You’re getting dressed and you see it’s happened again: your dog chewed up your socks! Why do they have to keep doing this? Why does your dog chew on your socks? And can they get hurt doing this? Can dogs chew on socks? Can you just wait it out? Will your dog grow out of chewing socks?

Today, we’re going to answer each and every one of the questions you have about this frustrating problem. We’ll of course also answer what you really want to know: how to stop your dog chewing on your socks for good. This will be a thing of the past soon! Continue reading below for our article “Dog Chews Socks? Here’s How to Stop It!”

How to Stop Dog Chewing Socks

To stop dog chewing socks:

1. Always store your socks where your dog can’t get to them, even when doing things like folding laundry.
2. Ensure your dog is never without a safe outlet for chewing like a toy that keeps them occupied.
3. Spray a deterrent, such as a 1:1 solution of distilled white vinegar and water onto your socks.
4. Diluted vinegar is safe for nearly all fabrics including wool and silk.
5. The scent will be gone after around one hour, but your dog will continue to be deterred.
6. Give a calm but firm “stop” or “no” the second when you notice that your dog is biting your socks.
7. Don’t yell or get angry, because if they’re behaving like this stemming from anxiety (which is the most probable explanation), this will only make their problems worse.
8. Put them into a quick time-out in a closed-off room or their crate for around 10 minutes.
9. If you see your dog beginning to go after your socks, point their attention to a toy.
10. Reward them with a small treat, praise, and pets when they choose their toy rather than chewing on your socks.
11. Ensure that everybody who lives in your house is also following these steps.
12. Stay patient and consistent.

This should help your dog to stop chewing socks, but you’ll still need to address their disobedience which was caused by their underlying issues with anxiety. A failure to do so will just lead to your dog continuing to think that they run the show, and their problem will just start showing itself in even worse ways.

To properly address that, we must first discuss what makes dogs function deep down. You’ve probably heard before that dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there is a pack leader.

But when your dog chews socks and then refuses to listen when told to stop, they are clearly proving to you that they don’t trust you as the head of the family pack.

If they did, they wouldn’t chew your socks while ignoring your commands. They wouldn’t display any other types of anxiety-related misbehavior. And they would immediately obey your commands at all times, and they would do so happily.

Make it clear to your dog that you are not just their pack leader, but a capable one worthy of respect, and you’ll make all of these great things a reality.

You’ll be better off for obvious reasons. But your dog will be too because they’ll no longer have to deal with all of the confusion and worry that their anxiety problems are currently burdening them with every single second of every single day.

Sounds like a terrific thing, don’t you think?

“Yes, definitely, but how do I actually do this then?”

You should watch a wonderful free video series by a renowned trainer named Dan which is on this exact subject: how to be your dog’s pack leader. In Dan’s series, he explains absolutely everything in ways that are very simple to understand and teach to your own dog, and he gets right to the point so that you can start seeing these important changes in your dog before things escalate any further.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And don’t worry, because no, you’re not going to have to be mean or yell at your dog. Dan never uses those types of methods. Not just because loving teaching techniques are the right thing to do, but also because they’re the fastest way to achieve permanent changes in your dog’s behavior.

Why Does My Dog Chew On My Socks?

Your dog chews on your socks because they’re experiencing stress and the act of chewing releases endorphins which help them to feel better. Your socks are also extra comforting to them due to the obvious fact that they smell like you.

If your dog is a puppy still under six months old, they could also be chewing socks due to teething. If you know that they are, you need to direct them to a proper outlet like a chew toy rather than your socks, because allowing them to chew your socks instead could lead to it becoming a learned behavior that continues into adulthood.

The most likely explanation for most dogs (anxiety) needs to be handled as soon as possible. Not doing anything about it because “hey, they’re just socks” gives your dog the idea that it’s okay, and they’ll soon be seeking out other things of yours to chew on when they’re feeling a bit stressed or worried.

You would also be doing nothing to help them by getting to the root cause of their problem (their anxiety). They’ll then continue to suffer and relieve their worries by destructively chewing. You lose, and so does your dog.

A dog’s chewing problem being untreated will mean that it grows, escalates, and spreads. Soon, your dog will chew on your towels, chew on your door mat, chew on your rug, chew on your bed sheets, and chew on your pillows. I’m sure you can see why it’s important to start working on this immediately now, right?

To learn how to stop your dog chewing socks, go back to the first section now. We’ll give you an easy-to-follow short-term solution and also instruct you on how to get to the root of the problem by addressing their core issues with anxiety and stress.

Can Dogs Chew on Socks?

Dogs cannot chew on socks. While the risk is low, dogs can easily rip off bits of fabric from your socks that will become wadded up and swallowed. This wadded fabric can then compress blood vessels in their intestines, leading to a breakdown of tissue, bacterial leakage, and in some cases death.

So while it may be tempting to allow your dog to chew on an old pair of socks, you should instead direct them to a toy specifically made for dogs. If you’re having trouble getting your dog to take the toy instead, make sure to give them excited praise and pets whenever they choose it, along with small treats.

With time and consistency from you, they’ll form positive connections and learn that their chew toy is a better option than your socks.

Will My Dog Grow Out of Chewing Socks?

Your dog will not grow out of chewing socks. Though in many cases they may be doing so because they’re teething which they will (of course) grow out of, allowing it to go on means that it could easily become a learned behavior. Once they’ve found it to be enjoyable and relaxing, they’ll retain this coping method into adulthood.

Ensure the health of your dog (and your socks) by being sure that they only chew on dog toys, even as a teething puppy. Dogs that are destructively chewing not because they’re teething but due to anxiety should be handled by addressing both the action itself and the root cause (their anxiety). Go back to the first section now where we’ll instruct you on both.

I’m sure you’re looking forward to your favorite comfy socks not getting ruined, so I’ll let you get started on things now. Best wishes with everything, and thank you for checking out our article “Dog Chews Socks? Here’s How to Stop It!”