Chew on this - not that!
My puppy chews on everything - including us! As a trainer that’s one of the major issues people contact me about. Dogs and especially puppies explore the world with their mouths. Babies and toddlers explore their world by reaching out and touching or grabbing things within their reach. Dogs are doing the same thing with their mouths. However they don’t know what is appropriate or safe to chew on and that’s where training comes into play. Just like we teach our kids what is appropriate and safe to reach out & touch we have to do the same thing for our dogs.
So how do we do that? When puppies start chewing on something they shouldn’t (lamp cords, pillows, furniture, you) you need to redirect them and give them something that is ok to chew on (dog toys, nylabones, kong toys).Calmly ‘trade’ them the appropriate object for the one you don’t want them to have and praise them when they take it. This also applies if they are chewing on you or someone else. If they take the object but then go back to nipping or chewing on you get up & leave the area. They will soon learn that the behavior will lead to you disappearing which they won’t want to happen. One old school method of stopping a puppy from biting or play nipping was to squeeze their muzzle tightly. This creates pain when they bite their tongue. This does not teach the puppy to do anything but fear your hand. In the future when you do need to take something away, want to brush their teeth, or the vet wants to exam their mouth it will be that much harder because that fear has been created. It also does nothing towards teaching the puppy what is appropriate to chew on. Puppies begin to lose their puppy teeth around 4 months of age although that can vary by breed. Once their puppy teeth have been replaced by adult teeth the urge to chew usually decreases. However dogs of all ages need things to chew on, some breeds more than others (fill in labs here), so make sure you have a variety of toys and bones to satisfy that need.
As the weather has gotten nicer, except for the incessant rain, you might also have concerns about plants, berries, and fruits your dog may encounter and whether or not they pose a concern for your dog. For more information on this topic check out the article Common Backyard Plants That Are Poisonous to Dogs by David Beaulieu, thespruce.com There are also numerous articles on-line about certain foods and indoor plants that are also harmful to dogs. Be proactive to help keep your puppy safe and teach them to make appropriate choices when it comes to chewing! Chew on this-🦴🎾, - not that 🖐👟!1