The first thing that you should bear in mind when trying to stop puppy chewing is that chewing is quite a common behavior for them. The usual reasons why they do this are either they are teething or they are bored.
Technically, you will just be redirecting their chewing instead of actually stopping it. If you want to stop your dog from chewing your carpet, couch cushions or slippers, you should give it plenty of things to do.
Why to Stop Puppy Chewing
Most people assume that they can allow their dog to chew anything they want just because it is still a puppy.
On the other hand, there are some who do exactly the opposite and even yell at their puppy that causes not only confusion but behaviour problems as well. Your response in real life should be somewhere in between wherein you show your puppy that there are other alternatives rather than chewing on your things.
How to Stop Puppy Chewing
There are quite a few things that you can do to stop puppy chewing behavior. First, do not hit your dog without any reason or scold him openly. Don’t direct your anger at your puppy no matter how much angry you get. Aside from the fact that this confuses them more, they won’t be able to understand what made you hit them in the first place. It would be best to consider the following actions instead.
Behaviour Adjustment – Teaching your puppy which items they can chew on is better than trying to stop your puppy from chewing your things in the first place. For example, if you catch your puppy chewing on a slipper, why not exchange it with its chew toy and then praise your pet when it starts chewing on it? Your puppy will learn soon enough that the new toy is suitable for chewing instead of the old one.
Keep Your Puppy Busy – Don’t let your puppy become too bored if you want to stop puppy chewing. A puppy will always keep on chewing just to remain active even when he is not really teething. By playing with them when you are at home as well as going out for exercise, you can avoid this problem. On the other hand, supplying them with stimulating toys while you are not home can help them stay active.
Crate Training – Crate training your puppy is ideal if your puppy can get access to your things while you are not there. Keeping your puppy in a room can prevent him from gaining access to your things which is just the same as crate training.
Aversion Sprays – You might want to use aversion sprays that are safe and humane such as Cayenne Pepper and Bitter Apple to stop puppy chewing on things such as cushions for the couch and carpet since they are bad for their taste. Your dogs will quickly identify the items with the bad taste which will make them stop chewing on them.
You should never direct the normal chewing behaviour of your puppy to your fingers or your things. If this happens, you will find yourself looking for something else for them to chew on.
Be Consistent
Being consistent with your actions should be enough to stop puppy chewing. If you want your clothes to still be intact, you should not allow your dog to chew on a sock or a slipper. Don’t expect them to know which stuffed animals should not be chewed on especially after giving them a stuffed toy animal. Follow the rules you laid down strictly especially if you are the owner. Chewing will become less of a problem especially when your dog learns about your rules quickly.
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