5 Ways to Stop Puppies From Chewing Your Home Furniture
Portuguese water dog puppies are known for being notorious chewers and will likely want to chew everything in your home if you allow it. Unfortunately, for many of these dogs, the chewing is not just a short phase and can become a long-term habit if you don’t deal with the issue early in a swift and tactical manner.
If you want to avoid damaged items in your home, including furniture, clothing and shoes, then it’s wise to sternly teach your puppy what is acceptable behaviour in terms of chewing and gnawing. Here are some tips to help you understand why they chew and how to prevent this from becoming a recurring habit:
1. Deal with Teething
Your puppy, like a human baby, will go through a long spell of teething on and off in his first year of life. It’s an instinct for them to chew to get some relief from the aches and pains in their gums.
Make sure you are aware of when your puppy is teething so that you can provide adequate soft and hard toys for them to chew on for relief, and also give your puppy frozen toys to ease the pain in their gums. Being aware of this stage means you can understand and predict when the chewing is likely to increase and become more of a problem.
2. Make Provisions with Other Items
Puppy dogs, like babies, are naturally curious about their surroundings and they explore using their mouths. They like to know how things taste and feel and are curious to explore anything that they come across in the home or outside. By making provisions and buying dog toys and teething items for them to chew on, you can prevent them from wanting to chew on your furniture or shoes.
If you catch the puppy chewing something that is off limits, you must sternly tell them no and provide a suitable item for them to continue chewing on. This teaches them what is right and wrong and is absolutely paramount for their future development in terms of avoiding permanent habits.
Remember, however, that you can only scold the puppy if you catch them chewing, as scolding them later on will lead to them becoming anxious since they won’t be able to make the connection.
3. Prevent Boredom
Portuguese water dog puppies have very high energy levels and it’s imperative to make sure they don’t become bored. Bored puppies make for destructive pets who will do anything for a bit of attention. When you are unable to take care of your dog, put him in his crate to prevent him damaging your home and surroundings. Also make sure he is given plenty of outdoor exercise and indoor games to ensure he doesn’t get bored.
4. Provide Stability and Security
A puppy who is nervous or frightened will likely chew to provide himself with comfort, so it is important to ensure your puppy feels safe. After all, you want to create a safe home for your Portuguese water dog puppy.
If your puppy is suffering from any form of anxiety, you may notice his chewing increases and his behaviour becomes more destructive. Providing a loving home is essential in all cases.
5. Determine the Root Causes
Before deeming your pet naughty or destructive, look more closely at what the root causes are for this behaviour. Only when you know what the issue is can you correct it properly. Consider whether their environment has changed or new people have come into their life. You might even consider whether the weather has changed and is affecting their behaviour. There is always an underlying reason that you can deal with.
To help prevent your home from being destroyed by your chewing pup, follow the above tips and you will have the best chance of raising an obedient and stable puppy.