How to Stop Puppy Chewing

Puppies chew, as this is an instinctual behavior. If you would like to stop puppy chewing, you should understand why this behavior occurs and then apply some training techniques to eliminate this destructive behavior which can lead to unwanted accidents.

Understanding the Behavior

Most puppies are highly active and like to chew due to different reasons that may include curiosity, boredom, anxiety or teething. You should understand that all puppies are likely to chew, even if some tend to chew more than others.

Training Not to Chew

A puppy will have to be trained to perform certain actions and to avoid doing certain things that are not acceptable. The puppy will have to learn that chewing is not acceptable.

The puppy will learn a few basic commands such as NO or DON'T, to which he will know how to respond and back off. These commands may be used when the dog starts chewing. After using the command, the dog should be sent to an isolated place (i.e., his crate, but it should be emptied of toys) where the puppy should spend up to five minutes. After this punishment, the puppy can get a chew toy and is less likely to return chewing on the furniture or your newest shoes. The timeout will make the puppy understand that you don't approve of him chewing on furniture and cables, but chewing on a toy is acceptable.

Rewards

The puppy should be rewarded when he is chewing on toys and not other objects in the house. This will make him understand better that a toy is okay to chew.

Toys and Games

To prevent destructive chewing behavior, you should give your puppy a lot of chew toys and initiate a few games involving these toys. In some cases, puppies chew on different objects because they're bored or have too much energy that hasn't been spent. Puppies that don't have chew toys will chew on what they find. You should get a wide range of chew toys, so that your puppy can choose and won't get bored. Scatter these toys in the home, so that the puppy will be challenged to look for them and spend his energy in a great activity.

Use Repellents

Some puppies may chew on cables, clothes or furniture even after weeks of training, and even if they have plenty of chew toys. You should get some repellents that can be applied on cables and other dangerous items or things you don't want the puppy to chew. Sprays with a bitter smell and taste (such as bitter apple) can be safely used and won't be toxic for puppies. Place a chew toy next to the item that you placed repellent on. The puppy will find this and will be glad to have something to chew on that doesn't taste funny.

Hiding and Covering

The safest bet is to hide all objects such as clothes and shoes from the puppy. Lock these in a closet or cover them, so the puppy can't chew on them. Not all objects can be hidden, but you can save a few items and prevent a few accidents.

 

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