Do you remember the first six months of your puppy's life? It was so adorable that you couldn't stop cuddling your dog because it was the cutest thing ever! Suddenly at 6 months it morphed into the "teenager from hell" and started chewing anything and everything in sight. Each time you went out or left it on its own, you would come back to a scenario of devastation and mayhem. I can remember that my first words when opening the front door used to be "OH----MY-----GOD!? Now What's it done ?"
You would be faced with a trail of unrecognisable bits, one of your favourite Laboutin shoes with a nicely chewed heel, strips of hubby's favourite tie or sock, mangled pens, pencils, spectacles and packaging from the re-cycling box plus the contents of an upturned waste paper bin that you forgot to empty. It would be carnage and like walking into a war zone of destruction You would then spend the next 20 minutes shrieking "Naughty dog? Look what you've done?" The dog would sit and look innocent, "Who? Me?" and in truth, it probably had no idea what it has done or why you were bellowing at it. As they get older they do sometimes look guilty and hide.
Dogs are born chewers, and when the urge to be oral comes on, almost any object lying around is fair game. Chewing knows no bounds and apart from eating and walkies, its probably the most popular past time for a puppy or a bored adult dog.
"WHAT" my husband and I yelped. "That is unbelievable advice to give any dog owner. Who is this woman? Tell us her name and we will make sure she never works as a trainer again. That's the height of cruelty and certainly not the way to train any puppy. You do not beat up any animal - EVER!" I got quite huffy about the whole thing and I think this poor lady had wished she had never mentioned the subject. As I said to her "would you beat your toddler and then lock it in its room just because it chewed the phone book or a shoe?" We were so horrified at what this lady had told us that we couldnt stop discussing it for days.
Anything to do with dogs has become mega business and sadly, there are so many amateurs who have taken it upon themselves to set up as experts on training, grooming et al. Most watch the TV trainers and then adapt their training techniques to their own way of doing things. If you beat up on children and animals, then its for sure you beat up on old ladies and women. If you raise a dog with aggression then you train it to become aggressive and fight back when someone raises their hand.
Chewing is a natural occupation for all puppies and dogs. Puppies do it because of teething and adult dogs do it out of sheer boredom because they are shut in 8 hours or more while their owners go out to earn bone money. Some are Olympic champions at it. Others are terrorised into stopping by owners who beat them. Just as human babies, they start teething and need something to take away the discomfort on their gums. What better way to relieve that pain than by chewing on the nearest object.
Puppies can't distinguish the difference between rawhide chews and your favourite Jimmy Choos, except that the shoes smell of you. All dogs thrive on scent so if they are left alone, your shoes are perfect to remind them of you. To help them learn you need to give them doggy toys, especially those that are fun to play with and chew. The pet shop will sell loads of rubber rings, Kong toys and gizmos that you fill up with treats. These are terrific for the puppy to work out how to use them and distracts them from your furniture and belongings for a short time.
There are several things one can do to deter chewing. You won't entirely stop it until the dog reaches the age of one year, then the chewing loses its appeal. The dog thinks "Pah! Im grown up now and don't need to do all that puppy rubbish". However, while the chewing goes on by both puppy and adult dogs, here are some tips.
Dig out any old shoes, belts, scarves, empty plastic water bottles, cups and plates and place them on chairs, seats, low tables. Watch a puppy in its idle moments, it is constantly looking around for something to drag off and chew. If a strategially placed item is slightly hanging down or visible, that is what will be dragged off to chew. It doesnt matter what the object is. A puppy's motto is "Chew, chew, chew! C'mon! let's get down and chew."!(Sounds like a song title!)
Empty plastic water bottles make a nice sound when they bite into them (dont worry, they are safe and wont hurt the puppy because they never actually split open when new). Left lying around they make a good toy to pick up at will. And it does make a nice crackling sound to the puppy's ears. It also helps to ease the discomfort of sore gums when they bite down on them once flattened.
If the puppy is chewing chair legs, stair rails, curtain ends and cushions, simply wipe the area with either Olbas Oil, Eucylptus oil, Vick's Vapour rub or something strong smelling. They always go back to the object they have chewed so slather it all over those chewed areas. Ok! so the house will smell like a sub-station for colds and flu sufferers, but it soon disapates.
Bits of rag, odd socks, an old tee-shirt - great fun! Cushions are the most ever fun to rip apart. To a puppy, the filling of feathers or foam are the equivalent of ball parks to leap around in. What harm will it do to leave a tatty pillow or cushion lying around? You dont really mind clearing up do you? Or do you? Anything that has stuffing is fair game to a puppy. Oh! and dont forget a roll of toilet paper that can be chased down the stairs to leave a long trail and then shredded in the hall.
Lots of rawhide chews from the pet shop, especially the ones that are shaped like shoes with laces or those long rolled up ones that look like a white cigar, keeps them well occupied for at least an hour. Some people worry about the laces being harmful. They arent but they do have a disconcerting habit of appearing as long strings in the puppy's poo! Tie a string onto a puppy chew and drag it around so that your puppy gets interested and gets the idea that its something to play with. Tying the chew or toy to a heavy chair leg is even better as the puppy has to pull at it and this exercises its jaws and removes any loose puppy teeth. (I still have a tiny puppy tooth in a silver pill box from one of the dogs I had many years ago. Sad creature that I am or what?)
Fill up a cardboard box with tissues, kitchen paper, dog toys, the tattier the better, old bits and bobs and leave them in the room. An old magazine or catalogue is great for tearing apart and so is newspaper. Puppies always clamber into boxes out of curiousity.
Clear out anything that is near electrical flex and plugs because when they search out the object they then get distracted by the need to explore that 'thing' stuck to the wall. Puppy will have a destroy-fest.
Puppies are ingenuous, curious and have the attention span of a flea and after a burst of destruction, they flop down and sleep for an hour or so. Keeping them occupied with cardboard boxes, toys, rope tugs, balls and anything else you can find, will stop you tearing out your hair at the loss of something precious.
Gardens are the next big worry as you have to make sure you have lifted up plants, bulbs and tools as these are all fair game. Sticks are usually chewed to oblivion. Be aware that pots filled with nice, black earth are fair game for turning over, spilling the contents, rolling and trampling in the earth and then dragging most of it back into the house. For added measure, the pot and earth will be chewed and dumped on a nice clean floor or rug.
The most inconvenient part of keeping your little Chewbecca happy is the clearing up but if you get puppy, that's such a small price to pay. Unless of course, you happen to be one of those anally neat freaks who can't stand a mess, then Im afraid your life is going to lose all its glamour.
We all have a fund of puppy chewing stories to relate. Tell me your funniest chewing story and I will include it in my next blog. In fact I would love to hear from you about anything that would interest the dog community and if you have pictures or funny videos, even better!
Its cute and chuckle making. One of the dog owners in the video has an infectious laugh that makes watching it even better. Some people have seen it but there are many others who havent. So enjoy!
Until next week's blog,
Dawn
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