Most dogs chew furniture heavily for a limited window rather than for life. Teething puppies chew hardest between roughly three and seven months, then adolescent chewing continues in bursts until somewhere between twelve and eighteen months. By the age of two, the majority of dogs have stopped treating sofa legs and table edges as something to bite. If an adult dog is still chewing your furniture, the cause is almost never teeth. It is usually boredom, separation anxiety, too little exercise or a habit that was accidentally rewarded when the dog was young.<\/p>\n
That timeline matters when you are furnishing a home around a dog, because it tells you what needs protecting now and what you can plan for later. A household with a four month old puppy is dealing with a temporary phase. A household with a four year old dog that gnaws the same chair leg every afternoon is dealing with a routine problem, and no amount of furniture swapping will fix it on its own.<\/p>\n
Puppies explore with their mouths in the same way toddlers explore with their hands. Between three and seven months, adult teeth push through the gums and cause genuine discomfort, so pressure from biting something firm brings relief. Wooden sofa feet, chair rails, skirting boards and the corners of low tables all happen to be exactly the right height and hardness. Nothing about it is naughty behaviour. It is a physical need that finds the nearest suitable surface.<\/p>\n
Once the adult teeth are settled, a second phase often follows. Between seven and eighteen months many dogs go through adolescence, which brings a surge of energy and a shorter attention span. Chewing at this stage is less about sore gums and more about occupation. This is the period where owners are often surprised, because they assume teething was the end of it and the puppy has already grown out of the worst.<\/p>\n
Larger breeds tend to mature more slowly, so a Labrador or a German Shepherd may still be mouthing furniture at fifteen months when a small terrier has long since stopped. Working breeds bred for retrieving or herding carry a stronger drive to hold things in their mouths, and they need more mental work to settle. Quieter, lower energy breeds often pass through the phase with barely a mark on the woodwork.<\/p>\n
Individual character matters just as much. Two dogs from the same litter can behave very differently in the same house. One will settle beside the sofa with a chew toy, the other will systematically test every leg in the room. This is why blanket advice about dog friendly furniture only goes so far: you have to watch your own dog and respond to what they actually do.<\/p>\n
Damage follows a predictable pattern. Exposed timber legs on dining chairs and coffee tables take the worst of it, because they are the right thickness for a puppy jaw. Piped edges and loose cushion seams on upholstery come next, since a stray thread invites pulling. Rug corners and fringes are pulled and shredded. Low shelves with visible edges get gnawed while a dog waits for something interesting to happen.<\/p>\n
Materials respond differently too. Solid timber shows tooth marks but usually survives. Veneered edges can lift once the surface is broken. Tightly woven upholstery holds up better than loose weave, and firm smooth leather often deters chewing because it gives nothing back when bitten, though claws can still leave surface marks. If you are buying while a puppy is young, tightly upholstered pieces such as these modern fabric sofas UK sale<\/a> tend to be more forgiving than heavily detailed frames with slim exposed spindles.<\/p>\n Chewing fades faster when the dog has something better to do. Three things make the biggest difference: enough physical exercise for the breed, a small number of genuinely appealing chew items that are always available, and consistent redirection. When a puppy goes for a table leg, moving them calmly onto a chew toy and praising them there teaches the difference far more quickly than telling them off, which only teaches them to chew when nobody is watching.<\/p>\n Structure helps as well. Dogs chew more when the day is unpredictable. A routine of walks, feeding, short training sessions and rest gives an adolescent dog somewhere to put its energy. Ten minutes of scent games or basic training can tire a young dog more than half an hour of running, and a tired dog is a dog that lies down instead of testing your dining chairs.<\/p>\n A few simple measures buy you time. Keep the dog out of rooms with your most valuable pieces when you cannot supervise. Use a crate or a puppy proofed area for short absences. Move rugs with tempting fringes out of reach for a few months. Apply a bitter deterrent spray to table legs, testing it on a hidden area first so it does not mark the finish.<\/p>\n Height also works in your favour. Storage that lifts belongings and cables away from a curious mouth removes half the temptation, which is where wall mounted or closed front units earn their place. Options such as modern TV stands UK sale<\/a> with closed doors keep remote controls, games consoles and trailing leads out of reach, and that alone prevents a surprising amount of damage.<\/p>\n If an adult dog chews furniture, look at the timing. Damage that only happens when the house is empty points to separation anxiety, and that usually needs a gradual programme of leaving the dog for very short periods and building up. Chewing in the evening after a quiet day usually means the dog is under exercised. Sudden chewing in a previously settled dog can occasionally have a medical cause, including dental pain or digestive discomfort, so a vet visit is sensible before assuming it is behavioural.<\/p>\n Anxious chewing tends to focus on exit points: door frames, window sills and the arm of the sofa nearest the door. Boredom chewing is more random and often happens in the middle of the room. Reading that difference tells you whether to work on the dog’s confidence or on the dog’s timetable.<\/p>\n Light tooth marks in solid timber can be sanded and refinished, and small scratches in oiled wood often disappear with a fresh coat of oil. Deeper gouges are usually best filled and touched up rather than fully stripped. Damaged upholstery seams can be restitched, and a well placed throw covers a great deal while a young dog grows up.<\/p>\n Many owners prefer to wait until the chewing phase has passed before investing in the room properly, then buy once with confidence. If you are furnishing a home in that order, it helps to shop somewhere with a wide range across the whole house, which is what we offer at Furniture in Fashion<\/a>. We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes. Returns are available up to 30 days.<\/p>\n Once the phase is over, dog owners still benefit from thinking about materials. Wipeable surfaces near the door, a rug that can be lifted and cleaned, and a sofa with removable covers all make life simpler. Timber with a matt finish hides claw marks better than a glossy lacquer. Firm foam seats recover their shape after a dog has settled on them, and the difference shows within a year.<\/p>\n Where a dog shares the sofa, wipe clean surfaces earn their keep, and a good selection of modern leather sofas UK<\/a> gives you that without a fussy cleaning routine. For dining spaces, sturdier frames matter more than delicate detail, so it is worth comparing solid designs among these wooden dining chairs UK sale<\/a> before deciding.<\/p>\n The honest summary is that chewing is a phase measured in months rather than years, and most of the damage happens in a fairly narrow window. Plan for about a year of vigilance from the point your puppy arrives, protect the pieces you care about, give the dog a better outlet, and the problem generally resolves itself. Approach it as a temporary stage rather than a permanent condition, and you will make calmer decisions about your home.<\/p>\n Most puppies ease off between twelve and eighteen months, with the sharpest phase during teething at three to seven months. Larger, slower maturing breeds may take a little longer.<\/p>\n Adult chewing usually signals boredom, anxiety or a change in routine. If it appears suddenly in a settled dog, a vet check is worthwhile to rule out dental or digestive discomfort.<\/p>\n Tightly woven fabric resists tooth damage well and is easy to clean, while smooth firm leather offers little for a dog to grip. Both cope better than loose weaves and exposed piping.<\/p>\n They help many dogs but not all, and they work best alongside redirection to a chew toy. Always test the spray on a hidden area first so it does not affect the finish.<\/p>\n If your puppy is still teething, delaying major purchases for a few months is sensible. In the meantime, protect what you have and choose robust, wipeable pieces for the rooms your dog uses most.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Furniture chewing is a phase rather than a permanent habit, and knowing how long it lasts makes furnishing a home around a dog far less stressful. Teething drives the heaviest chewing between three and seven months, adolescence keeps it going in bursts until twelve to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":55756,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3334],"tags":[5210,902,247,4429],"class_list":["post-55755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-guide-for-your-home","tag-dogs-and-furniture","tag-furniture-care","tag-living-room","tag-pet-friendly-homes"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Shortening the Phase Rather Than Waiting It Out<\/h3>\n
Practical Protection While the Phase Lasts<\/h3>\n
When Chewing Is Not About Teeth<\/h3>\n
Repairing and Replacing Sensibly<\/h3>\n
Choosing With a Dog in Mind<\/h3>\n
Setting Realistic Expectations<\/h3>\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h3>\n
At what age do puppies stop chewing furniture?<\/h3>\n
Why has my adult dog started chewing furniture again?<\/h3>\n
Does leather or fabric survive a puppy better?<\/h3>\n
Do bitter sprays actually work?<\/h3>\n
Should I wait until my dog is older before buying new furniture?<\/h3>\n