It’s a Dog’s World…  The Art of Chewing Shoes

Human feet have about half a million sweat glands, which are always secreting moisture. When feet are tucked into hot, humid shoes, the glands can release ½ pint of sweat a day! The perspiration in turn is loaded with human scents and that’s nearly impossible for any dog to resist.

Adult dogs generally understand that just because something smells good doesn’t mean they have to chew it. Puppies, on the other hand, respond to shoes the same way they respond to anything that gets their attention – by putting them in their mouths. Added to this natural attraction is the fact that puppies go through teething stages.  Few things make their little gums feel better than working over a nice pair of shoes.

People often wonder why puppies focus on shoes and ignore other human possessions that are also loaded with scents. There a few reasons for this. Partly, it’s the intensity of the smell. For example, a couch cushion will have some human scents but nowhere near the concentration of hot, humid shoes. Then there’s the convenience factor. Shoes can be easily reached. They are always right there – on the floor. Given a choice, dogs will always go for leather shoes mainly because leather gets softer and tastier the more dogs chew it. It massages their gums just like rawhide does.

Quick fix to make shoes less appealing: Sprinkle medicated foot powder in the shoes or spray them with mint breath spray. Most dogs dislike the smell of mint and will stay away from it.