Dealing with Chewing in Puppies

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. You can support the Pandemic Puppy Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/pandemicpuppy. 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.