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In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, Kayla discusses chewing and everything you need to know about managing it!
- Chewing is essential for behavior wellness, but thankfully the chewing habits will change over time. There are some great ways to manage chewing to make it a little more easier to deal with
How to manage chewing:
- Make sure you are meeting your puppy’s needs!
- Puppy proof! Don’t give your puppy a chance to chew things that would hurt them
- Give LOTS of options: antlers, bully sticks, kongs, pig’s ears, bouillon ice cubes, mimic whatever they keep chewing without permission
- Supervise always. Don’t wind down supervision until the puppy is trustworthy at their current level
- Could the chewing be boredom/attention-seeking? Are you reacting to your puppy chewing on bad things and ignoring them when they’re being good?
What do you do when you catch them chewing?
- Make sure their needs are being met before any intervention
- Gently interrupt your puppy and redirect them to something else
- Be careful not to create an accidental behavior chain
What to look out for?
- Ingestion/pica
- Sometimes, excessive chewing is actually a sign of an upset stomach, GI issues, diet imbalance, or serious underlying stress.
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Get extra help with your puppy through Journey Dog Training’s Puppy Raising Blueprint Course.Join the free Pandemic Puppy Raising Support Group on Facebook.
Kayla founded Journey Dog Training in 2013 to provide high-quality and affordable dog behavior advice. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant who’s worked with hundreds of private clients, thousands of shelter dogs, and dozens of working detection dogs. Kayla’s dog and cat behavior advice has been featured in NPR, the Chicago Tribune, and Pet MD. She’s an avid adventurer who is currently doing #vanlife on the Pan-American Highway with her two border collies and a cat. Aside from running Journey Dog Training, Kayla also runs the nonprofit K9 Conservationists, where she and the dogs work as conservation detection dog teams. You can get 1:1 advice with a Journey Dog Training team member here.
