Chewing and Gnawing

Every child you have ever known chews. So do dogs. Their favorite way to learn about something is by putting their mouth around it and gnawing or chewing. Puppies are teething for about 6 months. Be prepared. Chewing makes the teething less painful, just as it does with children. This can be a problem when something you value is in shreds when you return home from work or a shopping trip. Dogs must be trained to know what is allowable chewing material and what isn't like their orthopedic dog beds. The reasons they chew are fairly easy to figure out. Boredom is one key factor.

Chewing should be directed towards appropriate items. Your valuables are not appropriate items for him to chew.

Keep unacceptable things out of the dogs reach. Your clothes, shoes, papers and other objects are bait for the chew happy pooch as well as their cute dog sweaters. Keep them out of reach and you will keep them safe.

Providing suitable toys is an alternative. Giving your dog your old shoe or sock is not a good idea. They can not rationalize old from new and don't know that chewing all of your shoes is not allowed. Rubber toys, especially those that hold food are great to keep them busy for awhile.

Separation anxiety, fear, boredom or needing attention are possible reasons for chewing. If they aren't taught as a puppy that certain items are not allowed to be chewed, they won't know it when they are adults. Train, train, train. Your dog will please you if you let him know what you want.

Until your dog knows your house rules, you may want to keep him in tow. A leash in the house is not a bad thing during training periods. Keep your dog close and let him learn good from bad. If he is crate trained, placing him in his crate or a dog proof room for short periods may be other alternatives.

Make him obsessed with toys. When you feed him his kibble, include a toy such as Kong filled with something special for him to gnaw on.

Mental exercise is as important as physical exercise to aid in your training. Boredom can result in some pretty bad choices for your dog. Exercise helps and a tired pup is usually well behaved.

If you find your dog is chewing on something unacceptable, a loud clap or other noise will distract him. Offer him a treat at that point and take the contraband away.

There are products on the market that discourage chewing. They are unpleasant tasting and safe for furniture and other possessions. A deterrent such as this may be all you need on your valuables along with training. Repeated applications may be necessary.

When your puppy is teething, it helps to wet a washcloth and freeze it for him to chew on. That works about the same as a teething ring for a child. Just be sure he is supervised so he doesn't swallow the article or part of it.

Do not discipline your dog after the deed is done. He will assume that he is being punished for what he is doing at that point. Their cognitive abilities do not allow for that type of rationale.