Puppy Chewing & Destructive Behaviors
PUPPY CHEWING & DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR
WHY DO PUPPIES CHEW ON THINGS?
Puppies go through two stages of tooth development, also known as teething. During teething, your puppy’s gums are swollen and sore. Chewing alleviates the pain associated with gum swelling, helps puppy teeth fall out, and helps the new teeth break through the gums. It’s crazy to expect your puppy to refrain from chewing altogether! Instead, focus on providing your puppy with appropriate chew toys, and managing their access to the things you would prefer they not chew or damage.
HOW DO I KEEP MY PUPPY FROM CHEWING ON THINGS?
Keep your home as tidy as possible, so there are few items within your puppy’s reach other than their chew toys. Avoid leaving out valuable or enticing items, especially food!
Supervise your puppy closely. Close doors to bedrooms or other parts of the house where you are not able to keep a watchful eye on your puppy. If you have to leave your puppy unattended, place them in a crate or other long term confinement area.
Use gates or other barriers to keep your puppy from accessing furniture or other items that cannot be moved or stored out of reach.
TEACH YOUR PUPPY WHAT TO CHEW ON
Provide your puppy with a variety of toys to chew on. Offer different textures, sizes, and shapes. Preferences vary from puppy to puppy, and often change as your puppy ages.
Praise your puppy for engaging their chew toys. You’ll want your puppy to know that chewing on toys is approved and great fun!
If your puppy chews on something you don’t want them chewing on, calmly remove the object by trading with a tasty treat. Avoid punishing your dog, and make a mental note to keep the object out of reach in the future.
You can encourage engagement with an appropriate chew toy by smearing it with peanut butter or dipping it in dog-friendly broth.
SHOULDN'T I PUNISH MY PUPPY FOR DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR?
Making a big fuss when your puppy chews on something inappropriate can have unintended consequences. You may accidentally make the object more exciting than regular chew toys. You may also scare your puppy or teach them to guard objects from you in the future.
Training Tip: Not all chew toys have to be purchased from a pet store! Freeze a wet rag overnight. The cool feeling can soothe sore gums! But make sure to remove it from them if they start to shred or attempt to eat the pieces.
Other freezable options include: carrots, fruit, mini-bagels, or Kongs stuffed with peanut butter or wet food.
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