by Audrey Frederick

Created on: April 20, 2008

Why Do Dogs Chew?

Suddenly that cute new puppy has turned into a chewing monster; nothing is safe from his/her mouth. What is happening?

Puppies explore their world by means of their mouths. Chewing helps relieve the pain of teething and it is necessary for a dog's physical and mental health. Chewing helps relieve tension and stress.

Since nature did not give dogs hands to use, their mouths are their source of exploration; their means to investigate new things, tastes, and it is a basic behavior instilled in dogs since the beginning of time.

Puppies start chewing around the age of 3 months, when his/her permanent teeth start coming in and they chew in earnest until the age of six to ten months when most of the permanent teeth have come in. Some dogs will continue to chew until they are 18 to 24 months old as they are strengthening not only their jaws, their teeth also.

Establishing good chewing habits is truly your responsibility, puppies and/or dogs do not know a proper thing to chew from an improper thing unless you teach them.

Giving your puppy an old shoe to chew teaches the puppy that all shoes are for chewing, the same goes for old socks, old purses, an old book or anything else that you have in the household. The puppy does not know old from new, a designer bag from an old one or a new sock from an old one.
However, you do, so lesson number one is be selective in what you give your dog to chew.

Start out on the right foot and give your puppy only proper chew toys. Currently there is a debate going on considering the safety of such chew toys as rawhide, pigs ears, the many varieties of dog bones, cow hooves and even rope tugs. I do not intend to get into the middle of that debate and my suggestion is if you want to give your puppy any of these hotly debated items, do so. However, watch how you puppy handles it and if you see the item falling apart in chunks or pieces, dispose of it immediately.

It is highly recommended that you offer your puppy/dog a stuffed Kong toy or a Buster Cube to tackle that is filled with dry kibble. This not only will keep him/her busy, but will work off excess energy, too.

What are some of the other reason dogs chew besides teething. Well, boredom is a primary one, dogs need stimulation, and dogs are not cats that can sit and stare into space all day. They need exercise; they have an abundance of energy that needs to be worked off. Playtime is important to a puppy and even a grown dog. Walking or running in the park helps curb many unwanted

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>