5 Easy Steps
To Stop Your Puppy From Chewing
You got your
new pet almost a week ago. In that time, the little beast has eaten
three pairs of shoes, four of your favourite Stephen King novels (
He left Cujo alone... Maybe he is a fan too? ), gnawed the trim
around the bathroom doorway, chewed thru the power cord of
your laptop and, just this morning, you found him gleefully chewing
up your wallet with a side order of your credit cards. This is
getting expensive really fast and starting to get dangerous for the
pup also. Maybe it's time we intervened?
So how do we
handle this situation? Once again, we want to be sure our young
charge is healthy to begin, so off to the vets office if you haven't
been recently. There is a medical condition that can cause chewing
in pups aside from the normal tendencies they have of chewing to
explore their world. This illness is called Pica and causes your pet
to eat non-food items in an attempt to deal with nausea. So please
visit your veterinarian and make sure your animal has a clean bill
of health.
The next step
involves understanding that, while chewing is a normal and healthy
part of any pup's development, it has acceptable and unacceptable
outlets. Puppies learn about their world thru chewing much the same
as human children. They use their senses to explore the new world,
which lies before them and their tactile sense, and sense of taste
is brought into play as they chew on various objects. Much like
human children, pups also need our protection from the dangers that
lurk in their explorations. Electrical cords, needles, poisonous
houseplants and household chemicals, even chocolate, all pose very
real threats to your pet. It is your duty to protect the animal from
these dangers.
Consistent
training with the "NO" command can do this. No is a word your dog
should learn early and respond to instantly. This one word has saved
many dogs from many horrible fates. The pup is trained by repeatedly
using the "NO" command every time a situation occurs. If you pet is
caught chewing on your shoes, say "NO" in an affirmative tone and
take the item from the animal. Do not let it become a game of
tug-o-war. Rather, remove the item quickly or back up your "NO" with
a spray from a water bottle, a loud clapping of the hands or a light
but convincing tap on the nose. This little diversion is usually
enough to make a dog lose interest in whatever they may have been
chewing on. Also, do not give chase to an animal chewing on an
undesirable selection of chew toy.
They will
interpret this action to be a game and they will be most happy to
play for hours on end. Instead, calmly work your way towards the
animal and then remove the object. For items that are habitually
mistreated, a chemical additive such as Bitter Apple may be in order
to impart a foul taste to the item and make it unpalatable for the
animal to chew on. Crate Training is also effective to stop chewing
behaviour and we shall discuss this course at length in later
articles.
You do not
want to completely destroy your dogs urge to chew however as this
habit is healthy for them when exercised correctly. Instead, offer
them suitable objects for their chewing pleasure. Perhaps a dog toy
( For quieter households, remove any squeakers from the toy. ) Rope
toys and crunchy dog biscuits provide good outlets for a dog's
destructive behaviour and also help to keep up the oral hygiene of
your pet.
Also be aware
that all animals are different. Your dog may react differently than
another dog in a given situation. Some dogs develop aggressive
stances upon attempts to remove an object from their possession. If
your dog becomes aggressive and territorial, then professional
assistance is highly recommended to avoid further problems or
biting.
With these
simple suggestions, you can insure your pups' good health and the
well being of your book collection. You might even find the time to
spend some quality time reading Cujo again with your new best
friend.