Having a puppy in the house is certainly keeping me on my toes- Archie is chewing everything he can sink his razor sharp puppy teeth into- my fingers and toes seem to be first priority, closely followed by shoes, blankets, furniture and Milly’s cat litter!! Yuck.
So, this situation needs to be managed and Archie needs to learn what he is and isn’t allowed to chew. What must be understood is that it is perfectly natural for puppies to explore their surrounds and they check out the world through their nose and mouth – and that means chewing.
While I know the theory about what to do to satisfy Archie and save my possessions, it is definitely easier said than done! Archie is pretty quick in his actions and he can pounce on my toes with little warning and those teeth really hurt!
Here are my pointers which will hopefully help me or anyone sharing a similar experience survive the puppy chews.
Puppy proof –I have had to temporarily remove anything that I believe Archie might be able to chew- this includes plants, electrical cables and rugs. I don’t allow him access to bathrooms or bedrooms where he would have a field day.
Physical Stimulation – playing with puppy and giving him lots of walks and games will help tire him out. Be sure to give your pup its vaccinations before you allow him to areas where other dogs hang out. Playing with another pup is also a great way for your pup to develop its social skills and exercise at the same time.
Mental stimulation- start training your puppy with treats and praise to sit and stay. These sessions will help tire him out. Make sessions 5-10 minutes long. Enrol in puppy class so your pup can run and play with pups his/her age and also have basic lessons.
Provide suitable toys for pup to chew – it is natural for a pup to chew so you can’t get angry about it. Instead direct the energy to things that puppy is allowed to chew- such as a Kong- these are made of tough rubber which is nearly impossible for a puppy to destroy. Don’t give toys which can be easily torn apart or have squeakers in them that may be swallowed.
Archie has a variety of toys in a toy box that is controlled by me. I don’t give him free access to all of them all the time but rotate them so he doesn’t get bored.
Crate training – I am training Archie to sleep in a crate which is a small enclosure. This is kind of like his den and as he grows it will be his private place where he knows he is safe. Crate training is very popular in America and with dog trainers in Australia- it is a great way of training your dog to be relaxed and calm because they feel secure. By knowing that Archie is in his crate for sleeping and quiet time, I can also relax during those times knowing he is not capable of chewing the house. I also know that my older dog Toby can have his own quiet time when Archie can not pester him to play.
Archie is only in the crate for short periods of time- 2-3 hours maximum because his little bladder is not capable of holding on for long periods. When he is out and burning around the house, he is always supervised. This helps to stop him chewing things when I am not around.
When he is bad – what to do when Archie bites my hands or toes? He has to learn this is not acceptable and will never be acceptable. When he bites me I say a firm “uh uh!” and put him straight down but I immediately offer him an alternative to chew on such as a toy or rawhide chew. He is already learning that “ uh –uh!” means serious business on my behalf. It is important that friends, visitors etc all follow the same rules.
Patience – whilst puppies are really cute most of the time, when they chew the leg off your coffee table or shred your doona, they can be rather testing. There is no point getting angry after the fact because puppy will not know what he has done. Pups live in the moment. Just clean up the mess without a fuss and make sure you don’t leave him/her unsupervised again.