Do's & Don'ts for Chewing Puppies

Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs, especially puppies, but it can get to a point where it becomes destructive. Puppies chew to relieve teething discomfort, to play and to establish dominance. There are many do's and don'ts when it comes to chewing puppies. While you may think that the best way to halt chewing is to provide your puppy with a plethora of chew toys, that's not always the case. Train your chewing puppy while it's young, to prevent destruction of your belongings.

  1. Establishing What's Yours

    • Keep your belongings out of your puppy's sight, so it knows what is yours. Shoes, clothing, remote controls, etc. should all be kept out of the puppy's reach. Items that you can't remove from the puppy's area, such as furniture, can be coated with a taste deterrent. This makes the furniture unpleasant to chew on and deters the behavior.

    Choosing Toys

    • Surrounding your puppy with chew toys may seem like the perfect solution, but it can actually cause confusion. If you buy the puppy too many toys it may not be able to distinguish what's a toy and what isn't. Don't purchase toys resembling household items. Although the puppy may enjoy chewing on a big squeaky shoe toy, it may start to confuse the toy with your real shoes. Choose toys that are durable, easy to clean and can't be swallowed.

    Providing Exercise

    • Puppies often chew out of sheer boredom. Keep your puppy active by taking it outside for walks and games such as fetch and tug of war. Puppies should get at least one or two hours of exercise each day. If you can, try to set your puppy up on play dates to release stored energy. A tired puppy is much less likely to chew.

    Punishment

    • Never punish your puppy after it has chewed something. According to The Humane Society of the United States, animals associate punishment with whatever they're doing when they receive the punishment. You must catch the puppy in the act for punishment to work. If you punish the puppy 15 minutes after the bad behavior, the puppy won't make the connection. If you do catch the puppy in the act of chewing, create a loud noise to interrupt the puppy and offer the puppy one of its toys instead.