Them Or Distract Them
To stop your Rottweiler from chewing out of hunger, you should set up a regular feeding time and stick to it as far as possible.
There will always be the odd day when you are unable to make it home in time, etc., but as long as these are exceptions, it should not be a problem.
If your Rottweiler is chewing from hunger because they are adapting to their new calorie-restricted diet, you can try giving them a few low-calorie treats like carrots or celery. Make sure you only give them small amounts.
You should also confirm with your veterinarian that your Rottweiler is still taking in enough calories to be healthy.
4. Rottweilers Chew Things When They Are Bored
Your Rottweiler is a smart dog who requires mental stimulation each day to be fully satisfied.
If your Rottweiler is bored, they may turn to chewing as a way to entertain themselves or as an outlet for their frustration.
This is especially problematic if you lock your Rottweiler up for long periods of time, whether you are at home or not.
The Fix: Give Them Toys And Play With Them
To stop your Rottweiler chewing because it is bored, you need to make sure that you provide them with plenty of enrichment.
Take the time to play with your Rottweiler. Training them also engages their mind and helps to combat boredom.
It’s not possible to play games with your Rottweiler all the time, but there are still other things that you can do.
You can provide them with toys and chews. A companion dog can also be beneficial if you have the time, energy, budget, and space for a second dog.
5. Rottweilers Chew Things When They Have Pent Up Energy
This reason goes hand-in-hand with the previous one.
When your Rottweiler does not get sufficient exercise, then they get frustrated and can take this pent-up energy out on your furniture and shoes.
If they can’t exercise their whole bodies, then they will settle for a good jaw workout.
The Fix: Exercise Them
To ensure that your Rottweiler does not start chewing things because they have too much excess energy, you need to give them sufficient exercise.
Rottweilers are working dogs, which means that, as a breed, they have moderate to high levels of energy that need to be directed into appropriate exercise.
6. Rottweilers Chew Things When They Want To Get Your Attention
Dogs are not like people in that they can be malicious, but they can learn what triggers us and use it to get our attention.
If your Rottweiler knows that you will carry on with what you are doing unless they bring your favorite throw cushion or the television remote to chew in front of you, then this is what they will do.
The Fix: Training
To fix this behavior is difficult because anything you do to stop them from chewing is giving them the attention that they were after, so it is just reinforcing the behavior.
If they specifically bring things to chew in front of you, you can try getting up and walking away without acknowledging them.
Then, if they stop chewing the item, circle back and pick it up, still not paying them attention.
After a few minutes, provided they do not try it again, you can start paying them attention.
7. Rottweilers Chew Things When They Are Anxious Or Upset
There are so many different causes of anxiety in dogs. Rottweilers are not a particularly neurotic breed, but this does not stop them from struggling with certain situations or stimuli.
If your Rottweiler is anxious, it will try to relieve this stress in any way possible, and chewing is often the result.
The Fix: Help Them
When your Rottweiler is chewing in response to a state of anxiety, it is very important that you do not punish the behavior.
Instead, you should attempt to identify the cause of the stress and eliminate it.
Not all stressors can be eliminated, however. In these cases, try distracting your Rottweiler with toys, games, dog chew, etc.
You can also take them for exercise sessions to trigger the release of endorphins and get rid of the excess anxiety energy.
Before we conclude, take a look at the video below. It elaborates on specific points that we’ve discussed as well as brings up some other useful insights that you may find helpful:
Final Thoughts
Rottweilers have incredibly powerful jaws, so anything that they chew is likely to be destroyed very quickly.
However, when your Rottweiler is chewing, he is not trying to be bad, so you should ask yourself why they might be turning to this destructive behavior.
If your Rottweiler is still a puppy, then it is probably just exploring its world, or some new teeth are coming in.
Rottweilers of any age also chew things when they are hungry, bored, have too much energy, want your attention, or are suffering from anxiety.
To stop the chewing, you need to satisfy their physical and mental needs, train them, distract them, and address the underlying cause of anxiety.