Do Cockapoos Chew Furniture?

One concern when welcoming a new animal to your home, like a cockapoo, is whether they are likely to damage your home. To answer the question posed above, like most other dog breeds, cockapoos have been known to chew furniture. In the following post, we will discuss some of the reasons why they chew furniture—identifying why will help you to prevent and handle it when it does happen.

Why Do Cockapoos Chew Things?

There are various reasons why cockapoos, like other dogs, chew furniture and other things around the house. These include:

Boredom

If you notice your cockapoo chewing your furniture and other things in your house that are not their bones, sticks or toys, there is a strong chance that they are feeling bored. It’s a sign that they would like to be somewhere other than the house doing something with all that pent-up energy. Remember, cockapoos, as a breed, are highly energetic animals and need a lot of exercise and stimulation.

If you do not nip this in the bud and stop your cockapoo from chewing things because they are bored, it could lead to them carrying out destructive chewing and other unwanted behaviour.

To Release Tension

Some cockapoos will chew if they are feeling tense. This is an indication that they are stressed out. This could be linked to separation anxiety. Whether it’s just tension in general or because of separation anxiety, it is because they feel strongly connected and affectionate towards their human owners and family members. Therefore, you must not leave your cockapoo for long periods as they will get sulky and could start chewing as a way of acting out.

Exercise or Curiosity

As your cockapoo gets older, it may hold on to the tendency it had as a younger dog to chew on things you give them to play with. This is part of their physical and mental stimulation.

However, many cockapoos do not need an excuse to chew things, as they often want to just exercise their curiosity in the environment around them. You also need to be aware that dogs also chew to keep their teeth and jaws clean, solid and healthy.

Teething

One of the most common reasons for cockapoos to chew anything they can get their teeth into is teething. This, obviously, with cockapoo puppies, should stop once they are around 6 months old. They chew, like human babies do, because they want to alleviate and reduce the pain and discomfort they are experiencing due to losing teeth and their adult teeth growing in.

Now that you know some of the reasons why your cockapoo is chewing your furniture, you may wonder what you can do to stop it.

To complete this guide, that is what we are going to discuss in the next section.

Give Them Lots of Attention, Love and Affection

It is important that you only get a cockapoo when you can give an adequate amount of time to them. There is no point investing in a cockapoo if you can’t give them the time, attention, love and affection they crave. Cockapoos are furry balls of energy on four legs and will play until they need to sleep if they are allowed to.

As they are unlikely to get tired of spending time with you, you can always use that to your advantage. Cockapoos are famous for their intelligence, so put a lot of effort into training them as early as possible.

If you don’t give them the attention they need, they may look elsewhere, like your sofa and furniture.

Give your Dog Plenty of Opportunities to Run Free

We are not suggesting that you let them run free all the time. However, we advise you to give them some off-leash time. Cockapoos can develop bad and destructive habits like chewing because they want to break free from the restraints they feel have been holding them back from playing and running around.

As cockapoos are highly sociable and active, it is a good idea to safely let them run loose while keeping an eye on them closely. Once they are well-trained, you will not have any reason to worry about them running away and not coming back.

Use Reward-Based Training

Following on from the above, when it comes to a cockapoo that chews, it’s best to try and catch them when they are doing it. This is not about punishing them but rather giving them the discipline and training they need at the right time. A great approach is to use a very alarmed call of “oh, no” as soon as you see them chewing at furniture or something else they shouldn’t. Take them away from the place they were chewing and provide them with a toy to chew.

Once they are happy and chewing contently, you can give them praise. It will take a lot of patience and perseverance, but you should get there in the end.

Use Chewing Deterrents

When you’ve tried different methods to stop them chewing and they won’t quit their destructive behaviours, you should consider using a chewing deterrent. The best deterrent is to make whatever they like chewing taste disgusting and unappealing. There are various sprays on the market that you can apply to your furniture and other things you want to be dog-proof that will very quickly put your dog off from going near them with their mouths and teeth.

The best way to try one of these sprays is to use it on a small piece of tissue paper and then carefully put it into your cockapoo’s mouth. You know it’s effective if your pooch spits it out straight away.

You should also give your cockapoo a chance to sniff the tissue as this will encourage them to make a connection between the bad taste and the scent.

Once they show real signs that they do not want to have anything to do with the tissue that has been soaked in a deterrent, you know you can proceed to add the deterrent all over your house.

Generally speaking, you should only regularly spray with the deterrent for a month before your dog will learn not to do it. Once they have got the point and are not trying to chew things they shouldn’t, then you can stop using the spray.

Redirect Their Chewing Fascination

Perhaps the best way to prevent your cockapoo from wanting to tackle your furniture and other things around the home with their teeth that you don’t want them to is by providing alternatives. Make sure you invest in many chewable dog toys for your cockapoo. Be careful when choosing toys that are not too big that they struggle to carry and bite into it but also not too small that they could choke on.

You can never have too many toys, so buy a few.

Take Other Measures to Dog-Proof Your Home

Over and above everything else in this guide, the single most important tip we can offer to prevent your cockapoo from chewing things it shouldn’t is dog-proof your home. Keep your home tidy and store things away or out of reach from your dog when you are not using them. If you have room to spare, you could even have a room that you could use exclusively for your cockapoo and put lots of toys and other safe things to chew with them. This will help protect your furniture.

Conclusion

Cockapoos chew for various reasons, and while they may be understandable, that doesn’t make it any less frustrating and maddening when they do. By identifying the reasons why they are chewing and using the suggestions listed above, you should be able to stop your cockapoo from damaging your home.