Puppies may chew on furniture, shoes, shrubbery, and other objects. These are normal puppy behaviors, but they can still create problems for you. Unfortunately, unlike children, puppies won't magically "outgrow" these behaviors as they mature. Instead, you must shape your puppy's behaviors and teach him which ones are acceptable and which aren't.

Discouraging Unacceptable Behaviors

It's virtually inevitable that your puppy will, at some point, chew up something you value. This is part of raising a puppy! You can, however, prevent most problems by taking the following precautions:

• Minimize chewing problems by puppy-proofing your house. Put the trash out of reach—inside a cabinet or outside on the porch—or buy containers with locking lids. Encourage children to pick up their toys and don't leave socks, shoes, eyeglasses, briefcases, or TV remote controls lying around within your puppy's reach.

   

• If, and only if, you catch your puppy chewing on something he shouldn't, interrupt the behavior with a loud noise, then offer him an acceptable chew toy instead. Praise him lavishly when he takes the toy in his mouth.

   

• Make unacceptable chew items unpleasant to your puppy. Furniture and other items can be coated with a taste deterrent (such as Bitter Apple®) to make them unappealing. For more information on discouraging inappropriate behavior, see our tip sheet on Using Aversives to Modify Your Dog's Behavior.

   

• Don't give your puppy objects to play with such as old socks, old shoes, or old children's toys that closely resemble items that are off-limits. Puppies can't tell the difference.

   

• Closely supervise your puppy. Don't give him the chance to go off by himself and get into trouble. Use baby gates, close doors, or tether him to you with a six-foot leash so that you can keep an eye on him.

   

• When you must be gone from your home or you can't actively supervise your puppy, confine him to a small, safe area such as a laundry room. You might also consider crate training your puppy. (See our tip sheet on Crate Training Your Dog for guidance). Puppies under five months of age shouldn't be crated for longer than four hours at a time because they may not be able to control their bladder and bowels longer than that.

   

• Make sure your puppy is getting adequate physical activity. Puppies (and dogs) left alone in a yard don't play by themselves. Take your puppy for walks and/or play a game of fetch with him for both mental and physical exercise.

   

• Give your puppy plenty of "people time." He can only learn the rules of your home when he's with you.

Up
Aggression
Barking
Basic Training Techniques
Caring for Your Dog
Choosing a Dog Trainer
Crate Training
Destructive Chewing
Digging
Dog Toys
Do You Chain Your Dog
Dominant Dogs
Eating Strange Objects
Escaping
Fear of Thunder
Fearful Dogs
Housetraining
How to Use a Head Halter
Introducing Pets to a New Dog
Positive Reinforcement
Puppy Behavior Basics
Puppy Chewing
Puppy Nipping and Rough Play
Separation Anxiety
Stay Dog Bite Free
Submissive and Excitement Urination
Urine-Marking Behavior
Using Aversives to Modify Your Dog's Behavior
Removing Pet Stains and Odors
Dog Who's Left Outside
Dogs and Pickup Trucks Don't Mix