He’s finally home, your pudgy little sweet smelling ball of fur has finally come home to you. With all his adorable antics and precious cuddles he is the apple of you eye within minutes. You’ve snapped welcome home pictures and shown him off to all your friends and made him a sweet little welcome home package, and he’s had a little time to adjust, get to know you, and settle in. Now he wants to play.
Believe it or not, the fact that your new little friend is chewing on the blinds and racing around with your best dress shoe in his mouth is good sign. It means he is beginning to feel at home. That little puddle he left in the other room, he’s just determining which part of the house isn’t used so much for play or sleep so it will serve well as a bathroom.
Within a day or two, when the new addition has had a little time to adjust to the new smells and sounds of his new home, it’s not uncommon that most new puppy parents feel like they spend most of their time say “No!” and rushing a peeing puppy toward the door. A happy puppy will get into plenty of trouble his first week in his new home.
Puppies are pretty basic. When they are tired they will stop nearly mid stride, lie down and sleep. When they are hungry they will tear through their food. If none is available they will eat the closest reasonable replacement like the corner of the rug, table leg, or that precious teddy bear you’ve had since you were four. When they have to go, they find a convenient place and they go. The rest of their day is devoted to play.
Puppies have to chew. They have to chew because of their teeth demand it of them. It’s not their fault that you can’t appreciate their need to gnaw off corner of the cabinet. It’s important that when you’re training your little guy not to eat the precious things that belong to you give him a sharp command, remove him from the offending choice he’s made, and replace it with something he is allowed to chew on.
Often sticking a toy in his mouth and changing your tone from an angry, “NO!” to a pleasant, “Good boy to chew on a toy,” He will get the message faster that you’re not upset with his chewing, just his choice of teething ring. Having an alternative nearby that he can choose and randomly praising him when he makes the better choice will ultimately speed up his learning curve. He wants to make you happy, you are his Alpha and his world. He also wants to relieve his teeth.
Make sure he has plenty of toys that belong to him. Replace them as necessary and give him a well rounded variety. When one toy fades away try replacing it with something different to keep him interested. Toys that encourage a variety of treats to be either hidden or stuffed inside often interest the stubborn pup that doesn’t seem to even notice his toys.
Puppies and dogs alike respond better to correction and praise than they do to punishment. When you are hitting or smacking a puppy they are not learning how to correct the behavior that makes you unhappy. It takes some patience. Okay, a lot of patience. However you will need less patience overall if you take the time to correct his behavior and then immediately encourage them to replace that behavior with something that pleases both of you.
Chewing and house breaking are the two most difficult behaviors to deal with, and the two that every single puppy comes with. If chewing is excessive there may be other contributing factors to the behavior that you may not be aware of. All chewing seems excessive, but if seems that your puppy is not learning new chewing behaviors after about three to four weeks, there may be another problem going on that needs to be addressed.
Start with a trip to the vet. Having his teeth checked is a good place to start. Sometimes losing his baby teeth is the least of your puppy’s concerns. If his gums or teeth are excessively bothering him, he is going to increase him chewing.
If his little mouth checks out fine, but the inappropriate chewing continues beyond a month, he may be showing signs of stress and anxiety. Often puppies develop anxiety problems when they are left alone too often, or the comings and goings in the household are very erratic. There are some simple steps that can be taken to help your puppy adjust to crazy schedules.
Don’t make a big deal out of leaving. Sending them signals that they are about to be left alone can sometimes stress out a puppy. Saying things like, “Be a good boy,” or “Have a good day,” every time you leave for a long period of time can send the message to your puppy that he is about to face that time he doesn’t like, his alone time.
Often we send them more subtle cues before we walk out the door for a long period of time. They learn the difference in our behavior when we wake and get ready for work versus when we are just running out to the grocery store on Saturday morning. Tune into yourself and give your puppy a few gentle reassuring pets without sending him the signal you are concerned about him.
If you have the time, add a short walk before you leave. Sometimes the additional activity is enough to calm your little beast. Even just a few minutes of play can help.
If you are not crate training, you may want to reconsider that option. Once your little guy gets used to the crate, it becomes a source of comfort for him. He is safe and secure. People who crate train find that both house breaking and chewing behaviors are dramatically easier to amend when their puppies spend their alone time in their crate.
Your new little joy and you are going through some adjustments. A little time together and you will both begin to understand one another a bit better. He wants very much to make you happy, and he will try very hard to succeed. Have patience and persistence and your little guy will surprise you with how soon he learns that he has his own chew toys and his potty is outside, even when it rains.