By Debbie Ray
Got a new puppy? Then get ready for the teething blues. One of the things you may, or may not, be prepared for when getting a new puppy is its desire to chew.
Often this can be quite destructive depending on exactly how you handle this situation. Instinctively puppies often chew because they need to - not because they want to destroy your personal items.
As puppies begin to loose their “milk teeth” and get their 42 adult teeth they chew to help alleviate some of the discomfort they are experiencing. This is known as teething and is very common and to be expected.
Overall, the best thing you can do is protect your puppy from potentially harmful situations and help set him up to be successful in getting through this important developmental teething stage.
Below you’ll find several ideas to help your puppy from being “bad” and to help it get through this stressful time.
• Give the puppy plenty of exercise and attention to relieve boredom which often leads to chewing
• Crate the puppy or place it in a secure puppy-proofed area if you cannot watch it
• Use commercial sprays to alleviate chewing of household items - Listerine is also good
• Do not give the puppy old shoes or socks to chew on - it cannot differentiate old ones from your brand new ones
• Give your puppy toys of its own to chew on - it is also good to give these to your pup when he begins to mouth or use its teeth on you
• Give your puppy one of its toys when it acts as though it may chew something it should not
• Move all items that you do not want the puppy to get into out of its reach - cover all power cords, remove pens/ pencils, plants (many are poisonous), books, etc.
With a little bit of planning, patience and caring, you can help your puppy through this important teething stage of it's life and into a more secure and happy and healthy adulthood.
About the Author: Debbie Ray, owner of http://www.pedigreedpups.com, is a lifelong animal lover and dog enthusiast. Interested in more dog information? Training and health tips? Thinking about getting a purebred dog? Check out http://www.pedigreedpups.com or http://www.total-german-shepherd.com for more information.
Source: www.isnare.com
