Copyright 2000. Dumb Friends League. All rights
reserved.
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, briefcases or TV
remote controls lying around within your puppy’s reach.
- 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.
- 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.
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