Chewing is normal for puppies. They will chew on anything, and it can be expensive if they chew up your furniture and clothes. Here ae some ideas to stop your puppy’s unfortunate chewing behavior.

Puppies are so cute that you might not always do something about their chewing. After all, it could be just a sock they are chasing and chewing up like some wild prey. But when your puppy chews a hole in your leather sofa next, you won’t think it is so cute.

In fact, chewing problems are the cause of much of the expense of owning a dog. They do most of their chewing out of your sight or when you are out of the house.

First, you should puppy proof your house so that it is not so easy to take up chewing. You can limit where your puppy goes and keep him out of the areas where you have most of your valuables. Even when you are in the house, don’t let your puppy go off alone without your supervision. You can always use pet or baby gates to fence off certain areas.

Keep your collectibles and valuables in a closed cabinet. Keep breakable items such as vases and nick-nacks off of low tables. Put them up high out of your puppy’s reach. Also, make sure to pick up any small items like marbles, batteries, or coins off the floor, as they could be very dangerous to your puppy.

Sometimes excitement can cause your puppy to chew. The chewing helps release energy and excitement. Your puppy doesn’t know that chewing is bad, so if he chews on something, don’t punish him. Your puppy might actually be chewing in reaction to how you behave. If you act too excited when you come home or go out, your puppy will get overexcited. This can cause him to chew on things.

Give your puppy lots of toys to chew on. This way, when he gets the urge to chew, there will be appropriate items to chew on. Some examples are Nylabones or Nylafloss, which actually help your puppy’s teeth while he is chewing.

Also, a calm attitude will go a long way. When you are leaving for work, don’t make a big production out of it. The same for coming home. Just be matter-of-fact about your comings and goings, and your puppy will stay much more calm.

Puppies can be very excitable, and they are natural chewers anyway. So to help things out, remember to stay calm and keep valuables out of reach. This puppy stage won’t last forever. Be consistent and patient, and train your puppy to keep his chewing to his own toys.