Why do puppies chew?
Chewing is essential to keep their jaws, teeth and gums healthy[1]. As puppies grow and begin teething, they will find items to chew to relieve the irritation and pain of the new teeth pushing through their gums. Chewing is also necessary for critical development. Puppies need to explore different textures and tastes by putting items in their mouths. If your puppy grows up into a destructive chewer, it is important to figure out why they are chewing. It is often due to boredom, entertainment, looking for attention, frustration, hunger-based, fear and anxiety[2]. A hunger-based chewer often chews hard because of the desire to find nutrition that they may not be getting if they don’t have access to enough food, possibly if they are on a diet. It is important to rule out any medical reasons that may be causing nutritional deficiencies, mistaken for destructive chewing[3].
How to prevent destructive chewing?
Train your puppy to chew on resilient, non-consumable chew toys rather than off-limits/poisonous items. Dogs do not know which items are allowed before being taught. You will need to ensure only appropriate toys are in reach so that they are not able to access other items that risk them learning those items are allowed to chew on. Try and get them to build an obsession with their chew toys, which includes feeding them in their toys, most popular are Kong styled. Play games with your puppy and their chew toys, including tug of war and fetch. Make sure to monitor your puppy at all times until they learn these rules to ensure they do not begin to chew one of these items. When you are not able to monitor them, put them in a confined area with appropriate chew toys with no other items in reach[4]. Give them lots of physical and mental stimulation in order to prevent frustration chewing, an alternative to exerting their energy. Lastly, it is important to teach your puppy “leave it”, so they know to walk away or drop any off-limit items on command and praise them enthusiastically when they use their chew-toy.
How to redirect your puppies chewing?
If you find your puppy chewing forbidden items, interrupt them with a loud clap (not enough to scare them), and redirect them to an acceptable toy. Once they switch their attention to the toy, praise them. Alternatively, ask them to “leave it” (as trained above) and treat them when they drop their off-limits item to eat the treat.
What not to do?
If you catch them with the item, do not chase them. They will see this as a game and associate forbidden items with playtime. If you discover the chewed item later, you are too late. Your puppy associates punishment with what they are doing at that moment, so showing them the chewed up item and punishing them would confuse them and have no relation to the chewed up object[5]. Lastly, do not leave your house in a mess so your puppy has access to the off-limits items, and avoid giving them old socks or shoes to chew on for entertainment, it may teach them that these are not off limits[6].
[1] The Humane Society of the United States. Nd. Chewing: How to stop your dog's gnawing problem. Available from: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/stop-your-dogs-chewing (Accessed 20 April 2021) [2] ASPCA. Nd. Destructive Chewing. Available from: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/destructive-chewing (Accessed 20 April 2021) [3] Dr Konn, C. 2020. 5 Steps To Correct Inappropriate Dog Chewing. Available from: https://www.cesarsway.com/5-steps-to-correct-inappropriate-dog-chewing/ (Accessed 20 April 2021) [4] The Humane Society of the United States. Nd. Chewing: How to stop your dog's gnawing problem. Available from: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/stop-your-dogs-chewing (Accessed 20 April 2021) [5] ASPCA. Nd. Destructive Chewing. Available from: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/destructive-chewing (Accessed 20 April 2021) [6] Dr Grzyb, K. 2020. How to Stop a Puppy (or Adult Dog) From Chewing Everything. Available from: https://www.petmd.com/dog/puppycenter/training/evr_dg_top10_chewing_guidelines (Accessed 20 April 2021)
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