Hey, that’s not a chew toy!
Getting a new young puppy and training him can be a very time-consuming job. One of the bigger complaints associated with these cute little family members is the constant chewing of things that aren’t his such as shoes, socks, kids’ toys, fingers, the clothes on our bodies…the list can go on! Remember, your pup’s new set of adult teeth won’t come in until he is about 5-6 months old. Until then, he will constantly search for any and everything chewable as a relief.
In his mind, if it is in sight and within reach then it is up for offer. Nothing is off limits yet. As a newcomer in your home and into the world away from mom and siblings, your puppy has absolutely no idea what is his and what is yours. To help you control and curve the problem of chewing, we made a list of helpful hints with research learned from www.akc.org combined with our own subjective experiences with our own Syrah Goldens puppies.
Teaching your puppy boundaries.
When it comes to training a puppy, he needs to have clear, consistent boundaries. The mind of a puppy is black or white with very minimal gray areas. Since your puppy is in full on teething mode, it is wise to have a variety of chew toys accessible to him. Bully sticks and cow hooves (if you can stand the smell) are safe, durable, and long-lasting. That’s the easy part. The harder part comes when your pup becomes curious. This takes patience and consistency. When you witness him going at something other than his chew toys, quickly startle him with a sharp noise then trade out what is yours for what is his. Once he starts nibbling at his toy, overly praise him for chewing on it! The “trade it” method teaches him to associate his chew toy with positivity while creating that clear boundary of what is his.
Another way to divert unwanted chewing is by teaching “leave it”. With this command, your pup learns that the item he is messing with is ultimately not up for offer. “Leave it” can work for practically anything and could potentially be lifesaving. The pups in our Syrah Training Program seem to understand both methods very quickly and will continue to recognize them as long as their training is consistent when they go home. For more tips on learning “leave it” and curving chewing, visit www.akc.org.