Dealing with Chewing in Puppies

In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, Kayla discusses chewing and everything you need to know about managing it!

• Chewing is essential for behavior wellness, but thankfully the chewing habits will change over time. There are some great ways to manage chewing to make it a little more easier to deal with

How to manage chewing:

• Make sure you are meeting your puppy’s needs!
• Puppy proof! Don’t give your puppy a chance to chew things that would hurt them
• Give LOTS of options: antlers, bully sticks, kongs, pig’s ears, bouillon ice cubes, mimic whatever they keep chewing without permission

• Supervise always. Don’t wind down supervision until the puppy is trustworthy at their current level
• Could the chewing be boredom/attention-seeking? Are you reacting to your puppy chewing on bad things and ignoring them when they’re being good?
  

What do you do when you catch them chewing?

• Make sure their needs are being met before any intervention 
• Gently interrupt your puppy and redirect them to something else
• Be careful not to create an accidental behavior chain 

What to look out for?

• Ingestion/pica
• Sometimes, excessive chewing is actually a sign of an upset stomach, GI issues, diet imbalance, or serious underlying stress.

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