Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Posted: 24 Apr 2009 10:42 AM PDT

OK, not really, but he did eat something he shouldn't have. I usually talk to my daughter a few times a week. My wife talks to her almost every day and even more on Facebook. So, when we didn't hear from Claire for a couple of days we were a little concerned. The mystery has been solved, finally.

Miles, her puppy, chewed up her cell phone recharger. What a disaster. A young woman in college without a cell phone is at a serious disadvantage.

So what to do about the real problem; destructive puppy chewing behavior?

First of all you have to accept the fact that there will be some lasting damage coming out of puppy hood. My German Shepherd puppy Fritz once broke up a budding college love affair by laying waste to a pair of high heeled shoes. I know it probably wasn't going to last if she chose the shoes over me, but I was a little upset with Fritz myself, over that fiasco. I could have hung in there for another week or so.

Anyway, puppies use their mouths to explore the new world just like babies. The process can continue up until they have all their adult teeth, but it is mostly a problem for dogs in their first year or so. There are a number of things you can do to minimize the damage.

First, do no harm. Punishment or, correction, has to be timed properly. We've talked about this before. Unless you catch your puppy in the act of chewing something you don't want them to chew, punishment won't work and may be counter productive. If you come home and find your new shoes in tatters, yelling at the pup will have no beneficial consequences. He won't associate the grumpiness with the bad act.

"Ah, but he looks so guilty," you say.

He looks guilty because he can see the steam coming out of your ears and he adopts a submissive posture as a result. Puppies pick up on body language just like people. Fortunately for them, they have short memories and no sense of guilt. Wouldn't that be nice if we were built that way?

If you do catch him red handed a firm NO! in a low voice, coupled with substituting an acceptable toy is all the correcting you need to do. Praising him for taking the new toy is a good idea, too. Otherwise, to minimize the damage follow these steps.

1. Use the crate when you are away and fill the crate with his favorite toys. A small room, like a bathroom, can be an acceptable substitute although he may chew the door trim.

2. Never encourage the use of your stuff as playthings. Don't get them started out on an old pair of tennis shoes. They can't distinguish worn out Keds from Gucci loafers. Same goes for socks or anything resembling useful items.

3. Get them some toys and rotate or replace the toys often. They like new stuff just like you. One benefit to a short memory is that something you hid last week and re-introduced today seems new.

4. If you must leave them unsupervised make sure you puppy proof the room. This is a great example of how Miles can train Claire to pick up her stuff and put it away. Her parents failure in this respect is duly noted. Plugs and cords are irresistible as Claire knows. Unplug that new laptop, the stereo, the lamp, etc.

5. You can try aversive, bad tasting stuff if all else fails or if the pup develops a love affair with a particularly prized item. I've never used it, but I've heard that Bitter Apple, applied every couple of days, may protect items from destruction.

6. And finally, play, interact and be with your puppy. Training classes with other puppies are especially valuable. Take them for walks. Play with them in the house and encourage them to play with their toys. They get bored just like you and me.

As my mom used to say, and in fact said just yesterday, "An idle mind is the devil's work shop." And I don't even think she had Miles in mind.