One problem that people frequently seem to encounter is that their new puppy begins to chew things it shouldn’t around the house.  

This behaviour is usually accepted when they are cute puppies, and even laughed about, but becomes intolerable when the dog no longer looks so cute.

It is perfectly natural for puppies to chew, in fact they physically need to when they are teething.

What a lot of people don’t bargain for is the chewing continuing past the cute puppy stage.  

Dogs actually go through a second chewing phase at around six to ten months of age, and this is frequently when people feel they have had enough and return their dog to the centre.   

It therefore makes sense to train your puppy to chew his own toys from an early stage, and not the rest of your house.

HOW?
You cannot expect your puppy to know what he is allowed to chew and what he is not.  

You may be angry when you find he has chewed a new shoe that was lying on the floor right next to the toy that you gave him half an hour ago.

How could he possibly know the difference if you were not there to supervise him?

One of the easiest ways to start is by crate training your puppy from the word go, or by providing a playpen in the corner of the room so that at any time during the day when you cannot provide proper supervision, he can be safely placed there out of harms way.  

Think of your puppy as a young child.  

You would not allow them to wander around the house putting strange objects into their mouths, because you know that they need to be supervised at all times if there is anything they can pick up or reach.  

The same applies to young puppies.

TRAINING YOUR PUPPY TO CHEW THE CORRECT THINGS

If your puppy has lots of toys and chewy objects, only place a couple down at a time.  

Spend time with him and praise him when he chews these toys.

When your puppy goes to chew something else, such as a table leg, you need to distract him sufficiently that he will not want to chew on that item again.  

One way to achieve this is with a plant sprayer or water pistol.

Have this on a jet rather than a spray, and as he goes to chew the wrong item give one squirt.

The aim is not to cause him any pain, but to make him think that the shock has come from the item itself.  

He should then be immediately encouraged to play with his own toys, and praised. Alternatively, just distract the puppy by calling it to you and then making your game much more fun.

Some people use deterrent sprays which contain bitter tasting substances.

These can work quite well for some dogs, although some die-hard chewers will carry on regardless. These seem to be most effective if sprayed onto items early on, before the problem has become established (prevention is better than cure).

There are also many toys on the market nowadays which are also very safe for puppies.

Toys that can be stuffed with treats such as Kongs can be a great way of directing your puppy towards chewing the right thing.

Even smearing a bit of fish paste or cream cheese on a toy will usually work.

The main thing that you need to remember is that your puppy is not deliberately chewing your belongings.

He knows no different. Do not leave things lying around where he has access to them, and do not leave him to his own devices.

As with a young child, if you cannot be there to supervise what he is putting in his mouth, then make sure he is in a safe area where he can come to no harm.

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• ?Your puppy needs supervising at all times - he does not know the difference between your belongings and his.

• ?You need to stop him as soon as he starts to chew an object.  It will not be as effective if you intervene after he has already gained pleasure from this action.

• ? Whenever you cannot supervise him properly, place him in his crate or playpen so that he and your belongings are safe.  (Do not leave a puppy in a crate for a long time. It is not meant for this purpose)

• ?If you do not have sufficient time to supervise and train your puppy correctly, he cannot be expected to learn right from wrong.  Always consider this when taking on a young dog.

• ?Puppies can sometimes be encouraged to chew their own belongings by smearing them in something tasty such as marmite or fish paste.

• ?Deterrents such as ‘Bitter Apples’ spray can be purchased from most pet shops. This should make objects taste nasty if he persistently returns to them.

• ?If your puppy likes to be squirted with water, you may need to find an alternative way to distract him.  

• Do not use punishment. In the long term this may only mean that your dog will learn to chew when you aren’t around. The old advice of smacking him with a rolled up newspaper does not work. In a large number of cases it just leads to the dog eventually learning to bite you. 

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