Chewing Puppies Articles | DOGS

By: Jeremy C.W

Puppies chew for a variety of reasons and they do it to play,
to explore the environment, to assuage hunger and to establish
dominance. Puppies also chew to relieve boredom and ease
teething discomfort. It really comes quite natural to them and
they will chew whatever they can find lying around.

A dog or puppy needs items that he can chew on, else he is
going to go for your slippers, electrical wires or furniture. A
puppy chewing on electrical wires could injure or even kill your
dog. Chewing other things might poison him.

You might have wondered `why does my puppy chew on paper?'
Chewing paper results in a huge mess for you and probably
ingestion of the paper for your dog which might give him
stomach ache. Dogs like to chew paper because it shreds easily.
Mail coming through a mailbox gives him a challenge and is
exciting. Anything new coming into the house is a potential
challenge for those small but sharp teeth.

You can buy safe and sturdy dog chew toys from most pet stores,
a veterinarian or online for only a few dollars. Since they are
relatively cheap, it is a good idea to get an assortment of
chew toys of varying textures and sizes, so your dog does not
get bored with the one and set his sights on your favorite
shoes again.

Squeaky dog toys are fun to play catch with but not sturdy
enough to be toys for chewing. If your dog has only these, he
will chew them to pieces in a few hours. Knotted ropes,
sterilised bones and hard rubber balls are all good for your
dog to chew.

If you have to leave your dog alone, you should put him in a
crate or box (or a sealed room with nothing in it he can ruin)
and provide a chew toy so he has something to do.

Dogs should never be encouraged to chase or bite. Some dogs,
for example Corgis, Collies and Shetland Sheepdogs, will try to
round up children by nipping at their heels. This is natural
herding behavior but you can teach the dog that it is not
acceptable to do so. Teaching a puppy is much easier than
training an adult dog what is and is not acceptable but, with
patience, it can be done.

You can teach your puppy or dog to chew the correct things. If
he starts trying to chew something other than a chew toy,
remove the object and give him the toy. A stern "no" should be
sufficient warning. You should not hit puppies. It will make
them fear you rather than respect you. Dog Bites. It is natural
for a dog to try to bite humans or other animals to establish
dominance. Again, a firm "no" should take care of this, quickly
followed by giving him his chew toy. When you hand the dog a
toy, you should say "take it" after a few seconds to discourage
grabbing.

Dog and puppy chewing is normal and all you need to do is
provide the correct chew toys and to tell the dog off if he
tries to chew the remote control, your new shoes or anything
else which is off limits. After a while, the command becomes
natural to him and he'll never do it again.