If you are looking for dog training tips to train your puppy not to chew, you’re not alone! Every new puppy parent searches for this answer. Trust me, I was right there with you…three times! Here’s the thing: puppies chew. You can’t train them NOT to chew. You can, however, train them not to chew your shoes, furniture, beloved childhood stuffed animal and so on. Take a look at a few dog training tips to train puppies not to chew everything in sight!
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Dog Training Tips: Train Your Puppy Not to Chew
Move valuables out of puppy’s reach
This is probably the easiest of the dog training tips to teach your puppy not to chew, since it keeps temptation away. If you don’t want your $500 pair of shoes to become a puppy chew toy, then don’t leave them sitting out where puppy can get them. Pretty simple, right? If I had a $500 pair of shoes, they’d be locked in a vault, but that’s just me! Seriously, while your puppy is in the chewing stage, move as many of your valuables out of mouth reach. Tell your kids to put their toys away too. This is a great way to train your kids to clean up after themselves while also training your puppy!
Stock up on chew toys
Every time puppy starts chewing something he’s not supposed to have, you’ll need to swap it out with an acceptable item. Load up on proper chew toys. Here’s the catch, though: until Spot understands the difference between his and yours, don’t give him toys that look like your child’s toys. Spot doesn’t understand that the purple giraffe is his, but the purple dinosaur is Junior’s. Spot can’t even tell the difference between the two, honestly. Stick with squeaky toys and ridged “teethers.” Put a little peanut butter on pup’s treat to help him learn which are his. Take a look at our 5 adorable chew toys for puppies.
Keep your puppy active
You know what they say about idle hands, right? Well idle paws (and teeth) are no different. A bored puppy is a chewing puppy. Go for walks, play with your pup and spend time cuddling. The goal is to both tire him out and stimulate him. Plus regular exercise is just good for you and your dog.
Address chewing behavior right away
The time to address bad chewing is when you actually see it happening. Take the object away from your dog and replace it with his own toy. As much as you want to explode when you find your sofa cushion in pieces after coming home, you just can’t. Your dog doesn’t know why you’re yelling. In fact, yelling NEVER really works anyway, as your pooch assumes you’re barking at him. You want your dog to equate your arrival home with happiness, not fear.
Enlist a the help of a pro
If you can’t get your pup to stop chewing or just don’t have the time to invest in training him yourself, consider going to a pro. A puppy training class or professional one-on-one trainer can work wonders.
These dog training tips to train your puppy not to chew require patience, like any other type of dog training. Hang in there. I promise one day your pooch will stop mistaking your heirloom furniture for a chew toy!
