Natural Ways to Discourage Puppy Chewing

It's common for puppies to mouth and chew objects, because this is how they explore their world. However, as your puppy grows, its chewing can become a destructive annoyance. There are several ways in which you can naturally discourage your puppy from chewing your belongings and help it to learn that this is not acceptable behavior.

  1. Dog Repellents

    • One way of discouraging your puppy from chewing is to spray a dog-repelling substance on the objects that you don't want it to chew. Using a bitter-tasting substance will make your puppy avoid chewing because it won't want a bad taste in its mouth. Natural substances you can use as a dog repellent include lemon juice, vinegar and cayenne pepper mixed with water. You should only spray these onto furniture or other objects, never at your dog.

    Exercise and Entertainment

    • Your puppy will be less likely to engage in destructive behavior if it is sufficiently exercised and played with. If your puppy has had all its vaccinations, walk him for the correct amount of time, appropriate to its age and breed. You should also play with your puppy for two or three 15-minute periods each day. You can play games such as fetch and tug-of-war with your dog. If your puppy is bored, it will be more likely to chew, just for something to do.

    Aversion Therapy

    • Aversion therapy is when you make someone associate an action with a negative response, thus discouraging him from taking that action. In this case, the action is your puppy chewing. Either make a shaker, by putting a handful of gravel or pebbles in an empty plastic bottle, or fill a small water pistol or plant-spraying bottle with water. When your puppy chews, squirt it with water or make a noise with the shaker. This will stop your puppy and eventually discourage it from chewing.

    Provide Appropriate Chews

    • Even when you take these steps, puppies will always want to chew something. To discourage your puppy from chewing your belongings, you should provide it with items that it is allowed to chew. There are plenty of chew toys that you can buy from your local pet store. If you see your puppy chewing something it is not allowed to, take it away and replace it with a chew toy. Your puppy will soon learn the difference between what it is and isn't allowed to chew.