Expert: Anne Springer, B.S., Dip., CAPCT - 3/12/2009

Question
We have 2- two year old Jack Russell Terriers, brother & sister. Buster the male just started nibbling the bed sheets. He doesn't lick them, because they are not wet. He just takes small nibbles at the sheet for a few minutes and then moves to another area of the bed. It seems a little bit compulsive. I tell him "NO" and move him away and he looks at me like he knows that he is doing something wrong, but still continues to nibble. Could he have just developed OCD? The only other thing that has also changed with him recently, is that he seems to be barking at every little noise outside in a territorial sort of way. It is very loud and annoying. Both dogs are rarely left at home alone. They are otherwise very loving and get along really well. Any idea why this sudden change in behavior in him? He is driving us all crazy with the barking especially and at night when we are trying to go to sleep the nibbling is just plain weird!
Thanks,
Kathy

Answer
Dogs often chew on fabric or other items to calm themselves.  If your dogs are age two, they are reaching social maturity, and there may be some hierarchical struggles going on between them.  If you scold your dog, you are actually contributing to his anxiety (remember, he sees chewing or "nibbling" as a normal behavior, so he doesn't understand why you would be gruff about him doing it).  So, instead, you could simply teach him the "leave it" command, and use it to divert him.  That way, you can keep things positive, but still not have doggy spit on your sheets:-)  There are some free lessons at www.clickerlessons.com that can help you teach that behavior.  Clicker training is also useful to curb barking.  If you first teach the dog to "speak", then you can interrupt the bark and reward him for being quiet - use a command like shush or zip it.  Whatever you do, don't "bark" back - you've just created a "duet" and the dog will continue to bark.