How To Stop Puppy Chewing
Puppy chewing is a natural and normal activity. It is important to appreciate the different stages and to provide plenty of appropriate puppy chew toys for them to chew in order to prevent them from damaging valuable items.
Puppies lose their deciduous teeth at between four and six months of age and then begin to grow their larger adult teeth. During this time, the puppy chewing will help ease the discomfort in their mouths, just as babies do. Puppies chew as a way of investigating objects in their surroundings in much the same way as toddlers use their hands.
There are lots of chew toys for puppies on the market, so buy a selection and put a few different ones down for your puppy each day, taking up those that have been down for a while. This will help to keep the chews novel and interesting for your puppy. When you need to leave him, put him in a puppy playpen with a few puppy chew toys he has not seen for a while so that he does not chew things he should not during your absence.
Providing your puppy with strong items that would otherwise be thrown away, such as cardboard boxes or thick plastic bottles, will give him a chance to use his jaws, reducing the need to give him items bought from a pet shop. Encourage him to investigate these items by placing tasty treats inside them. Give these to him only when you are there to watch him and remove any pieces that may be swallowed or harmful.
Keeping Him Occupied
Puppy chew toys can, occasionally, be stuffed with tasty food, such as cream cheese, peanut butter or pieces of cheese, meat and biscuit. Stuffed toys can occupy a puppy for quite a while, allowing you to get on with important jobs. It can also help to orient him to toys when he feels the urge to chew next time.
Puppy Chewing Tips For Success
Offering your puppy plenty of things that he will like to chew (and not just puppy chew toys) should satisfy his desire to exercise his jaws and keep his interest. This will make it less likely that he will chew things he should not.
Your puppy was not born knowing right from wrong, so it is important that you are there to supervise and teach him. Make sure that you pay attention to him when you are with him and distract him from chewing anything that you do not want him to chew.
Put away things that are valuable or dangerous so that he cannot get them.
Make it easy for him to chew what you do want him to chew and encourage him and praise him for doing the right thing.
Adolescent Puppy Chewing
Puppies of some breeds will chew more than others. Gundogs, especially Labradors, have been selected over generations for an ability to use their mouths and will be particularly prone to chewing during their first year.
During adolescence, from about six to 12 months, your puppy is likely to chew more, and as he is larger, this will enable him to do more damage. Be prepared for this.
Treat him in the same way as you did when he was teething so that he does not destroy anything valuable.
To help you and your puppy get through this phase, give him lots of physical and mental exercise, and make sure that he has plenty of opportunity to explore away from home.
Give him a good variety of puppy chews to play with and chew each day.
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