My mantra? Management, management, management. That’s the way to prevent your couch from being chewed on, your daisies from being dug up, and your shins from getting scratched. If you spend a bit of time puppy proofing your home (and your pup’s environment) it will prevent your puppy from ever discovering that these types of things can be great fun.
The whole idea that puppies need “freedom”, in my opinion, just doesn’t make sense. We wouldn’t allow a toddler to wander freely about the house without expecting that bad things would happen. And yet we insist on allowing our pups to roam and we get mad at them when we find piles of poop behind the couch or our new carpets chewed.
So how do would I begin? My first rule is: gates, crates or tethers. I never allow a pup to be free in a room unless I am keeping an eye on him. If I can’t, I either have the pup in a kennel, a puppy playpen, or gated in a room where he can’t get into trouble. Tethers are a great option if you want to have the puppy in the same room but have difficulty keeping him from chasing the kids or the cats. I have the pup on a 6 foot leash or drag line and that is tied to a doorknob or piece of furniture. This way the puppy can still be with the family but can’t rehearse behaviors that aren’t so pleasant.
My second rule is if you don’t want it chewed, either pick it up or prevent the puppy from accessing it. Referring back to last week’s blog, if I am using a squirt bottle to keep a puppy from chewing on things, I am not managing my puppy properly. Last night I was at a client’s house in their living room and their new Aussie pup was happily eating one of their plants. I suggested moving the plant until the puppy outgrew her chewing phase which the husband wasn’t crazy about. “No big deal” I said, “just make sure the puppy is tethered when in this room. Not only would this resolve the plant eating issue but it would also keep the kids safe”. The puppy (a herder) was terrorizing the kids by chasing them and nipping at them. The husband seemed to like this idea. A word of warning, never leave a dog alone while tethered.
Once you have picked up your chewable stuff and contained the puppy so that he can’t access things that he isn’t supposed to, it’s time to turn your attention to making sure that the pup has plenty of things available to him that he IS allowed to chew. Some of my favorites are a fresh marrow bone, bully sticks, or a stuffed Kong. With Kongs, you have to teach young dogs how to work to get all of the stuff out of the inside. Fill the Kong with biscuits that will fall out easily and just enough peanut butter to fill the opening. As the pup gets more confident, you can make the Kong harder and harder to unstuff. Treat dispensing toys like a Tug A Jug, Bob A Lot or Busy Buddy Twist and Treat are also great investments. You can put a puppy’s entire meal in one and it will keep them busy for much longer than if you were to feed him in a dish.
Having a new puppy can make you feel as if you were losing your mind but if you spend a little time on management it will make this trying time a little easier. Dogs will outgrow their puppy behavior over time so keeping them under wraps until they start to mature really is the way to go.
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