PUPPY CHEWING:
Whoever thought that raising a child is the toughest thing to do may not
have raised a puppy. After all, at least babies can wear diapers! Much
like infants and toddlers, though, puppies explore their world by
putting things in their mouths. Puppies are teething until they're about
six months old, which usually creates some discomfort. Chewing not only
facilitates teething, but also makes sore gums feel better.
Puppies may chew on furniture, shoes, shrubbery, and other objects.
These are normal puppy behaviors, but they can still create problems for
you. Unfortunately, unlike children, puppies won't magically "outgrow"
these behaviors as they mature. Instead, you must shape your puppy's
behaviors and teach him which ones are acceptable and which aren't.
Discouraging Unacceptable Behaviors
It's virtually inevitable that your puppy will, at some point, chew up
something you value. This is part of raising a puppy! You can, however,
prevent most problems by taking the following precautions:
Minimize chewing problems by puppy-proofing your house. Put the trash
out of reachÃââinside a cabinet or outside on the porchÃââor
buy containers with locking lids. Encourage children to pick up their
toys and don't leave socks, shoes, eyeglasses, briefcases, or TV remote
controls lying around within your puppy's reach.
If, and only if, you catch your puppy chewing on something he shouldn't,
interrupt the behavior with a loud noise, then offer him an acceptable
chew toy instead. Praise him lavishly when he takes the toy in his
mouth.
Make unacceptable chew items unpleasant to your puppy. Furniture and
other items can be coated with a taste deterrent (such as Bitter AppleÃÂ)
to make them unappealing.
Don't give your puppy objects to play with such as old socks, old shoes,
or old children's toys that closely resemble items that are off-limits.
Puppies can't tell the difference.
Closely supervise your puppy. Don't give him the chance to go off by
himself and get into trouble. Use baby gates, close doors, or tether him
to you with a six-foot leash so that you can keep an eye on him.
When you must be gone from your home or you can't actively supervise
your puppy, confine him to a small, safe area such as a laundry room.
You might also consider crate training your puppy. (See our tip sheet on
Crate Training Your Dog for guidance). Puppies under five months of age
shouldn't be crated for longer than four hours at a time because they
may not be able to control their bladder and bowels longer than that.
Make sure your puppy is getting adequate physical activity. Puppies (and
dogs) left alone in a yard don't play by themselves.
Take your puppy for walks and/or play a game of fetch with him for both
mental and physical exercise.
Give your puppy plenty of "people time." He can only learn the rules of
your home when he's with you.
Encouraging Acceptable Behavior
Provide your puppy with lots of appropriate
toys.
Rotate your puppy's toys. Puppies are often more interested in
unfamiliar or novel objects. Put out a few for several days, then pick
those up and put out different ones.
Experiment with different kinds of toys. When you introduce a new toy to
your puppy, watch him to make sure he won't tear it up and ingest the
pieces.
Consider the various types of toys that can be stuffed with food.
Putting tidbits of food inside chew toys focuses your puppy's chewing
activities on those toys instead of on unacceptable objects.
If your puppy is teething, try freezing a wet washcloth for him to chew
on.
Other Reasons for Destructive Behavior
In most cases, destructive chewing by puppies is nothing more than
normal puppy behavior. Occasionally, however, puppiesÃââlike adult
dogsÃââcan exhibit destructive behaviors for specific reasons.
Examples include separation anxiety, fear-related behaviors, and
attention-getting behaviors. For help with these problems, contact a
professional animal behaviorist.
What Not to Do
Never discipline or punish your puppy after the fact. If you discover a
chewed item even minutes after he's chewed it, you're too late. Animals
associate correction with what they're doing at the time they're being
corrected. A puppy can't reason that, "I tore up those shoes an hour ago
and that's why I'm being scolded now." Some people believe this is what
a puppy is thinking because he runs and hides or because he "looks
guilty."
In reality, "guilty looks" are actually canine submissive postures that
dogs show when they're threatened. When you're angry and upset, your
puppy feels threatened by your tone of voice, body postures, and/or
facial expressions, so he may hide or show submissive postures.
Punishment after the fact will not only fail to eliminate the
undesirable behavior, but could provoke other undesirable behaviors as
well.
A puppy has a lot to learn in his new home. Be patient and consistent
when training your new puppy and you'll share a special bond for years
to come.
Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal
behaviorists at the
Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado. All rights reserved.
If you have questions or need our services, please contact the shelter
at
618.346.5213 or contact us today via
e-mail
Copyrights 2009 WARREN BILLHARTZ ANIMAL SHELTER OF
COLLINSVILLE. A KTLLC Communications Solution