Puppy Mouthing and Chewing

This is the second handout I wrote for my clinic. This one focuses on mouthing and chewing.

Puppy Mouthing

Puppies, like children, love to play and explore their world. They want to investigate and touch everything. Unfortunately, since puppies do not have hands, they tend to investigate new things and play using their mouths. And when that object of interest is your hand or other parts of your body, those needle sharp teeth can be very unpleasant! Luckily puppies can be trained to have a “soft mouth”, also known as bite inhibition.

During play, allow your puppy to use his mouth on your hands, but pay very close attention to the amount of pressure he applies. As soon as that pressure gets to hard, or when it starts to feel uncomfortable for you, shriek loudly with “ouch!” This will probably cause the puppy to stop what he is doing and look up at you. Then he will most likely continue playing, which is fine. If he goes back to mouthing hard again, or ignores your “ouch!” altogether, then immediately get up and end the play session. Ignore him completely for a minute or two, and then resume play. Once again when his bite pressure gets to great, repeat the above exercise. This is teaching your puppy that human hands are sensitive and hard mouthing ends the play session. When he has learned not to mouth at that pressure, up the criteria by now not allowing bites of mild pressure. Once he is good at that, continue to lower the amount of jaw pressure that needs to be applied to end the game until even gentle mouthing gets him a “game over”. This may take several play sessions over a few days. Dogs and puppies are extremely good at controlling their jaw pressure; we just have to teach them when to do it.

Once your puppy has learned that mouthing hands and other human body parts is off limits, you will need to be very consistent with your rules. Any time your puppy makes a mistake during play, that play session should end immediately. There must be very clear consequences to making a mistake.

Chewing Objects

Another problem we often run into with new puppies is the chewing of unacceptable objects. Puppies will put anything and everything in their mouths! It is up to us to teach them what the acceptable chew toys are, and that anything else is off limits.

Until you can be sure that your puppy understands completely what objects he can and can’t chew, all forbidden objects should be put up and out of his reach. Remember that while it may be obvious to us that a doggy chew bone is okay to chew while your expensive new shoes are not, to an untrained puppy there is no difference in the two. He must be taught the difference. So while he is in training, it is extremely important that he not be allowed to experiment with chewing forbidden objects. This also means that your puppy should always be under direct supervision, and when he is not he should be confined to a crate or other enclosure.

Give your puppy plenty of acceptable items to chew on. Experiment with different types of chew toys to find his favorites, and frequently rotate the toys, exchanging old toys with different ones, so he is never bored. Try toys that are hollow inside, and stuff them full of treats and kibble. Play fun games with his chew toys, and encourage him to play with them often. Your goal is to teach him that the most fun things to chew are his own toys.

Once he has developed a liking for his own chew toys, you can test him with a training exercise. Take several of his favorite chew toys, and one forbidden object (make sure it is not something extremely valuable to you!). Place the items on the ground, and then allow your dog to investigate them. If he chooses an appropriate toy, then praise him excitedly and play with him using the toy. If he happens to choose the wrong item, ignore him completely. Wait a moment to see if he tires of the item and goes to a correct item. If he does not, do not yell harshly or move toward him. Instead, interrupt him with a loud “ah-ah!” This should cause him to look up from then item, allowing you to then direct him to an appropriate toy.

If you find that your puppy has found a particular forbidden item that he is very determined to chew, then you can try a taste deterrent on that certain item. There are many different types of these products; often you can find them in pet stores in the form of a spray bottle. You may need to try out several different types before you find the one your puppy finds to be most offensive.

One more thing to remember with chewing is that it is not only puppies that enjoy and need to chew. Do not assume that when your dog has finished teething he will not chew anymore, adult dogs love to chew as well. Chewing is a pleasant and relaxing pastime for the dog, and it helps keep the jaws in top shape and the teeth clean. Be sure to continue to provide your adult dog with many chew toys as well!