5 Top Tips For a Teething Puppy: Stop inappropriate chewing and biting
Puppies are cute and cuddly….and they love to bite and chew!
Let me first start by saying, as irritating or inconvenient puppy biting is it’s an entirely natural behaviour. Just as babies grab and touch things through curiosity, puppies explore object and textures with their mouths.
In addition to this, they go from baby teeth to adult teeth over a short window of time, which has to be uncomfortable. Dogs have 42 adult teeth. These should all have come through around 6-7 months of age. With the peak of teething occurring around 12-16 weeks.
Chewing provides some relief from the discomfort of teething as well as naturally releasing endorphins, which make your pup feel good.
What can you do?
- Manage the environment:
Does your pup enjoy chewing shoes? If so, put the shoes in the cupboard. We need to stop your pup practicing behaviours we don’t want them to do.
For most people, it is difficult to keep their eyes on the puppy at all times. Try to clear one room of tempting objects so you can leave them in that room unsupervised if needs be.
Crate, puppy pens and baby gates can be used to create a safe place for the puppy.
- Allow your pup to rest:
Puppies (again like toddlers) find it difficult to rest when over stimulated. This can mean they become even more bitey than usual. Puppies need a lot of sleep, so ensure they get regular down time away from the hustle and bustle of the home or other pets.
- Make available things they are allowed to chew:
Puppies need to chew, so ensure they have access to suitable chew toys and treats. Have a few things on rotation so they don’t get bored of the same chew. There are plenty of pet safe chew toys available here.
- Cheap and available chews:
Carrots and ice cubes are things most people have at home that can also make great chews for pups.
- Exchange what they can’t chew for what they can:
When walking into a room to find your pup chewing your favourite handbag, don’t be tempted to chase them. This can be a fun game of ‘catch me if you can’ and make your pup more likely to repeat the behaviour to get you to chase them.
Instead, find a treat and exchange the bag for a treat. Then remove the bag from reach and give them a toy or treat they are allowed to chew.
Being consistency is key. Managing the environment will make your life easier. When you are in the midst of puppyhood, it can feel overwhelming. They don’t stay small for long, so if we can prevent them practicing the wrong behaviour and instead guide them in making the right choices, they will grow into a well-mannered dog.
Having problems with your pup? We can provide an online (over Zoom) consult with a formulate behaviour plan for all those puppy issues. Fill out our contact form or contact us via email or whats app. Details here.