Puppy
Chewing
Case Study
Ever wondered why puppy
chewing is so common? This might be a very difficult question
to answer, but many of us must have wished that our puppy gets
rid of this habit.
We would like to make you
aware of the fact that you cannot and must not stop puppy
chewing as it is a natural and healthy activity for puppies and
dogs.
Let us study some facts
about
the chewing instinct of puppies and, why do they chew. Reading
further would make you; learn certain actions that you can take
to minimize the damage a dog can causes through
chewing.
In general, there are
three
main reasons for a dog or a puppy to chew.
- Teething:
This is a dominant
processes that lead to your puppy chewing. Teething occurs between the
ages 14-28 weeks. Chewing on objects during teething, eases soothing
and loosening of gums around teeth thereby allowing 'baby teeth' to
fall out and proper teeth to grow through.
- Exploratory
chewing: You must
have observed human babies using their hands to sense different objects
around them. The similar activity is pursued by puppies with the help
of their mouths. Exploratory chewing occurs roughly from the age of
28-52 weeks.
- Calming/
stress management: Many
puppies chew to get relief from stress and anxiety. Chewing causes a
chemical release of endorphins which has a calming effect on puppies.
This further calms them and makes them feel better.
No doubt, chewing is good
for
a puppy; however this can be destructive if they chew items,
you are not happy about. However you cannot blame your puppy
for the process as it has no sense of the value of the items it
explores and chews.
Is it possible to stop
your
puppy from destructive chewing? Of course, it is. The key is to
make your puppy/dog to understand the difference between what
actually belongs to them and what does not. The action must
accompany some toys as a reward they love to get.
Follow certain tips
achieve
the goal easily.
The first step would be
to buy
three toys of different taste, texture and shape initially.
Make them available to your puppy and let it play with them
regularly. This lets them associate these toys with good thing
and it is therefore more likely your puppy will play with them
in your absence. Make sure that one of these toys is a hollow
fill toy that can be filled with food and treats, further
encouraging your puppy to use them.
To save valuable items,
keep
them out of reach. Discourage your dog from chewing other
objects, with deterrents (Johnston's Anti Chew). These
deterrents add a bitter taste if sprayed on objects.
The best way would be to
adopt
the method of create training. Keep your dog confined when not
under supervision of yours or any of the family members. Praise
your puppy once it chews the appropriate items. This would
provide it with a positive re-enforcement around chewing the
correct objects.
If your pup chews on
something
that it is not meant to, thwart them with a firm 'No' and
provide it something they can chew on immediately and praise
them.
To sum up, you must
accustom
your puppy with things they can chew on and praise them once
they are in the act. This act would make them disciplined. Most
importantly, keep it all positive and reward correct
behavior.
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