Protecting new furniture from a puppy is something that doesn’t just happen by accident. If you want to prevent your sofa cushions from getting chewed, or having the corner of your wooden table gnawed on, pay attention. What I m about to share is a great way to use positive reinforcement with your puppy to train him what is and isn t ok to chew on.
The key to stop puppy chewing is to teach a technique for stopping puppy chewing that still meets your puppies needs. Because your puppy is growing new teeth, it is necessary for him to chew on things to ease the pain which unfortunately is sometimes your furniture. He’s not doing it just to cause you anguish.
Puppies chew to eliminate pain from teething. Plus they chew to relieve boredom. So by using a technique to stop puppy chewing that still allows him to chew, while also allowing him to entertain himself is very important.
This means that you’ll want to take an inventory of everything your puppy likes to chew on, and go buy him dog toys that have similar textures.
If your puppy seems to love shredding soft things like pillows, go buy him plush toys. Or if you have a puppy who likes to chew on harder things like sticks or rocks, you might consider buying a variety of hard plastic toys. You can buy these types toys at any pet store or at websites like Petsmart.com
After you’ve stocked up on a variety of toys it’s time to put them to work. Start placing toys next to the furniture you’re worried about. Put the plush toys next to the pillows. Put the hard toys next to things like table legs.
If you have to, you might also consider limiting how much free access your dog has to your home as well. Sometimes it is easier to work on teaching your puppy things that are not ok to chew on in one room only… and not the whole house at once.
The next thing you want to do is train your dog what’s called a replacement behavior. Pay close attention to him looking for when he’s about to go chew on something. When you notice your dog going to chew something simply say “No” in a firm voice and give your dog the toy that is the best replacement.
Because this method does not rely on you punishing your puppy, it also has the added benefit of preventing your puppy from developing food aggression or become possessive of resources.
With repletion your dog learns that you accept his desire to chew on some things and not on others. And as long as you keep stocked up on toys, most dogs will be more then happy to chew on their toys, instead of your furniture.
This process will take a month or two to train. You need to be consistent, but I promise you your furniture will thank you for it.
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