How to Stop Your Dog From Shredding Paper

Dogs love to shred paper. No one knows exactly why, but dogs just love it. Now, some dogs enjoy paper shredding more than others, and certain dogs enjoy swallowing paper once they’ve shredded it. When it comes to paper products, each dog has his or her preference. 🙂 Some dogs enjoy shredding and chewing tissue paper while other dogs enjoy anything made of paper. Regardless of your dog’s preferred paper product to shred, here are a few tips to stop your dog from shredding paper.

How to Prevent Your Dog From Shredding Paper

This dog training tip works best! If your dog has turned into a paper shredder, it’s best to keep paper products away from your dog. Keep extra rolls of toilet paper behind cabinet doors and place tissue boxes out of reach from your dog. If your dog shreds your mail, it’s best to keep mail on kitchen countertops or your desk.

Sometimes, dogs will raid your trash can too, so I recommend purchasing a heavy-lidded trash can. Now, if your dog is stealing paper from countertops or your desk (I know several dogs that are really good at this), I recommend placing paper products behind pantry cabinets or placing mail inside a lidded box.

Prevention doesn’t mean you’re ignoring your dog’s paper addiction. Prevention actually changes your dog’s behavior. When dogs are unable to practice a behavior (e.g. paper shredding or stealing), the behavior will go away. If your dog doesn’t have paper to shred, he’ll stop shredding paper.

Why Do Dogs Shred Paper?

Paper shredding behavior usually suggests a bored dog. I suggest providing different forms of daily mental enrichment, such as providing your dog with frozen food stuffed toys or puzzles. If your dog steals and shreds paper when you’re not home, it’s best to always crate your dog with a super yummy food stuffed toy. Prevention and mental enrichment are key.

How to Train Your Dog to Stop Shredding Paper

It’s going to happen; don’t worry. If you see or hear your dog shredding paper, here’s what you should do. Grab bits of cheese or lunch meat, and ask your dog to “trade.” Don’t chase your dog; just stand still and offer food from your hand. It may take a few seconds, but let your dog think through the situation.

The moment your dog walks toward the offered treat, toss the food in the opposite direction of the paper. As your dog goes for the thrown treat, grab the paper and discard it in a heavy lidded trash can.

Teaching your dog to “trade” is an invaluable skill. You never know what your dog will pick up and try to swallow. “Trade” isn’t bribery. You’re teaching your dog to drop something. After practicing the “trade” behavior several times, your dog will learn that “trade” means “drop whatever you have and get your reward for dropping it.”

What Doesn’t Work

Chasing your dog for shredding paper doesn’t work. It just becomes a fun game for your dog. Punishment doesn’t work either. If you yell or physically punish your dog for chewing or shredding paper, your dog will learn to shred and swallow toilet paper quietly in another room or when you’re not home.

Prevention and the “trade” game work wonders—even for the best paper shredding dogs in the world!