How to Stop a Dog Chewing Shoes: Simple Steps That Work

Shoes are super easy for a dog to get into. They are usually left right out in the open, they carry your strong scent, and they feel fun to chew on. A dog might start by chewing up one pair near the front door, and before you know it, they start looking around the whole house for more.

If you are tired of hiding your shoes or cleaning up a mess every morning, you are not alone. It is a very annoying habit, but you can fix it once you know why dogs chew on shoes.

Why Do Dogs Chew Shoes? The Real Reasons

While general chewing habits come with the territory of having a pet, a dog chewing on shoes usually happens for a few unique reasons. They aren't trying to ruin your day out of spite. Your footwear simply offers a few very specific attractions:

• The Power of Your Scent: Shoes hold onto a lot of your unique scent and sweat. Since your footwear carries that strong, personal odor right from your feet, chewing on a shoe gives a dog a comforting connection to their favorite person.

• The Right Shape and Texture: Unlike flat fabrics or hard walls, shoes have a great mix of flexible leather, soft fabric, and chewy rubber soles. They bend, bounce a little in the mouth, and offer a satisfying texture that feels fun for a dog to gnaw on.

• Teething and Sore Gums: If you have a young dog going through a growth stage, their gums hurt. Shoes are often left right at floor level, making them the handiest object around for a puppy to rub their sore gums against for relief.

• Easy Access by the Door: Shoes are usually left sitting right out in the open by the entryway. Because they are so easy to reach without any effort, a dog spots them immediately and turns them into an easy target.

• Boredom and Habit: If a dog is left alone with nothing to do and happens to grab a shoe once, it quickly becomes a habit. Because it feels rewarding, they will keep coming back to the same spot every time they feel restless.

• Pure Curiosity: Dogs explore everything mouth-first. A new or unusual pair of shoes carries fresh, intriguing smells and dirt from the outside world, naturally pulling in a curious dog to check it out and give it a test bite.

Is It Ok for Dogs to Chew on Shoes?

The short answer is no, it's really not a good idea. Even if your dog looks completely harmless playing with an old sneaker, letting them chew on footwear creates long-term confusion and a lot of extra headaches for you down the road.

Letting a dog chew on an old, beat-up sneaker sends them the wrong message. Dogs can't tell the difference between a throwaway pair in the hallway and your brand-new work shoes sitting by the door.

Once a dog thinks it's okay to chew on shoes, they start seeing other household belongings as fair game. It makes it a whole lot harder to keep them away from your furniture, bags, or clothes later on.

Old shoes fall apart easily into messy chunks, loose threads, and tangled laces that end up all over your floor and turn into a constant mess to clean up.

How Do You Stop a Dog from Chewing Shoes: Practical, Easy Solutions

To stop a dog from chewing on shoes, keep your shoes locked away in closets or shoe racks so your dog can't get to them. Give them tough chew toys instead, make sure they burn off enough energy through exercise, and spray shoes with a bitter pet deterrent if they still go for them. Never punish your dog later on because they won't understand why.

Step-by-Step Guide to Stop Shoe Chewing

1. Change Where You Keep Your Shoes

Start with the easiest fix: blocking your dog's access to footwear.

An open shoe rack right by the door might be handy for you, but it's basically an open invitation for a curious dog. Move your shoes into a closed cupboard, closet, drawer, or somewhere completely off-limits to them.

Keep an eye out for less obvious spots, too. Once a dog gets used to hunting down shoes, they'll check places like:

• Under the bed

• Right beside the sofa

• In bedrooms

• By the front door

• Under desks

• Around the laundry area

• Inside open bags

During the early stages of training, make checking for stray shoes a daily habit. Every time your dog successfully grabs one, it just reinforces the bad habit.

2. Stop Using Old Shoes as Chew Items

Handing over an old sneaker might feel like a smart compromise, but it actually just muddies the waters for your dog.

If they're allowed to chew on one shoe, they aren't going to understand why your brand-new running shoes are suddenly forbidden. To a dog, leather, fabric, and your scent all mean the same thing.

Keep the rule simple and clear: no shoes are ever chewed items, no matter how beat-up they are. For puppies going after soft insoles, swap the shoe for multi shape rubber teething toys to satisfy that springy bite safely. If you have an aggressive chewer crushing tough outer soles, hand them a coffee wood chew stick for the deep jaw pressure they crave.

3. Redirect Before Your Dog Starts Chewing

There is a big gap between snatching a shoe away after your dog has already chewed it to pieces and stopping the habit before it even starts. Keep an eye out for the specific times your dog usually goes hunting for footwear.

If you notice your dog always walks straight toward the entryway right after waking up from a nap, step in beforehand and hand them an interactive chew tennis tumble puzzle toy. The puzzle gets their brain working as they nudge and roll the toy to release the ball, giving them a fun task that takes their mind off your shoes.

This works especially well if your dog has already built up a regular routine around grabbing your things.

4. Choose a Better Chew Alternative

Not every dog will drop a shoe the second you wave a random toy in front of them. Some dogs love soft, bendy materials, while others want a tough, heavy duty toy they can really sink their teeth into. If your dog ignores the toy you hand them, do not just figure they hate toys altogether, try swapping it out for a different texture or shape.

There are plenty of alternatives out there for dogs obsessed with shoes, from springy rubber balls and bacon-flavored hard bones to thick rope toys and dense chew sticks. Just make sure you match the toy to your dog's size and how aggressively they chew. Check on their toys every so often, and throw them away once they start falling apart or getting worn down.

The goal is not to find some mythical indestructible toy. It is simply to give them something safe and satisfying to chew on instead of your favorite footwear.

5. Make the Toy Part of an Activity

A toy just sitting motionless on the floor isn't going to get much attention from your dog. Instead of just dropping a new toy right next to them and walking away, bring it to life first. Get them excited with a quick game of tug, fetch, or a little interactive play.

Once your dog gets into the groove of chasing it, just let them run wild and blow off that extra steam. Treating the toy like an event makes it feel way more exciting than random household items gathering dust on the floor. It sends a clear message: this is the thing that actually unlocks play time, not your favorite sneakers.

6. Teach Your Dog to Give Up a Shoe

If your dog has already grabbed a shoe, don't start chasing them around the house. Chasing turns the whole thing into a fun game, which only encourages your dog to grab the shoe and bolt. Instead, walk up calmly and get them to drop it without the drama.

Teaching a "drop it" command during normal play makes this a lot easier. Practice with one of their favorite toys first, and give them a treat every time they let go when you ask. Once they get the hang of it, you can use that same cue whenever they grab something they shouldn't.

Keep your cool through the whole process. You want your dog to learn that giving up an item gets them a nice reward, not that stealing your shoes triggers an exciting game of tag.

7. Practice “Leave It” Around Footwear

"Leave it" does a slightly different job. While "drop it" comes in handy after your dog already has something in their mouth, "leave it" stops them before they even touch it.

Start practicing this well away from any actual shoe stealing scenarios. Once your dog gets what the cue means, gradually practice around more tempting items. Eventually, you will be able to call out "leave it" the exact moment your dog locks eyes on a shoe.

8. Create a Better Routine Around the Door

The entryway is usually the trickiest spot because shoes naturally pile up right by the front door. If your dog immediately goes hunting for footwear every time someone comes home, it is time to flip the script on your greeting routine.

Try keeping a reliable chew toy right near the door. The moment you walk in, hand your dog the toy so they have something fun to do while everyone takes off their shoes.

The goal here is simple: replace the habit instead of constantly nagging them. Instead of seeing the front door as a treasure hunt for stolen shoes, your dog learns that it is just a place where they get a toy instead.

9. Give Shoes Extra Attention During Training

When you are training your dog to ignore shoes, do not leave your favorite pair lying around as a test. Training works best when you are in full control of the environment.

Place a single shoe somewhere your dog can see but cannot actually reach. The moment your dog spots it and decides to look away or ignore it, reward them right away. As they get better at this, you can try the same exercise in different rooms.

This helps your dog realize that just seeing a shoe lying around does not mean they should go over and grab it. Keep these training sessions short. The goal is to build up consistent good habits, not to set your dog up to fail.

What Are the Best Things to Put on Shoes to Prevent Dogs from Chewing?

If you want a quick option to put on your shoes, a dog-safe taste deterrent spray like bitter apple is your best bet. These sprays leave a sharp, unpleasant taste on the shoe, which quickly ruins the fun for a dog looking to gnaw on them.

Before spraying your whole shoe, test the spray on your dog first. Believe it or not, some dogs actually like bitter tastes, which will backfire and make them chew even more. Spray a tiny bit onto a tissue and let your dog taste it. If they make a face or walk away, you are good to go. If they try to eat the tissue, skip the spray entirely. Also, test a hidden spot on your shoe first to make sure it won't ruin the fabric or leather.

Skip online hacks like hot sauce, chili flakes, or essential oils. Hot peppers can burn your dog's mouth and upset their stomach, while many essential oils are outright toxic. Stick to products made specifically for pets.

Keep in mind, a taste spray is just a temporary fix, not a permanent cure.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to stopping a dog from chewing your shoes, the best approach is simple: make it super easy for them to choose the right option, and virtually impossible for them to get to the wrong one.

Put your shoes away safely, stop giving your dog old sneakers to chew on, and introduce good alternatives instead. Teach them solid "leave it" and "drop it" commands. If your dog has a habit of stealing shoes at specific times, set up a different activity for them before they even get the chance to start.

You do not have to turn every single incident into a big training session. Keeping things consistent, setting clear boundaries, and offering good alternatives will naturally make your shoes a lot less interesting over time.