1. Put Shoes Away: Keep shoes out of reach of puppies. This means storing them in a closet, on a high shelf, or in a shoe rack with a door.
2. Redirect Behavior: When you catch a puppy taking a shoe, immediately redirect their attention to an appropriate chew toy or play activity.
3. Provide Chew Toys: Puppies love to chew, so provide a variety of safe and durable chew toys to satisfy their natural chewing instinct.
4. Consistency is Key: Be consistent with your training and discipline. Always discourage shoe chewing and reward good behavior.
5. Train with Commands: Teach your puppy commands like "Leave it" or "Drop it" to discourage chewing on shoes or other inappropriate objects.
6. Exercise: Regular exercise can help curb destructive behavior due to excess energy. It's important to include daily play sessions and walks.
7. Puppy-proof Your Home: Block off areas where puppies can find and chew on shoes easily, such as under the bed or behind furniture.
8. Bitter Spray: If your puppy is especially persistent, you can use a bitter spray on shoes as a deterrent.
9. Remove Soles: Remove the soles of old shoes or sandals and let puppies chew on those. This can help redirect chewing in a safer way.
10. Confine Puppies: When you can't supervise them, confine puppies to an area where they don't have access to shoes.
Remember, preventing shoe chewing is a combination of management, training, and patience.