AKC GoodDog Helpline (GDH) is our telephone and video dog training consultation service. We offer live, personalized assistance with your questions about or dog. To celebrate GDH鈥檚 10th anniversary in 2023, we鈥檝e rounded up the most common questions that our dog trainers hear from owners just like you. A common question is, 鈥淲hat can your puppy safely chew?鈥�
One of the most important first steps for any new puppy owner is to teach appropriate chewing habits. Chewing comes naturally to puppies. After all, they explore the world with their mouths, and chewing helps to relieve teething pain. But you don鈥檛 want your home and property destroyed. Plus, you need to consider your puppy鈥檚 safety. Teaching your puppy what they can and cannot chew can be a challenge, but there are ways to make it easier for both of you!
These 10 tips will help you teach your puppy appropriate chewing behavior, so you can both spend more time learning the fun stuff.
1. Provide Plenty of Safe Toys and Inedible Chew Bones
Puppies need to chew, so it鈥檚 important to give them lots of appropriate options designed specifically for puppies, such as or . If you don鈥檛 make available to your pup, they will make their own out of whatever they can sink their teeth into. Look for safe puppy toys that suit your dog鈥檚 personality. A power chewer might tear chunks off a softer rubber toy, whereas a gentle dog might prefer a squishier texture.
2. Try Frozen Options to Alleviate Teething Pain
Before they鈥檙e six months old, puppies lose all their baby teeth as their adult teeth grow in. And just as it does for humans, it hurts dogs too!
Providing cold chews can help ease the pain in your pup鈥檚 tender gums. or frozen wet washcloths are cheap and easy options. Or you can try . Even a can be filled with mushy kibble or broth and frozen for a cold, soothing treat.
3. Ask Your Vet What鈥檚 Safe for Your Puppy to Chew
There are a lot of topics to cover at your puppy鈥檚 first vet visit, but don鈥檛 forget to ask about safe chewing options. It鈥檚 important to match chew toys to your pet鈥檚 chewing strength, and your vet can tell you what to expect from your puppy鈥檚 breed. You can also ask about the suitability of edible chews. For example, a might be okay for a less-aggressive chewer without adult teeth, but bully sticks would be better for a strong chewer.
4. Keep Valuables and Dangerous Items Away
Don鈥檛 expect your puppy to know the difference between a chew toy and your sneaker. If your pup can fit something in their mouth, they will consider it fair game.
In fact, your sneaker might be more appealing because it smells like you. Keep valuables out of reach and puppy-proof your home so your dog can鈥檛 chew anything dangerous like electrical wires.
5. Supervise Your Puppy During All Waking Hours
Even though you鈥檝e puppy-proofed your home, you can鈥檛 leave your new pet unsupervised. There are simply too many temptations. The couch cushion, the leg of the dining room table, or the baseboard could all become your pup鈥檚 latest chew toy. If you have your eyes on your dog, you can prevent them from making poor choices and redirect them to an appropriate chew as soon as possible.
6. Prevent Chewing by Crating or Isolating Appropriately
It鈥檚 impossible to watch your puppy every second of the day. So when you need to step away briefly, make sure your puppy is safe in a crate or dog-secure area. Provide several chew toys to keep your dog occupied while they鈥檙e in that spot.
Consider using so your puppy is rewarded while they chew. That鈥檚 a great way to get your puppy hooked on chewing appropriate items.
7. Teach a 鈥淟eave It鈥� Cue
How do you stop your puppy from chewing inappropriate items? With the 鈥渓eave it鈥� cue. 鈥淟eave it鈥� tells your puppy they can鈥檛 have that item, and it can be a lifesaver.
It can prevent your dog from snatching your slipper or from eating dropped medication. Start by teaching your puppy to take things from your hand only when you give permission, then slowly increase the difficulty until you鈥檙e simulating real-world situations.
8. Teach a 鈥淒rop It鈥� or 鈥淥ut鈥� Cue
If your puppy is already chewing something they shouldn鈥檛, be prepared with the 鈥渄rop it鈥� cue. 鈥淒rop it鈥� or 鈥渙ut鈥� tells your dog to drop whatever is in their mouth. Teach it by trading your puppy for something better like a treat or beloved toy.
Unless it鈥檚 a safety issue, never chase your puppy to get the object. Otherwise, you will establish a new and unwelcome habit of playing keep-away.
9. Give Your Dog Plenty of Physical and Mental Exercise
Bored dogs make their own fun. And that includes chewing things they shouldn鈥檛. If you provide your puppy with appropriate levels of physical exercise and mental stimulation, they will be less likely to get into trouble.
Training sessions, walks, playtime, and can all help meet your dog鈥檚 needs and prevent problem behaviors. This is especially true before you place your puppy in their or safe area. If they鈥檙e physically and mentally tired, they will settle down faster and easier.
10. Don鈥檛 Punish After the Fact
Dogs live in the moment, so something that happened even a minute ago is probably no longer top of mind. Plus, although they can learn lots of words, dogs don鈥檛 speak our language, so explaining what they did wrong by showing them the damage is pointless.
If you punish your puppy after the fact, they won鈥檛 learn anything except you鈥檙e scary and unpredictable. Instead, tighten up your supervision for next time. And if you catch your puppy in the act of chewing something they shouldn鈥檛, redirect or trade them for something better and more appropriate.
If you need expert advice from experienced trainers or have additional dog training questions, visit the AKC GoodDog Helpline webpage for an online chat or to register for the GDH program.
听础碍颁 GoodDog! Helpline is celebrating ten years of supporting dog owners. If you need support, experts at AKC GoodDog! Helpline are available by phone or video to answer any training questions that come up, from housetraining your puppy to unwanted behaviors in senior dogs. Join the nearly one million dog owners who trust AKC GoodDog! Helpline today.