It’s so darn frustrating! You sit back to relax and stream some shows when you notice those little teeth marks. Your dog is chewing on your tablet again! Why do they have to do this? Why do dogs chew on tablets? Is there a smell that will deter dogs from biting on our tablets? Will they ever grow out of it?

Today, we’re going to answer all of the questions you have about this destructive chewing behavior from your dog. Most importantly, we’ll tell you how to stop your dog from chewing on your tablet once and for all! Soon, you won’t have to worry about your four-legged friend ruining your expensive tablet! Keep reading below!

Why Do Dogs Chew on Computer Tablets?

Dogs chew on computer tablets because they’re experiencing anxiety and chewing helps to soothe them by releasing endorphins, with the added bonus of containing your scent. It’s also possible that they’re jealous, bored, or teething.

To stop your dog from chewing on your tablet, you should start by making sure that they’re getting plenty of playtime. This will help them to relieve stress in a positive way. Also ensure that they have something proper they can be biting on, like a chew toy. But you still need to work on their issue with anxiety, which is causing all of this in the first place.

Not treating the problem at its root will either give your dog the impression that it’s okay (if you do nothing), or will simply transfer the problem to other items of yours (if you only address the fact that they’re chewing on your tablet). Both of these poor responses would lead to your dog’s issue growing and escalating.

Before long, you will find your dog is chewing up your cell phone, chewing your phone charger, or chewing on your TV remotes. Obviously, you don’t want your expensive items being destroyed and you want to end this awful stress for your dog, so you should help them get past this by using behavioral training. Skip to the last section now where we’ll go into detail on that.

What Smells Deter Dogs From Chewing on Your Tablet?

Vinegar is a smell that deters dogs from chewing on your tablet. You can make a 50/50 mix of water and distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle. Apply it to a cloth, then wipe a small amount of your tablet’s case. Be sure to avoid getting any on the actual tablet itself. The smell should go away after about an hour once it’s completely dried, but it will still dissuade your dog.

Not all dogs will be deterred from chewing by this (or any) smell, however, so it’s important that you begin using behavioral training to work on the root cause of their chewing right away. Even if this mix does get your dog to stop chewing on your tablet, the problem causing it will remain and they’ll just start chewing on other things of yours.

Skip to the last section now where we’ll tell you how to address their problem at its core.

Will My Dog Grow Out of Biting on My Tablet?

Your dog will not grow out biting on your tablet unless they’re under six months old and still teething. Adult dogs will certainly not age out of chewing on your tablet. And even if your puppy is doing so because they’re teething, you need to get a handle on their behavior now or you’ll give them the idea that it’s okay, and they’ll continue to do so even when they’re grown.

How to Stop Your Dog Chewing on Your Tablet

To stop your dog chewing on your tablet:

1. Immediately give a calm but firm “no” or “stop” when you see them start to chew your tablet or sniff around it.
2. Do not clap, yell, or get angry. Remember that your dog is chewing your tablet almost certainly due to anxiety. Reacting in this way is only going to make things worse.
3. Put your dog into time-out in their crate or a closed-off room with no toys for 10 minutes.
4. Let them out and redirect them to a chew toy if they start showing interest in your tablet again.
5. Give them pets, praise, and a small treat when they choose their toy, rather than trying to go after your computer tablet.
6. Make a 50/50 mix of water and distilled white vinegar.
7. Apply this mix to a small cloth, then wipe your tablet’s case with a small amount.
8. Do not apply the mix directly to the tablet screen, but to the backing or its case.
9. The smell will go away in about an hour once your tablet has dried but will still deter most dogs.
10. Keep your tablet safely stored away where your dog can’t get to it when it’s not in use.
11. Make sure your dog is getting plenty of attention and exercise.
12. Ensure that everyone else in the home is also following these steps so that your dog is getting consistent feedback.
13. Be patient and consistent.

This should get your dog to stop chewing on your tablet, but you’ll still need to take care of their underlying issue of anxiety or it will only begin showing itself in other (likely worse) ways. And to do that, let’s first quickly talk about what makes dogs function deep down.

You’ve likely heard before that dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there is a pack leader. But when your dog is chewing on your tablet and engaging in other destructive biting behaviors as a reaction to their stress and worries, they are clearly telling you that they don’t fully trust you in this role.

If they did, they would stay calm knowing that you can handle everything and that they’re fine, even when you’re not at home. They would only chew on the things they’re allowed to, and would only do so to relax and enjoy themselves. And they would listen to you and obey your commands at all times, and do so happily.

You would no longer have to worry about your tablet getting chewed up and destroyed. Even better, you’d have the peace of mind of knowing you’ve helped to free your dog from all this stress and anxiety that’s currently weighing on them at all times. It’s a win-win for everyone. Great, right?

“Absolutely, but how am I supposed to do this then?”

You should watch an excellent free video series that’s on this exact subject — how to be your dog’s pack leader — by a renowned trainer named Dan. In the series, he explains everything you need to know in ways that are very easy to understand and to teach to your own dog, and he gets immediately to the point so that you can start seeing these important changes in your dog in no time.

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 uses only 100% humane and loving methods at all times. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s the fastest way to achieve permanent changes in your dog’s behavior.

I’m sure you’re ready to not have to worry about what your dog might chew up next, so I’ll let you begin now. Good luck with all of this, and thank you for reading our article on how to stop your dog from chewing on your tablet.