You Should Teach Your Puppy Proper Chewing Behavior

As much as you may love your cute, new puppy, if she chews on everything in sight--including you--she will not be cute to you for very long. Puppies that are left to their own devices can destroy a home quickly. Just as training is required to housebreak your little fur ball, training is also necessary to teach them appropriate chewing behaviors.

Many believe the longer a pup is allowed to stay with her mother and siblings, the better she will behave. It seems that puppies younger than eight weeks--who are taken from their mother--exhibit a more aggressive form of chewing and biting over those pups which are separated after the two-month mark.

Pups learn from the day they are born what is expected of them. Most pups find their mother is very tolerant of being chewed and gnawed on. However, as the pup grows and those sharp little teeth start coming in, the mother dog starts setting the limit on how much nipping she will tolerate, especially if she has a large litter using her for a chew toy! The mother dog will usually get up and leave the area which will eventually teach the little squirts to be gentle with her.

This is usually when the pups start rough housing and playing with their litter mates. Nothing is more enjoyable than watching a pile of pups roll, tumble, and clumsily play with each other. Nevertheless, it is important to understand what is taking place during this time. What looks like good old puppy fun to us is truly a necessary part to a dog