Human babies chew when their teeth first grow, and so do puppies. For human babies, teething runs from six months to 2.5 years old.
For puppies, it runs from about three weeks old to nine months old.
As chewing is a natural behaviour, you cannot and should not stop it. It’s simply part of development.
Furthermore, unlike humans, your dog will continue to chew even when it reaches adulthood.
Chewing helps puppies learn about their environment while adult dogs chew out of boredom, for comfort and for fun.
As chewing is a natural, instinctive dog behaviour, you can’t stop it but you can manage what your pet chews.
Again, puppies are like human babies. A baby throws stuff around because they don’t know better; puppies will chew on slippers and cushions because they too, don’t know better.
If you hit your puppy, you will only teach it to be afraid of you. So don’t do that, even if you’re frustrated because you just lost your favourite shoes.
Managing teething is a four-step process:
- Put your special belongings out of reach.
- Provide your fur baby with two or three chew toys.
- Watch your puppy closely and when they chew, gently show them their chew toys.
- Praise and pet your puppy for using the chew toy.
Your pet will eventually learn what to chew and what not to chew.
When they are about a year old, they should know to leave your shoes and cushions alone and focus on their own toys.
Thankfully, there are lots of fabulous chew toys on the market.
Puppy teething rings with ridges stimulate aching gums. There are freezable, puzzle and treat-filled options too.
Additionally, knotted rope toys can double up as a tug-of-war game – useful if you have two pups. Always look for toys that are guaranteed safe for dogs if a bit of it is digested. Quality toys are usually vet-tested and approved.
And finally, keep your pet company, go for lots of walks and play with it a lot. A happy dog is a healthy dog with healthy habits.
