Puppy Biting and Chewing Problem
by Reader Question
(Anonymous)
I have a puppy biting and chewing problem with my 8 month old Jack Russel, white and deaf. We love her to death, she chews,,,,and chews. Is it possible to have her teeth rounded so she does not bite and injury people?
Puppy Biting and Chewing Problem - Dog Health Guide Editor ResponseThank you for your question regarding puppy chewing and biting.
Young dogs may develop a habit such as chewing and biting anything, as they find it interesting. This behavior is considered almost normal.
This happens for two reasons, i.e. either a teething dog is looking for things to chew on or a dog that is curious about different things around them will chew and bite objects they are interested in.
This habit usually persists until a dog becomes 2 years of age. This may cause some severe problems for owners, guests or they may cause damage to anything around them.
Though these dog biting or chewing behaviors are annoying, remember it’s normal. Your dog only needs attention, training and some protective measures. Altering the anatomy and functioning of your dog's teeth will cause severe digestive, behavioral and lifelong health and behavioral problems.
You can start by keeping your dog away from all chewable things. Pick up all small objects from the floor if possible. Keep her away from most parts of your home by keeping the doors shut.
Such dogs should remain under observation all the time and if she tries to chew something, she should be offered toys
or an alternative such as
Nylabone Single Dog Chews, which are made for chewing. The purpose of the toy is not only to chew, but to allow you to praise your dog when she accepts the toy.
You can also try acting rude or harshly saying stop when your dog when your dog is engaged in chewing behavior, but be careful that it doesn’t cause aggressive dog behavior.
Muzzles can also help to control the chewing habit, but there are some problems related with the typical muzzle, as you can only apply them for a short time as they may cause dog breathing problems.
You can try to use a quality head collar such as the
Halti Training Head Collar for this purpose. A head collar can have a muzzle effect and does not cause problems with breathing.
In addition, some commercially available bitter tasting dog sprays may also help as well. They work by spraying objects your dog bites and chews. The sprays create a bitter taste in the dog's mouth which makes biting or chewing the object unpleasant. Products such as
Bitter Apple Spray, can help to quickly solve a dog chewing problem in a few days.
Remember; do not try to alter the anatomy and functioning of the dog teeth, in any way. This will surely disturb digestion and the health of your dog.
We hope these tips on how to stop dog biting and chewing help. Please keep us up to date on the puppy chewing and biting problem.