How to keep puppies from chewing

One of the toughest things to get over when you get a puppy is how to manage their time in your home. We all have the instinct to want to just let the puppy have free reign of our house to run and play. Unfortunately, this can really make it extraordinarily challenging in teaching your puppy the boundaries necessary for you to enjoy them and for them to learn to be respectful in your home environment.

Time after time, the pictures filter in of the chewed up flooring, shoes, pillows etc.. from new owners home. I have sympathy for the situation because we have experienced this first hand in the past and have seen many a toy, stuffed animal, flip-flop fall victim to the puppy jaws.

The most important thing I believe you can learn is that there must be boundaries for your puppy, for their own safety. It sometimes feels uncomfortable, but the sooner, we learn this simple rule, the easier it will be on you and your puppy.

Simply, if your puppy cannot be physically watched by you without distraction, they need to be in a place where they can’t get to anything that they can destroy. Many times this is a crate or a kennel. Not only is this the safest thing for the puppy, as ingesting these chewed up items can lead to some terrible vet bills, but it is also going to keep you much happier with your new puppy in your home.

I was just at the vet’s office the other day and they told me of a story of a young dog in the back that unfortunately had this affinity for carpet and continued to eat the carpet. He was 2 years old and at the end of his life because the owner did not secure the dog and he ate so much that there was no saving him.

So, I have learned with my pack of dogs, that if something gets eaten, chewed up, or dumped over, it really is my fault, and that I have not taken the appropriate action to keep my puppy safe. I take full blame (and this lesson continues to show up occasionally) for the puppy who doesn’t know better. The puppy is teething and chewing brings them relief, maybe just of boredom. They go into the crate unless they have my full attention.

I hope this helps save you a penny or two and keeps your puppy safe from harm.