Chewing

Puppy chewing, even though very natural, what can be done to prevent problems .

Puppies will naturally put everything in their mouth. They want to learn about the world around them and use their teeth to explore. Up until the age of about 6
months puppies are also teething which means that their gums are sore and they will chew on things to soothe the discomfort.

To prevent puppies from chewing your furniture or favorite shoes we need to set up management like puppy pens or tethers to prevent access and make sure to tidy away everything you don’t want your puppy to get hold of.

Make sure to have lots of different toys and objects that your puppy is allowed to chew. These can include soft plush toys, rope toys, buffalo horns/yak bars and
stuffed Kongs. You can also freeze a carrot or fleece rope toy soaked in chicken broth to give your puppy to soothe their gums.

If you notice your puppy chewing something you don’t want them to, interrupt them by presenting a toy that they can have and wiggling until they show interest. Toss the toy away to encourage your puppy to move away from the item they were chewing. Praise them lots when they get the toy and break into a play session together. It’s a good idea to save some toys for this that your puppy loves and doesn't get constant access to.

If they are not interested in the toy, you can always use food instead and play ‘get’ to move them away from the area where they were chewing. You need to prevent your puppy returning to the same spot to chew again. You can pop your puppy into their pen or safe space or use a tether to restrict their access.

Be consistent and always redirect your puppy onto a suitable chew object any time they are chewing something undesirable. Prevention is better than cure and excellent management goes a long way.

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Categories: : prevent