puppy chewing

[Judy Wheeler]

Sammi just turned 7 months old.  We've been able to control her chewing up to this point.  Starting last week, she is chewing EVERYTHING.  I do walk her for nice long walks twice a day....she has chew toys, but she is now chewing carpet and woodwork, which she didn't do before.  Help!!!

[Anne G.]

I have read that puppies have 2 heavy chew periods. The 1st is due to teething and is from 4 - 6 months old. The the 2nd is due to adult teeth settling in and is from 7 - 9 month old. Here's the link:

http://www.idog.biz/NewPuppySupport.html

Check out "Visual Guide to Puppy Development". Good Luck!!!

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Yeah this is the "teenage" period for puppies, and they will do all they can to test your limits ;)

 

Luna NEVER chewed furniture etc. until this age.  She has since stopped (thankfully).

 

Lots of bitter "yuck" or bitter apple spray and keeping the pup confined to areas where you can watch her is all I can suggest!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I also have a 7 mo. old and when he is in the chewing stage, I give him a 12" bully stick.  I do watch him though when he has one because I want to toss it when it get down to about 4 inches.  I have been buying bully sticks from the same guy for over 10 years.

It won't be long and our babies will be grown up!  Yeah!

[Lynda Kamrath]

Yep. Puppies do chew.  My advice is just to keep everything up and out of reach.  All closet doors and bathroom doors closed of course.  My puppies have chewed the deck, the sheetrock on the walls, the corners of cabinets, furniture, and carpets.  Shoes, glasses, books?  Of course.  Have plenty of chew toys around and when they are chewing on something you don't want them to chew on, throw out a toy for them to chew on.  I have shoes lined up on the window sill in my bathroom, but things are definitely better.  After the first year, they do improve. 

Oh yes, and my husband has discovered  that the puppy definitely does not like Tabasco sauce.  He dabs it around where the puppy has been chewing, and that tends to stop him.  Of course, you can't paint the deck with Tabasco sauce.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Also - We recently started giving Luna an Everest chew (made from milk and lime juice - very safe) when we can't be supervising her.  Keeps her occupied and just smells like smoked cheese. 

 

They're pretty expensive (I think Luna's was $15 for the size "large") but last quite a long time if they're just an occasional thing.  I think she's had hers for 3 weeks now.  If your dog is a "gulper" though this might not work, since they can get down to choking hazard size fairly quickly.  Luna is what I like to call a "nibbler", so I don't worry much about her with smaller chewing items.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

We have used these as well (also known as Himalayan Dog Chews).  The girls loved them, but I thought they were a little pricey for the amount of time they lasted.  I think I bought the large which was like $12-$15 and by the end of the first day I was tossing them because they were too small for my comfort level.  So, for me $30 for one days pleasure was a little steep!  If I could get 3 weeks out of one I would gladly buy them.

[Laurie and Echo]

Just want to give a big thumbs up for the Everest chew!  My 6 month ALD Echo just loves them.  I love them because they are really safe.  As hard as she tries she can only get tiny shreds off of them no matter how hard she works.. They are kind of expensive but they last a long time as well.  If you have a puppy or smaller dog you can get the smaller size for about half the price.  That is sufficient for her right now as she weighs only about 16 lbs.  The company also claims that they are good for dogs with allergy problems because they are all natural made of only goats milk and lime (as I recall).  How they dry goats milk into a hard bone consistancy is beyond me though! 

[Anne G.]

Hey Guys - Where do purchase Everest chews? Now I'm really interested! Thanks!!

[Judy Wheeler]

Now I really want one of those Everest chews.  Got her a bully stick on Saturday and it was gone in 5 minutes.  $4.00 gone in a flash!   Where do you get the Everest chews?

 

[Laurie and Echo]

To Judy and Anne:  The website is www.HimalayanDogChew.com. I guess the company is near where I live!  I bought mine at my petstore, but here you go.

 

Looks like some of the bigger dogs on here can take these thing down pretty quick so "beware" I guess I should say.  But for Echo they are a real life saver..Good luck!

[Anne G.]

Thank you Laurie. I found a store close by that carries them and will pick one up this week!

 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I would like to add that I think she may need more exercise.  That first year in particular they need so much more than a couple of daily walks.  She needs some off leash time, be it at a dog park or back yard or something.  Also, maybe a day or two a week of daycare to just wear her out.  (might seem a little pricey, but not as pricey as new carpet or rugs).  We went through a phase where the girls chewed my braided area rugs.  I could always associate it with the days/weeks they weren't getting outdoor play time (like rain or snow).