destructive – Pawjourr | Blog contributors

Article originally published on The Spruce Pets. Written by Amy Bender. Refer to the original article here.

For puppies, the entire world is a chew toy. Puppies, like babies, explore the world with their mouths. Unfortunately, their explorations are not limited to their own toys. Your shoes, furniture, children’s toys, and anything else lying around your house are fair game for a teething puppy.

Unfortunately, your puppy may chew things that can harm it. You can put a stop to your puppy’s destructive behavior, but It takes time and consistent training.https://959980d490ba4ceaa2688c409992c87e.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Why Do Puppies Chew?

Most of the time, chewing is normal behavior for puppies and dogs, and it serves many purposes, such as strengthening their jaws and relieving anxiety.

Like babies, puppies experience discomfort while teething, and gnawing or chewing on things provides some relief. Boredom is another reason that puppies chew. Dogs are social animals and need stimulation for their mental health. If you’re not exercising your pup enough or giving it sufficient one-on-one time, it may seek attention by chewing inappropriate objects.

puppy teething — NatalieShuttleworth / Getty Images

How to Stop Destructive Chewing

There aren’t many medical conditions other than teething that cause a puppy to chew on things, but it’s worth a trip to the vet just to be sure. If the vet gives your puppy a clean bill of health, there are several ways to prevent your puppy from wrecking your abode.

Puppy-Proof Your Home

Puppies should not have the full run of your home until they are completely trained. Many people choose to use the kitchen since it’s easier to clean up accidents on an uncarpeted floor.

Once you’ve decided on the areas where your puppy will be allowed to play, take a good look around and begin puppy-proofing. Pick up or move any objects that your puppy might decide to chew. Get down at the dog’s level to see what might appeal to it. Remove or cover any electrical wires, houseplants, garbage pails, children’s toys, and anything else you don’t want your puppy to chew or knock over.

Crate Train Your Puppy

While crate training is usually talked about in terms of house training, it is also a good tool for curbing destructive puppies. When you’re not able to supervise your puppy, crating can keep it and your home safe. If you don’t have a crate, you can confine the dog to a small, puppy-proof room such as a bathroom or kitchen.

Provide Your Puppy with Toys

Chewing allows puppies to ease teething pain, and it alleviates boredom. To prevent your puppy from getting in the habit of inappropriate chewing, make sure you provide it with lots of appropriate things to chew on.

Toys that work well for puppies are rubber toys with a hollow center, stuffed animals with squeakers inside, and nylon bones. Avoid animal bones, hooves, and antlers.

Don’t give your puppy old shoes or socks as playthings; you’re likely to cause confusion between which shoes are OK for chewing and which ones are off-limits.

There is some controversy over the safety of items like rawhides, pig’s ears, and other edible chews. Be sure to talk to your veterinarian before giving any of these items to your puppy.

Puppy chewing a toy — Mint Images – Norah Levine / Getty Images

Rotate Your Puppy’s Toys

Since puppies chew to alleviate boredom, it’s a good idea to rotate your puppy’s toys every few days. A puppy will be looking for something new and interesting to sink its teeth into. By changing its toys around periodically, you’ll be keeping it interested in the things you want it to chew, and it will be less likely to start gnawing on the kitchen cabinets.

Offer a Swap

Try giving your puppy a treat in exchange for whatever inappropriate object it has in its mouth. This is a good way to train your dog to learn the command “give” if you repeat it before giving the treat. Over time, your puppy should learn that “give” means “give me that thing in your mouth!”

Just take care not to lavish your puppy with praise when it swaps the inappropriate object for a treat. You don’t want to turn it into a game where your puppy expects a reward for chewing on the wrong things.

Redirect Your Puppy

When you see your puppy begin to chew on something inappropriate, don’t scold it. Instead, move the puppy away from the object and redirect it to something you want it to chew. Make your puppy’s toy more interesting by squeezing a squeaky toy or shaking a bone while talking to it in a happy tone of voice. Give the pup lots of praise for chewing its toys.

If you think your puppy is teething, you can give it a doggy version of a teething ring: Dampen a washcloth; then place it in the freezer for about an hour. Give it to your puppy to tug and chew on, allowing the cold to soothe its sore gums.

Give Your Puppy Plenty of Exercise

A tired puppy is a happy puppy. Be sure to give your puppy enough playtime and cuddle time. If it’s had all of its puppy vaccinations, make walks part of your dog’s daily routine. If left to its own devices, your puppy is going to start looking for ways to burn off energy. This leads to destructive behavior. A puppy who gets regular exercise is much more likely to be well behaved.

In addition to solid and functional obedience, crate training has to be one of the most valuable skills our dogs can have. Before we go any farther, let’s get one thing out of the way right now – crate training your dog is not cruel, inhumane, or mean. Often times we as humans relate a crate to jail or feel sorry for a dog that is in a crate, but it’s important to remember that we’re training through the dog’s mentality, not our own.

There are several beneficial reasons to crate training your puppy or dog, and yes, by crate training we are expecting the crate door to be closed.

In my opinion, here is the most important reason to crate train your dog: At some point in your dog’s life, they are going to be in a crate. Whether it be at the groomer, at the vets’s clinic, boarding, at a friend’s home, in a car, or anywhere else, it is going to happen. Preparing them for these situations is important and, in my opinion, not crate training your dog is doing a disservice to them as it causes a lot of stress, anxiety, and is extremely difficult on some dogs when they finally need to be put in that situation.

1. Provide a Safe Space

_{I had always thought that crates were cruel. One of the things I learned with the new pup is that crates are not cruel when used properly, and in fact can be a great tool for the average pet owner. Proper, positive crate training can provide benefits for both you and your dog.}

_{Dogs have a natural instinct and crates can provide a haven for your dog when he is feeling stressed or tired and needs some downtime.}

2. Help With Potty Training

_{Crates are great for house training. Dogs and puppies don’t like a soiled bed, so a properly sized crate is very useful to assist you in teaching him bladder and bowel control.}

3. Household Safety

_{Having your dog resting comfortably in his crate while you are not able to supervise him is a bonus. Maybe you are cooking dinner or working on renovations where your pup could cause safety issues just by being underfoot. Having him tucked safely away will give you peace of mind.}

4. Positive Car rides.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBcIQXTjJik/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

_{Car travel in a crate is far safer for both of you than having him loose in the car.}

5. Positive Vet Visits

If your dog ever needs to stay overnight at the vet’s, he will be far less stressed when he is confined in the cage or run if he has already been crate trained.

6. Reduce Damages

https://www.instagram.com/p/CE0gXNeD-yS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

You wouldn’t want to come home to find your furniture bitten or skirting destroyed to pieces. Unwanted disasters like these can be avoided by providing them stimulating dog toys or chews inside their crate, instead of them finding other interesting household items to destroy when left un-supervised and un-crated.

7. Evacuation

Finally, if you ever have to evacuate from your home in case of any kind of emergency, having a crate trained dog is so much easier for all concerned (Better Discipline). Whether you keep your dog with you, or he has to be handed over to others, your pup will be better off in his own crate. He’ll be more relaxed with his own blankets and toys with your scent on them, than one who is unfamiliar with a crate and therefore experiences undue stress.

To sum it up why crate training is so important.

_{It’s a tremendous aid in potty training your puppy or dog.}
_{It makes traveling with your dog much easier as they have a familiar reference point wherever they go.}
_{It’s important aid to creating structure in your dog’s life}
_{It helps your dog to mentally relax}
_{It gives your dog a place of their own to go and get some peace and quiet, especially in big gatherings etc.}
_{Proper crate training can help reduce the anxiety when leaving your dog home alone.}
_{It help prevent unwanted behaviours, such as chewing household objects, and more when you cannot be with your dog.}

Although it may be emotionally hard for some of us, my advice is to put your dog’s crate in the proper location and immediately being crate training your dog from the second he or she sets foot in your home. When your dog is properly crate trained as an adult, you may not utilise the crate as much but continuing to implement the crate into your dog’s daily routine so the benefits of crate training carry over for the dog’s life.

Misuse of Crates

Crates can also be misused and have a negative influence on your dog. Here are some uses to avoid:

_{It is very important to remember not to use a crate as punishment for your dog. His crate should be his haven. I have often found Kobe resting in his crate of his own accord with the door wide open.}
_{While crates can be used for teaching your dog the house rules, it is NOT okay to use the crate as a crutch because of lack of training. Your dog wants to be with YOU, not spending his life in a crate, so be diligent about your training regime early on.}
_{Never leave your dog in his crate for too long, especially puppies who have limited bladder control. If you must crate your dog while you are at work, it is important that he gets a potty break. If you are leaving him crated at home, it is absolutely essential that you make sure he gets plenty of exercise and playtime when you are around.}

xoxo

Kobe’s Parents (Kendrick & Kimberly)