Why Is My Dog Chewing On The Walls?

You may have been tempted to climb the walls when it comes to your puppy's behavior

, but have you figured out why your puppy is chewing the walls? It's actually fairly common behavior among young dogs. Puppies chew the walls, wood work and anything else they can sink their teeth into because they are cutting teeth. Puppies start getting their permanent teeth between four and seven months. During this time they have a tremendous urge to chew. That's where your walls, shoes and other possessions come in.

It's very important during this time to provide your puppy with many different things to chew on, especially good, hard objects. As the teeth come in they're still wobbly and your puppy needs something hard to push on when he chews. He will chew on anything that's handy so you need to make sure he has plenty of his own safe things to chew wherever he looks. Otherwise you're going to be replacing a lot of your own things.

Your puppy should have a variety of chew toys with many different textures. They should range from normal chews to extremely hard. Puppies not only get bored but with their teeth coming in they need different hardnesses to chew on at different times. It's also a good idea to provide your puppy with an ice lick, especially if he will be playing outdoors. Ice can help cool your puppies' gums as the teeth are cutting. You may not want to give your puppy ice to chew since they can chip his teeth, but cool things are good. Some people wet washcloths and freeze them, giving them to their puppy to chew on. They can keep several in the freezer ready to hand off to their puppy when he wears one out or makes it too warm. Of course, don't let your puppy chew it to ribbons or swallow any part of it.

It's a good idea during this period and afterwards to crate your dog when you can't be with him to watch him. Puppies can't usually be left unsupervised in the house until they are well over a year old. You may cut his crate time by setting up baby gates in certain rooms of your home so your dog can be limited to safe areas of your house where he won't get in trouble.

When you are with your dog and he starts to chew on something inappropriate you can teach him to switch with you by offering him a toy for whatever he's chewing on. Praise him and reward him when he makes the exchange so he knows that he's got something good to chew.

If you come home and your dog has chewed on things he shouldn't keep in mind that your puppy doesn't know that he's done something wrong. Your puppy has followed a natural urge to chew because of his teeth. It does no good to punish him for his actions. He wouldn't know why you were punishing him. Your puppy may look appropriately guilty but that's how all dogs look when you get mad at them.

It may take a couple of years but your puppy will eventually outgrow his puppy learning process. His teeth will be all present and accounted for. He will stop wanting to chew on everything and you can trust him in every room of the house. It just takes a little time. By then you'll be missing his puppy days.

by: Tristan Andrews

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