Stop the Chewing.

Millie has now been with us for 13 days. And one thing she has begun to enjoy as she has become more confident in our home is chewing. Anything and absolutely everything. She loves to chew the coffee table, our shoes, her baby gates, her crate, the carpet, and especially books. She just looooves books. Nevermind that she has her very own toy basket full of interesting squeaky and otherwise noisy and curious goodies. Thus far, her own toys have been able to hold her interest for no longer than 5 or 6 minutes.

So I decided to do some reading up on what to do about curbing the chewing. I visited the local SPCA website, which happens to be one of the best in the nation. The have an entire list of resources for new pet owners, including this brochure on how to handle puppy chewing.

In short, here are the steps to having a no-chew puppy:

1. Puppy proof your house. i.e. Don't leave items on the floor that you don't want chewed. Well of course, with carpets being one of Millie's favorite teething items, this wasn't too much of an option. Same goes for the couch and the coffee table. We have moved other items such as shoes and books, but if one gets left behind, there's just no stopping her.

2. If you catch your puppy in the act of chewing, distract them with a loud noise and offer an acceptable chew toy. Also, this makes sense in theory. The attention span of a puppy is so short that if you can just offer up something more interesting, they will forget all about the undesirable chew item (well, undesirable to us / very highly desirable to them). Unfortunately, Millie is not at all distracted or otherwise bothered by loud noises. This is great when you consider she doesn't scare during thunderstorms or other potentially stressful situations. Not as great when you can't get her attention to save your life.

3. Closely supervise your puppy. This method, though exhausting, works. Except when your four pound dog crawls under the couch to chew on something she shouldn't.

4. When you're away, confine your puppy to a small area such as a crate or laundry room. Well, Millie loves to chew her crate. Should we allow her to chew it or does that send mixed signals?

5. Give your puppy plenty of exercise. A very good method, however, can be very difficult if you work full-time. It's can be hard to find enough time to tire a small puppy, between fixing dinner with her under foot and trying to unwind. It is so effective, though, that setting aside enough time to play, play, play is so important! It not only stops the chewing, but it stops other unwanted behaviors as well, such as barking and whining.

6. Obedience class. I've never tried this one. Perhaps a last resort.

7. Rotate toys. This is supposed to keep their attention longer so they don't bore quickly. It probably works better for a slightly older puppy, because the attention span of a 12-week old is next to nil anyways.

8. Try a frozen toy to soothe teething puppy gums. I recently purchased a little teething toy at PetSmart that you soak and freeze. Millie thus far has shown about thirty seconds of interest in it.


9. Stuff a toy with food. We bought Millie a Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude. When we stuff a treat up inside, she gives up very easily on it. What did work was putting peanutbutter right inside the opening and freezing it. Turns out this only takes her tiny little mouth 2 minutes to completely destroy and then her interest fades. I think we may try the Kong Wobbler that you can buy "Stuff-N Paste" in various flavors. Perhaps it will keep her occupied longer.

But I'd like to add my own chew-stopping method to this list. Dentley's Peanutbutter Rawhide Chips. Millie absolutely LOVES these and she will chew for hours, or until I take it away from her. Or until she passes out from chewing exhaustion!