Puppy Teething Training Tips
Patience is the key. Puppies learn from what we let them get away with. If you are persistent and consistent with your training, it will pay off in the long run and you will not need to be more assertive when they get older. Puppies tend to Teeth until 6 to 8 months of age. They usually start losing their baby teeth around the same time period.
Let’s start with the easiest of things, Chew toys and Bones.
DO NOT buy plastic chew toys. Puppies have sharp teeth, they will rip the plastic up and you will end up at your Veterinarians Emergency Room with an Intestinal Blockage that will cost more than that 3 dollar toy.
Even Kongs and Nylabones are not a good idea, let me explain why. They will eventually take a bite of the hard plastic off, yes they will. They have very sharp teeth.
Get yourself some Hard bones or Cow Hooves at a Local Pet Store that have openings in them, the natural formations of the bone that is, and fill them with the following:
1.Peanut Butter
2.Cream Cheese
3.Freeze them with either of the above and give it to your puppy.
Keep in mind that all dogs are different and you must find the treat that best suits them. Some natural Food Rolls are available called Natural Balance, they are firm, yet soft enough to squeeze into openings.
Rawhides count as food, but we’ll get more into that in a bit.
Remember, what your dog learns as a young pup, they will remember as Adults, and they will not have the nasty habits of chewing anything or “mouthing” and picking up stuff, like remotes, shoes, socks, tissue,etc.
Remember what I said about Rawhides?
Rawhides are a natural food source. Some rawhides are bleached and some are basted with artificial flavorings. These hides are exactly that, the inside of the Cow lining or Pig lining.
Sounds yummy right?
They are a popular source in the Pet Industry, but most people do not do their research and their dog ends up sick with loose stool and dehydration sets in. Everything you do now for your Pup will be heaven sent when they get older, I can’t stress this enough.
Since Rawhides are natural, save them for a VERY important feat. When your pup learns to walk on a leash and you know it’s midday, way past breakfast, it’s a good time for a Rawhide. It will keep them busy and it will not interfere with their digestive system. Keep an eye on them as they will need plenty of water during and after since rawhides contain lots of salt. They will also need to have a bowel movement after they eat a rawhide, usually after they play for 20 minutes or so.
Do not give them another rawhide until they have mastered something different.
Continue using the frozen treats.
If Frozen treats are not your cup of tea, then get an Ice Tray and fill it half way with water and place a piece of dog treat, preferably something moist, and then continue filling it with water and freeze. Rub some treat on the ice after frozen so they will be tempted to lick and chew the Ice. It will give them some immediate relief.
There are also rope toys. The only drawback I see to rope toys, are that they tend to fray and must be washed weekly. I disinfect them with bleach first then I throw them in the washer, plus I trim the frayed edges.
Now we come to the Hardest of the Teething portion, the training. Most puppies bite because the grinding of the teeth puts pressure on the gums and gives relief almost immediately, plus they get a rush from doing it to you, biting your hands and fingers or even your pant leg. Dogs that are allowed to chew on your clothing and play “bite and tug” tend to correlate this behavior with playing and end up thinking it’s ok to do it to other people. This is a big no. Do not under any circumstances allow your puppy to “mouth” your hands or clothes, this is also the beginning of gaining a good rank in your household, even if it’s just two people. Someone has to be the alpha leader right?
If your puppy is not wearing a leash, you will need to use your voice as a tool to help them learn this behavior; the behavior being the negative effect of putting his mouth on anything other than his toys or chew bones. We all know the good ‘ole “no” routine, but it becomes ineffective if we don’t truly let them know how we feel. Dogs have a keen sense, they will know if you are being serious or just trying to be.
Grab the pup by the ruff of the neck, just like his mother did when he was doing something he shouldn’t and corrected him; tell him no in an assertive manner. Replace what he was chewing on with a hard bone, a treat or a chew toy and once he gets busy with that, give him a lot of praise. This hands on approach works best, but when you combine the above treat info, it works wonders and twice as fast.
Patience is very important. Most people give up and throw in the towel and that is the worst thing you could do, you’ve just given your pup permission to walk all over you.
Consistency is also very important. Always remember that their behavior is learned, whether we allow it happen or if we stop it. They remember. They are not Humans, they do not retain an emotional state like humans do, so do not feel bad when you correct your dog. Notice I did not say scold. You are not scolding your Pup, you are being an Alpha dog, showing a member of your brood how to follow your lead and behave. There are rewards at the end however, don’t forget that.
