by Phillip Paris

Printed in the Williamson County Sun on November26 , 2000

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. This week, we are going to continue on our series of puppy training. One very common problem that I often get a lot of calls about, is puppy chewing. We will learn why puppies chew and what we can do to prevent destructive chewing.

Dogs have an inherent need to chew and often chew for a variety of reasons. During the teething phase of a puppy's life, often times their gums and jaw can ache because of the teething process. Chewing acts like a massage and can relieve some of the discomfort of teething. Dogs will also chew when they are bored or have a lack of proper exercise in their life. Many people think that if their dog is chewing on something excessively, then they must be hungry and will quickly give their dog a treat or even it's meal. You want to avoid doing this because you will be rewarding the dog for it's chewing behavior.

You want to start your dog early with appropriate and safe chew toys and you want to avoid giving your dog a chew toy that could possibly be confused with something else that you wouldn't want him to chew on. For example, many people give there dog a knotted sock to chew and play with. This is great except for when he starts associating other clothing as a chew toy. Another one, is if you allow your dog to chew on an old sneaker, do you think that he will know the difference between his toy and other good shoes? Stop and think about the things you allow your puppy to chew on, could he possibly transfer that over to other items unapproved for chewing? If you answered yes to any, then you may want to remove those items from his toy box.

The best chew toys tend to be those that are natural such as rawhide, pig ears, and cow bones. There are also flavored synthetic bones that seem to be fairly popular. Try to find several different types of chew toys that your dog enjoys and keep them around. Your dog should have a chew toy that will satisfy and keep him occupied for quite a while. If it is something that he can eat or chew up quickly, then you want to avoid those. Start your dog early with these types of chew toys and praise him every time he chooses to chew on them. You should monitor you dogs activities while he is chewing, and if you see that the toy has become a safety hazard or could cause the dog to choke, then you will want to throw that one away and start with a new one.

Should you catch your puppy chewing on something that he is not supposed to, go over to him and remove him from the object and then offer him an approved chew toy. If you do not catch him in the act, then you must not attempt to correct him, because he will not know why you are correcting him and could lead to the dog avoiding you. Make playing with the approved chew toys a game. If you show interest in it and engage him in a game of play with it, soon he too will find it interesting. It will take some time, but soon the dog will understand what is and isn't acceptable to chew on.

While your dog is learning, the best way to avoid destruction of your furnishings, is to prevent it. If you will be gone, do not leave your dog alone in the house to discover new items to chew on. If he is crate trained, then place him in there while you are away. If not, then leave him in a room where there's not much opportunity to destroy things such as a utility room. When you put him away, before you leave, leave with him a chew toy. This will help to occupy him while you are away, and will also reinforce the approved chew toy.

Overall, dogs will have a need to chew most of their life. If you start early in showing them what is approved and avoid situations in which the dog will not be monitored, you can develop positive chewing habits. Remember to be patient with your dog while he is learning.

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