As for the fence, splinters from the wood chewing adventure can be swallowed, with dire effects on the digestive tract, or cause injuries to the inside of the mouth. In order to ‘cure’ the wood chewing dog of this detrimental behavior, you must first understand why he took it up in the first place. A dog who starts exhibiting neurotic behavior patterns is usually a bored dog. Somewhat like the canine version of the human who bites their nails, wood chewing is something which keeps him occupied when there’s nothing better to do. Most dogs love barking at the mail carrier, because it’s fun for them to see the startled reaction of the hapless human. This is standard dog behavior.