A teething puppy needs to chew

Puppies do not chew things because they are ‘naughty’—far from it. They need to chew because they are teething. Adult teeth are bursting through their gums and the only thing that makes them feel more comfortable is chewing.

Prevent your own items from becoming teething things for puppies by providing a number of suitable chewy food treats and toys at about the time they reach the age of 4 months. From between 4 and 6 months puppies start to lose their baby teeth which are then replaced by adult teeth between 6 and 10 months.

A teething puppy cannot guess what he is permitted to chew and what he should avoid. You need to teach him.

• Put shoes and other important items in cupboards. Place the item you want to leave out but don’t want chewed in front of him and when he attempts to chew, say ‘No!’ then walk away. If he still attempts to chew, return and once again, say a firm, ‘No!’ In time, he should learn to avoid this item.
• Replace the forbidden item with a suitable chewy snack and praise him for chewing the teething aid you have selected.
• If you find him chewing something he shouldn’t, don’t try to tear it from him; that will simple make him want to protect the chewy treat he’s allocated to himself. Either distract him and reclaim the item or issue a stern, ‘No!’ or ‘Leave it!’
• It’s important not to let him chew your fingers or hands, or those of children; distract him with food treats.
• In time, his adult teeth will appear and his discomfort and endless quest for chewy items will end. By then he should have been taught that not everything in the house is his to chew or play with.
• If your puppy becomes agitated, place him in his crate for awhile with a snack and hopefully he’ll settle down.

Teething is a trying time for puppies (just as it is for babies) as well as their families; but in time the problem will resolve itself.