Puppy Chewing Case Study

Ever wondered why puppy chewing is so common? This might be a very difficult question to answer, but many of us must have wished that our puppy gets rid of this habit.

We would like to make you aware of the fact that you cannot and must not stop puppy chewing as it is a natural and healthy activity for puppies and dogs.

Let us study some facts about the chewing instinct of puppies and, why do they chew. Reading further would make you; learn certain actions that you can take to minimize the damage a dog can causes through chewing.

In general, there are three main reasons for a dog or a puppy to chew.

• Teething:  This is a dominant processes that lead to your puppy chewing. Teething occurs between the ages 14-28 weeks. Chewing on objects during teething, eases soothing and loosening of gums around teeth thereby allowing 'baby teeth' to fall out and proper teeth to grow through.
• Exploratory chewing: You must have observed human babies using their hands to sense different objects around them. The similar activity is pursued by puppies with the help of their mouths. Exploratory chewing occurs roughly from the age of 28-52 weeks.
• Calming/ stress management: Many puppies chew to get relief from stress and anxiety. Chewing causes a chemical release of endorphins which has a calming effect on puppies. This further calms them and makes them feel better.

No doubt, chewing is good for a puppy; however this can be destructive if they chew items, you are not happy about. However you cannot blame your puppy for the process as it has no sense of the value of the items it explores and chews.

Is it possible to stop your puppy from destructive chewing? Of course, it is. The key is to make your puppy/dog to understand the difference between what actually belongs to them and what does not. The action must accompany some toys as a reward they love to get.

Follow certain tips achieve the goal easily.

The first step would be to buy three toys of different taste, texture and shape initially. Make them available to your puppy and let it play with them regularly. This lets them associate these toys with good thing and it is therefore more likely your puppy will play with them in your absence. Make sure that one of these toys is a hollow fill toy that can be filled with food and treats, further encouraging your puppy to use them.

To save valuable items, keep them out of reach. Discourage your dog from chewing other objects, with deterrents (Johnston's Anti Chew). These deterrents add a bitter taste if sprayed on objects.

The best way would be to adopt the method of create training. Keep your dog confined when not under supervision of yours or any of the family members. Praise your puppy once it chews the appropriate items. This would provide it with a positive re-enforcement around chewing the correct objects.

If your pup chews on something that it is not meant to, thwart them with a firm 'No' and provide it something they can chew on immediately and praise them.

To sum up, you must accustom your puppy with things they can chew on and praise them once they are in the act. This act would make them disciplined. Most importantly, keep it all positive and reward correct behavior.

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