Stop Puppy Chewing
I'm guessing you have arrived at this page because you are feeling frustrated with your dog and want to stop puppy chewing once and for all. Chewing is just what puppy's do. Don't take it personally. Puppies, like kids, want to investigate their world. Children explore with their hands, but puppies explore with their mouths. Furthermore, puppies start getting their teeth from 3.5 months old and are teething from this point up until they are 11 months old. Unfortunately, when a puppy is teething, they may take it out on your furniture or best shoes. While this can be frustrating, try to remember that this is your puppy's way of alleviating teething discomfort.
Fortunately, there are a number of proactive measures that puppy owners can take to stop puppy chewing. If nothing else, you will certainly be able to reduce puppy chewing problems during teething, and minimize the problem while you locate the root cause of puppy chewing after teething has finished. In this article I will explore the common causes of puppy chewing, and suggest what owners can do to stop puppy chewing.
Stop Puppy Chewing – Teething Puppies
New owners of puppies should be aware that chewing is a natural part of the teething process. It is not something your puppy can control, and it is a necessary part of your dog's development. During the teething process it is not really possible to stop puppy chewing altogether. However, you can redirect it and mitigate the damage while your puppy is teething.
Stop Puppy Chewing - Taking Advantage of Chew Toys
Be sure to give your puppy a hard and soft chew toy as this will help stop them chewing your possessions. Hard chew toys include tough rubber bones and real bones, while effective soft toys include canvas field dummies and stuffed toys made specifically for young dogs. Rubber toys have the ability to amuse a puppy for a good while and will help prevent puppy chewing on your shoes and other items in your home. Once you figure out which chew toy is your puppy's favorite, you will want to purchase a few more so that you can make them easily accessible in special areas throughout the house. My puppies have always loved rubber toys, as well as hollow bones filled with peanut butter.
Stop Puppy Chewing – Bitter Apple
Have lots of the bitter apple on hand. The majority of pet stores carry this nasty tasting repellent. It can be sprayed directly on to items that you prefer not to have chewed by your puppy. The minute you see your puppy chewing furniture or other household items, spray everything in his surroundings, but leave anything that he is attached to, such as his bed, toys and bone. Also, to stop your puppy from chewing wires in your home (which can be very dangerous), quietly approach and spray the object while he is in the act of chewing it. You always need to give your puppy something else to chew after discouraging them, so after spraying Bitter Apple on something, offer him a bone or toy to chew. I should mention that a few individual puppies actually like the way Bitter Apple tastes. So if bitter apple doesn't work for your puppy, substitute it with Tabasco sauce, red-pepper juice with a bit of added garlic, or any other bitter item that can safely be used with dogs.
Stop Puppy Chewing - Additional Useful Tips
Aside from treats and food, be sure your puppy does not have access to items that can be destroyed or swallowed. Some items (other than bones and toys mentioned above) that puppies really like to chew include apples, ice cubes, carrots and dog biscuits. Be very certain that your puppy is not able to get at your personal items, such as laundry, socks, shoes, or any other belongings you want to preserve. Now that you have a puppy, keeping your house free of items left lying around everywhere is of utmost importance. A young puppy that is left alone does not realize that some things should not be chewed. The most important steps to take are to really pay attention to your puppy, and buy some good quality chew toys.
Stop Puppy Chewing - Remain Calm, Be Patient
When your puppy chews something he is not supposed to, your yelling will only result in a bad relationship with your dog. Getting worked up after some inappropriate puppy chewing makes your puppy want the item even more due to a phenomenon known as "prize envy". The possession you have taken from him is deemed valuable because of how much you seem to want it. Instead of aggressively disciplining your puppy it is better by far to control the situation by directing his thought process to correct his inappropriate chewing. You can also use treat cups to encourage your puppy to release an item that they shouldn't be chewing on.
If your puppy destroys something, you have to learn to let that item go. Harsh discipline will only make your puppy fearful and nervous, and that could lead to even more chewing and destruction of your property. Most dog owners know how you feel, but you really shouldn't take things out on your puppy. He is incapable of really understanding what he's done. Your puppy uses his mouth like you use your hands. When he gets nervous, he chews.
Steps To Take If Your Puppy Chewing Continues In To Adulthood
Older dogs typically display chewing problems because they are anxious, bored, and/or lonely. Our dog isn't causing you stress on purpose. If your adult dog or post teething puppy chews constantly and your home is looking the worse for the wear, confine your puppy when you cannot provide direct supervision. Try using a crate for this purpose. You can save yourself a lot of frustration, not to mention money in not having to replace destroyed items, by confining your dog for short periods when you are too busy to pay attention to them. Also, you wont be at wits end and constantly showing anger and aggression towards your dog. Most importantly, your puppy will be unable access anything that might harm them.
When trying to stop older puppies and adult dogs chewing, the first steps to take are to channel the chewing away from your possessions, and to confine your dog in a crate when you cant supervise their behavior. Rather than becoming upset and frustrated because your dog chews your most treasured possessions, offer your dog a few sturdy chew toys. Use a crate so that your puppy will not be able to reach your belongings when your not around.
It is very important that you realize that confinement is only a short-term solution to inappropriate chewing in puppies that have already gone through the teething process. Confinement should only be used regularly while you discover the underlying reasons for your dogs chewing problems. You need to realize that your dog's destructive chewing is probably caused by boredom, anxiety and loneliness. The long-term solution is to make sure your dog gets the attention and company it needs, rather than isolating them for extended periods. Ideally, your puppy should not be left alone so long that they need to chew out of boredom and loneliness. Different puppies require different amounts of attention, and, if your dog keeps chewing excessively as it grows older, you might have to provide additional company or give them extra stimulation. You dog doesn't need you to entertain them all day long, but leaving your dog alone for a long periods can cause neurotic behavior, and eventually lead to excessive chewing.
