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Puppy Chewing
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Puppies may be just
as much work as human babies - maybe more so because puppies can't wear diapers
and they have very sharp teeth! It's definitely true that, similar to infants
and toddlers, puppies explore their world by putting things in their mouths. In
addition, puppies are teething until they’re about six months old, which usually
creates some discomfort. Chewing not only facilitates teething, but also makes
sore gums feel better. Although it's perfectly normal for a puppy to chew on
furniture, shoes, shrubbery and such, these behaviors can be a problem for you.
A puppy won’t magically "outgrow" these behaviors as he matures. Instead, you
must shape your puppy's behaviors and teach him which ones are acceptable and
which aren’t.
Discouraging
Unacceptable Behavior
It’s virtually
inevitable that your puppy will, at some point, chew up something you value.
This is part of raising a puppy! You can, however, prevent most problems by
taking the following precautions:
·
Minimize chewing problems by
puppy-proofing your house. Put the trash out of reach, inside a cabinet or
outside on a porch, or buy containers with locking lids. Encourage children to
pick up their toys and don’t leave socks, shoes, eyeglasses,
·
If, and only if, you catch your
puppy chewing on something he shouldn't, interrupt the behavior with a loud
noise, then offer him an acceptable chew toy instead and praise him lavishly
when he takes the toy in his mouth.
·
Make unacceptable chew items
unpleasant to your puppy. Furniture and other items can be coated with "Bitter
Apple" to make them unappealing (see our handout: Sample Aversives for
Dogs").
·
Don't give your puppy objects to
play with such as old socks, old shoes or old children's toys that closely
resemble items that are off-limits. Puppies can't tell the difference!
·
Closely supervise your puppy.
Don’t give him the chance to go off by himself and get into trouble. Use baby
gates, close doors or tether him to you with a six-foot leash so you can keep an
eye on him.
·
When you must be gone from the
house, confine your puppy to a small, safe area such as a laundry room. You may
also begin to crate train your puppy (see our handout: "Crate Training Your
Dog"). Puppies under five months of age shouldn’t be crated for longer than four
hours at a time, as they may not be able to control their bladder and bowels
longer than that. Make sure your puppy is getting adequate physical activity.
Puppies left alone in a yard don’t play by themselves. Take your puppy for walks
and/or play a game of fetch with him as often as possible.
·
Give your puppy plenty of "people
time." He can only learn the rules of your house when he’s with you.
Encouraging
Acceptable Behavior
Provide your puppy
with lots of appropriate toys (see our handout "Dog Toys and How to Use
Them"). Rotate your puppy’s toys. Puppies, like babies, are often more
interested in unfamiliar or novel objects. Put out four or five toys for a few
days, then pick those up and put out four or five different ones. Experiment
with different kinds of toys. When you introduce a new toy to your puppy, watch
him to make sure he won’t tear it up and ingest the pieces. Consider the various
types of toys that can be stuffed with food. Putting tidbits of food inside chew
toys focuses your puppy’s chewing activities on those toys instead of on
unacceptable objects. If your puppy is teething, try freezing a wet washcloth
for him to chew on.
What Not To Do
Never discipline or
punish your puppy after the fact. If you discover a chewed item even minutes
after he’s chewed it, you’re too late to administer a correction. Animals
associate punishment with what they’re doing at the time they’re being
punished. A puppy can’t reason that, "I tore up those shoes an hour ago and
that's why I'm being scolded now." Some people believe this is what a puppy is
thinking because he runs and hides or because he "looks guilty." "Guilty looks"
are canine submissive postures that dogs show when they’re threatened. When
you’re angry and upset, the puppy feels threatened by your tone of voice, body
postures and/or facial expressions, so he may hide or show submissive postures.
Punishment
after-the-fact will not only fail to eliminate the undesirable behavior, but
could provoke other undesirable behaviors, as well.
Other Reasons For
Destructive Behavior
In most cases,
destructive chewing by puppies is nothing more than normal puppy behavior. Adult
dogs, however, can exhibit destructive behaviors for a variety of reasons, which
can occasionally be the cause of chewing problems in puppies, as well. Examples
include separation anxiety, fear-related behaviors and attention-getting
behavior. For help
with these problems,
contact our Behavior Helpline or a professional animal behaviorist.
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Lewis Clark Animal Shelter
