How to Train a Puppy to Stop Chewing on Things
A teething puppy can cause the destruction of valuable items in the home, if the owner is not careful. The puppy's desire to chew is often labeled a destructive behavior, yet it is completely normal and should be expected by the owner. Follow these steps to help eliminate the puppy's habit of chewing on inappropriate items while satisfying its natural desire to chew.
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Instructions
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Determine the cause of the chewing. The two main reasons that puppies chew are teething and anxiety (or fear.) Teething is normal in young dogs and can last until 6 to 12 months of age. Chewing brought on by anxiety or fear requires patience and observation to determine the catalyst of the behavior. Common catalysts are separation anxiety or tension caused by thunderstorms.
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Give your puppy plenty of exercise to tire it out. A lack of exercise results in a bored puppy who will invent its own games, which might include your favorite pair of shoes. Walking the puppy is fine, but a minimum of two to three aerobic exercises, such as throwing a ball or swimming, is recommended by veterinarians.
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Provide toys for the puppy to chew on. Teething in puppies is similar to teething in babies. Giving puppies chew toys with ridges will massage the gum and help them feel better. There are toys available that treats can be inserted; it satisfies the desire to chew while training the puppy to chew on an appropriate object. Stock up on different toys to prevent the puppy from getting bored, but limit the number of toys allowed at one time.
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Confine the puppy to an area where it can not access inappropriate items. When leaving your puppy alone, consider using a suitably sized crate or puppy gate. Introduce the puppy to its crate using a positive association, such as feeding it in the crate and not as punishment. This is also helpful with puppies that experience separation anxiety or fear.
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Plant booby traps. Booby traps are not meant to harm the puppy in any way. The idea is to associate a negative result at the precise moment your puppy exhibits an unwanted behavior. Examples of booby traps are putting hot pepper sauce on shoes or spraying a commercial dog deterrent on furniture the puppy likes to chew.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid running or jogging puppies less than 18 months of age as this can lead to damage of their skeletal and muscular systems.
References
- Photo Credit Digital Vision./Photodisc/Getty Images
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Comments
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somuchtoknow
Apr 02, 2009
hi, give your dog plenty of physical exercise an metal stimulation during the day and he should sleep during the night. Also maybe give him some safe toys to chew on while you are sleeping. He could be bored or have some pent up energy. hope this helps -
needtolearn15
Feb 16, 2009
This article is great, but my dog will never chew something when I am home, only when I am either asleep or gone out. We do confine him to the kitchen, however, last night he broke down the gate to eat/tear apart my set of hand lotions in the spare bedroom. How do you fix something like that?
