Fresh Start Pet Coaching

Rusty and his rawhide

Rusty is now 4 months old and teething. What this translates to for me is that he want to chew on everything he sees. It seems that anything with in reach ends up in his mouth. Including, a book of my parents while we were visiting – sorry mom. I even remember when I was in elementary school our puppy Nikki chewed through a vacuum cleaner cord. Yes it was plugged in and most fortunately there were no significant injuries – only singed whiskers.  It could have been much worse.

Chewing is actually a very natural behavior for dogs. Most dogs will have a strong desire to chew up until 12-18 months of age. After that the occurrence of chewing behavior tends to decrease. What’s important is to channel this behavior to appropriate sources.

Here are a few tips to help you get your puppy to chew on what you want him to:

• Give him toys he likes to chew on and rotate them out. This ensures that there is something around that he’ll want to chew on and the rotation keeps the toys interesting.
• Reward your puppy with praise or a treat when he chews on his own toys.
• Puppy proof your house: If you don’t want him to chew on it, don’t have it where he can get to it (this is especially important with electrical cords).
• Know where your puppy is at all times.
• Use deterrents such as bitter apple or something that emits a loud noise to keep him from chewing on things he’s not supposed to.
• Make sure he’s getting enough exercise. Take him for walks and play with him.
• Remember that teething hurts: Toys that can be cooled or a wet rag that has been frozen can help to sooth sore gums.
• Raw hides and chew bones are one of my favorite things to give Rusty to chew on but please always do this when you are there to supervise your dog. Take the raw hide/bone away before it gets to be a size that your puppy can swallow. They can be choking hazards or cause intestinal blockages if swallowed.

Are you bringing home a new puppy or dog? Get your life together started off right by scheduling a puppy prevention session today.