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How To Train Your Puppy to Stop Chewing

Chewing is a crucial part of the puppy teething process, especially if they’re between 3 to 6 months of age. If they’re past the 6 month mark, it may be a sign of boredom, anxiety, or a form of release. Whichever the case, this habit can cause significant damage to your furniture and other valuable items in your home.

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So, how can you get your puppy to stop chewing on everything? There are a few steps you can take to ensure your puppy’s chewing habit doesn’t interfere with your home. These are our tips on how to discourage your puppy from chewing on everything:

  1. Puppy proof your house: Before you do anything, you should make sure your house is entirely puppy-proofed. Remove all items you don’t want your puppy sinking their teeth in or anything that can hurt their mouths. This includes pillows, remote controls, newspapers, magazines, and especially, medications. Keep your furball in a closed area as you put away the items and until they are trained to stop chewing.
  2. Give your puppy mental and physical exercise: Another way to stop your puppy’s chewing is to give them lots of exercise that stimulates them physically and mentally. Puppies get bored, and will find ways to entertain themselves. Sufficient exercise gives your fur-baby the entertainment they want that’ll keep them from chewing. 
  3. Provide your puppy with chew toys: Puzzle and chew toys are a great puppy distraction from chewing. Give your puppy a chewable toy or Kong toy and they won’t even think of chewing anything. You can also use these toys as a training tool. When you see your fur ball gnawing on a valuable item, call their attention, take the object away, and give them the toy. 
  4. Spray items with chewing deterrents: Chewing deterrents for puppies are a useful way to discourage your furball’s chewing habit. These sprays aren’t toxic—instead, they taste bad and does not damage the object that’s sprayed with it. If there are objects you cannot hide away from your puppy, use the spray so they won’t chew.
  5. Let your puppy know what is okay to chew: Train your puppy to associate their toys as acceptable chewing objects through positive reinforcement. When you see your puppy chewing on a valuable object, take the object away and say “no.” You may then introduce their toys and let them chew and play with them. 

Once your beautiful puppy understands what they can and can’t chew on, you will be able to fully trust them in leaving them alone in your house. Just remember to train and spend lots of time with your fur-baby as they learn your rules!

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