Puppies chew - that's a fact of life, like gravity, or taxes.
This, however, doesn't necessarily make it acceptable, especially when the puppy in question chews up everything in sight.
The problem is, unlike children, dogs will not naturally outgrow this habit as they get older.
In fact, when left unchecked, chewing can become a habit that's almost impossible to break.
If you want to stop excessive puppy chewing, you have to start as early as possible.
You have to start NOW.
To stop excessive puppy chewing, you can use any of two approaches, or both for even better results.
To stop excessive puppy chewing, you have to encourage behavior that's acceptable, while discouraging the ones that aren't.
It's not rocket science, yes, but it's no walk in the park, either.
Here are a few tips that could make the task a tad easier for dog owners from one side of the equator to another: To Encourage:
Of course, don't underestimate the power of puppy-proofing your house by picking up after yourself and keeping items that are off-limits exactly that - off-limits and unreachable.
This, however, doesn't necessarily make it acceptable, especially when the puppy in question chews up everything in sight.
The problem is, unlike children, dogs will not naturally outgrow this habit as they get older.
In fact, when left unchecked, chewing can become a habit that's almost impossible to break.
If you want to stop excessive puppy chewing, you have to start as early as possible.
You have to start NOW.
To stop excessive puppy chewing, you can use any of two approaches, or both for even better results.
To stop excessive puppy chewing, you have to encourage behavior that's acceptable, while discouraging the ones that aren't.
It's not rocket science, yes, but it's no walk in the park, either.
Here are a few tips that could make the task a tad easier for dog owners from one side of the equator to another: To Encourage:
- Invest in appropriate chew toys to stop excessive puppy chewing.
Rawhide is always a safe bet.
If not, make sure that the toy isn't made of harmful materials in case your dog tears it up and ingests it. - Let's face it - your puppy has an attention span of a gnat.
If you're going to stop excessive puppy chewing, you have to provide a bit of novelty.
Rotate his chew toys every few days or so to keep him interested. - To keep your dog's focus on approved toys to stop excessive puppy chewing, stuff little bits of food inside as an added incentive.
- For a teething pooch, take a wet cloth, freeze it, and let him chew on it to his heart's content.
- If you catch your pup chewing on something off-limits, interrupt his frenzy with a loud noise and offer an acceptable chew toy.
Then, you can praise him to all and sundry to encourage him to stop excessive puppy chewing. - Stop excessive puppy chewing for good by applying taste deterrents on off-limit items.
Nothing can be as unappealing to a dog as the taste of bitter apple. - Puppies can't tell the difference between items of the same category, so if you want to stop excessive puppy chewing for good, you have to stop giving him old socks, shoes, and other items to chew on.
Of course, don't underestimate the power of puppy-proofing your house by picking up after yourself and keeping items that are off-limits exactly that - off-limits and unreachable.