How To Stop Your Puppy From Destructive Chewing

There is one behaviour that sees puppy owners take their beloved little bundles of fur to puppy school for more than most, and that is destructive chewing. There are countless stories of puppies chewing through almost anything, often to destruction. Unfortunately, many of those items were irreplaceable or extremely valuable, so it is safe to say destructive puppy chewing is not welcome.

If you have a puppy and fear that it is starting to chew items it should not, then you need to take action. Let us state right away that we are not talking about punishing your puppy. Teaching any dog, no matter how young, how to behave should always be done based on praise and rewards for good behaviour rather than punishment for bad behaviour.

At worst, it would be best if you used the tone of your voice to indicate to a puppy that what they are about to do is wrong. That does not mean shouting at the top of your voice, tempting as that might be when a puppy has just destroyed the TV remote. A better way is taking action that teaches your puppy proper behaviour, and below you will see some ideas of what we mean when it comes to training your puppy not to chew things. It should not be destruction.

Pay Attention: Just as you would keep a close eye on a baby, the same applies to your puppy. The more attentive you are, the more likely you are to prevent them from chewing something they shouldn’t.

Keep Your Home Tidy: We are not suggesting your home is a mess, but it stands to reason that the fewer items left lying on your floor, the fewer opportunities to chew anything your puppy has.

Do Not Encourage Them: It might look cute when you give your puppy an old sock or old shoe to chew on, but your puppy does not know or’’ see a sock or shoe, which could mean your new Nike sports trainers are what they choose to chew next.

Provide Them With Plenty Of Toys: Puppies will chew; that is a fact, so provide them with plenty of chewy toys so that they do not need to search for something that belongs to you to chew.

Do Not Chase Them: If you catch your puppy chewing something, do not chase them to retrieve it, as they might think this is a game and try to elude you. Stay calm, approach slowly, and get them to release what they have in their mouth.

Give Them Plenty Of Physical Exercises: The more unspent energy puppies have, the more they are likely to spend that energy chewing. So, make sure they get enough physical exercise that they prefer to rest when indoors.

Give Them Plenty Of Mental Exercises: Puppies will also chew because they are bored or need mental stimulation. Provide that by keeping them occupied with games and some basic dog training.

Ensure They Have A Nourishing Diet: It has been recognised that puppies chew when they are hungry or feeling undernourished. Prevent this from ever happening by ensuring you provide your puppy with a nourishing and healthy diet.

If  You Catch Them, Swap Out What They Have For Something They Can Chew: One of the most obvious ways to stop your puppy from chewing your stuff instead of theirs is to remove what they are chewing from their mouth and swap it for something they are allowed to chew.