Puppy chewing is a normal behavior for puppies. Puppies use their mouths to explore things, just like human babies do. It’s when it becomes a problem, like when your puppy is chewing furniture, your shoes or other objects that you’d prefer not to get ruined, that’s when you have to figure out how to stop puppy chewing fast!
In this post, we’ll cover:
- 4 Reasons Why Puppies Chew Everything
- 4 Specific Ways to Stop Your Puppy from Chewing
- My Recommendation for Effective, Easy-to-Follow, Inexpensive Puppy Training
WATCH MY VIDEO: how to stop puppy chewing
Why Do Puppies Chew Everything?
There are several reasons why puppies chew everything. Figuring out why your puppy is chewing is definitely the best way to figure out how to stop it. Here are the most common reasons why puppies chew:
Teething. Just like with human babies, teething is a painful process for puppies. They do tend to chew more during this time because their gums are so irritated, and the chewing helps to relieve the discomfort.
Exploring. Just like human babies, puppies like to put things in their mouths. It’s how they explore the world around them. Usually puppies will outgrow this habit over time.
The best thing to do is puppy proof your house in the meantime.
Boredom. Puppies have an enormous amount of energy. They have to direct that energy somewhere – and that might just end up being your coffee table! Evaluate whether your puppy is getting enough physical activity.
Is he being taken for a walk every day? Are his walks long enough? How about mental stimulation – does he have toys to play with? They say a tired dog is a good dog. This is absolutely true.
Separation anxiety. If the puppy is chewing everything while you’re away from home, then he may be suffering from separation anxiety. This needs to be addressed by discovering the underlying issue for the anxiety, and taking steps to correct it.
You can read my article about solving separation anxiety in dogs here. If your puppy or dog is not just chewing on furniture, but absolutely destroying it, he’s likely suffering from separation anxiety.
4 Steps to Get a Puppy to Stop Chewing
Here are some steps you can take to get your puppy to stop chewing everything:
1. Puppy proof your home. Look around for any possible dangers to your puppy. Put household cleaners and chemicals out of his reach, as well as any potentially toxic plants.
Make sure electrical cords are either made inaccessible or covered.
Your puppy chewing on those could result in electrocution. Also remove items that are likely to appeal to your puppy like shoes, socks, children’s toys, etc. And block access to rooms you don’t want the puppy in with baby gates.
You might also consider crate training your puppy for the times when he cannot be supervised.
You can get professional help from Doggy Dan in this FREE crate training tutorial:
2. Show them what to chew on. The best way to encourage appropriate chewing is to provide chew toys for your puppy to enjoy. You can find a nice selection of inexpensive puppy chew toys HERE.
Make sure you’re giving toys that are appropriate for puppies, and make sure the toy doesn’t have any small parts that can be broken off and swallowed.
3. Redirect them if they’re chewing on something they shouldn’t. If you’ve followed the steps we’ve already talked about, then you’ve already minimized the amount of stuff your puppy can get his paws on! But if you do find your puppy chewing on something that’s not his, redirect the dog to one of his own toys.
4. Lastly, engage in playtime with your puppy. Like I said earlier in this article, a tired dog is a good dog. Spend time playing with your puppy and make sure he gets lots of exercise. Throw a ball for him, run around with him in the yard.
This will not only provide your puppy with healthy exercise, but will also help create a wonderful bond for the two of you. And take advantage of the fact that if you have children, they likely have the same high energy levels as your puppy!
How to Stop Destructive Puppy Chewing
If your puppy is being downright destructive, I recommend you also read this article from Purina called, How to Stop Destructive Puppy Chewing. In that post, they cover:
- How to Puppy Proof Your Home
- Offering Your Puppy Things They’re Allowed to Chew
- Put Up Puppy Gates
- Use a Puppy Crate
- Ways to Provide Mendal and Physical Stimulation for Your Puppy
- Tips for Correcting Problem Chewing
Need More Puppy Training Help?
Doggy Dan’s dog training website, The Online Dog Trainer, has step-by-step videos covering every puppy training issue you can think of!
Doggy Dan also includes his puppy training program called “Project Moses,” where he videotapes his weekly training sessions with his new puppy, Moses, from the time he gets Moses at age 8 weeks, all the way up to one year! This training is absolutely priceless if you have a new puppy!
I definitely encourage you to check out Doggy Dan’s training videos. Your entire household will thank you for it! Doggy Dan offers a three-day trial of his website for $1.
I Donate to Animal Charities
I Donate to Animal CharitiesThank you for visiting my website. I hope the information I’ve provided helps you get your puppy to stop chewing everything!
I donate 10% of my earnings to animal charities. You can see a list of the charities I donate to here.
If you like this website, please share it with friends and family. Thank you! Debra
