Your puppy's first teeth are only temporary and, as they are replaced by adult teeth, his gums will become sore through inflammation and the eruptive process. Chewing provides relief from teething pain. The following will help:
- Offer toys into which sharp puppy teeth can sink, thereby providing friction on the gum surface. Soft rope, Puppy Kongs or safely stuffed toys are ideal. Teething toys must be tough, so small pieces cannot be chewed off and swallowed.
- Cold and damp often provide temporary relief to the pain of teething gums - wetting, chilling or freezing the ropes can help. Try filling a Puppy Kong with watery gravy and freeze, not only to provide relief but also to keep your puppy entertained.
- Chewing of unsafe or unsuitable materials, be they household or personal items, garden plants, or most dangerous of all, electric cabling, will have disastrous consequences. Keep these away from puppy. A well-timed distraction with a water spray or the Pet Corrector hiss is often sufficient. Alternatively use a house training line to guide puppy away from danger. Immediately offer an acceptable alternative such as a stuffed Puppy Kong.
- Don't forget to praise puppy when he is playing with his own toys so as to reinforce the desired behaviour
Many puppies that chew or are destructive when left alone are either over-dependent upon human company or simply bored. By providing plenty of safe toys this chewing can be re-directed, helping to reduce damage in the home. By stuffing a Kong with tasty treats or your puppy.s usual food, you will further reinforce appropriate chewing behaviour.
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