The primary interface between a puppy and the outside world is his mouth--he eats, howls, and plays with this important organ. If you watch a pack of puppies playing with each other, you will see that they are constantly chewing on ears, legs, tails, and any other part of the anatomy that can fit into their little mouths. Occasionally this play is punctuated by a sharp yelp from the bitee, which gives the message "Ouch, that's too hard!" You will see that the response of the biter is to ease up on the force of his biting. This is how puppies learn how to play without causing damage to each other.
Puppies are also educated to inhibit their instinctive biting urge by their mother. When a puppy bites down too hard on her teat or ear, her reaction is to place her mouth over the puppy's head or muzzle and apply gentle pressure. The message here is the same as is given by the fellow puppy: "Hey, don't you bite so hard!" The mother dog uses this little method often to discipline her pups. It also gives the message "Don't you forget who is boss here!"
When you play with your pup, he will behave pretty much the same way as he does in playing with his mom or puppy fellows. He will chew on your pant leg, tug at your shoelaces (they really like shoelaces), and bite on your hand. As long as he nibbles gently on your fingers, that is ok--after all, you do want him to be willing to have you or the vet (or a dog show judge) open his mouth to look at his pearly whites. However, you will have to let him know what is ok and what is too hard. The most direct way to do this is to tell him in language he understands. Do it as the other pups do--by letting out a piercing shriek and pulling your hand quickly away. Then offer your hand back. If he licks it or mouths it gently, give him a big, gushy "goooood boy." If he bites too hard again, repeat the yelp, then growl and pull your hand away.
If your pup still bites too hard after two of these admonitions, more drastic action is required. At this point, you can act like mom dog and place your mouth over his little muzzle and give him the "Don't you forget who is boss here" message. However, most people find that this behavior makes them feel just a little foolish. An alternative is to give him a nose flick.
Puppy teeth erupt at about three weeks of age. They are sharp as needles, but a little puppy doesn't really have enough strength to do major damage with them. Besides, a little puppy is normally pretty well contained, what with potty training and all that. The trouble begins when the puppy teeth begin to be replaced by adult teeth. The process of teething begins when the puppy is about 4-5 months of age and continues for several months. The first permanent teeth are the incisors, then the premolars and canines, and finally the molars.
When the permanent teeth begin to erupt, the puppy needs to chew. If you aren't careful, he can chew you out of house and home. You should anticipate this period by beginning immediately to teach your pup what he can and cannot chew. Observe a few simple rules.
Do not give him old shoes or other such household items as chew toys. He can’t tell the difference between your old worn-out Reebocks and your new $600 Gucci loafers. Do give him some acceptable chew toys. His chew toys should not look a lot like other items found in your home that are on the non-chewable list. For example, if there are young children in your home, it might be hard for a little three-month-old puppy to distinguish a plastic chew toy from a quite similar child's toy.
Do not give him too many toys at one time. You want him to learn to distinguish between what is his (chewable) and yours (not chewable). If you litter the house with his stuff, he will have a hard time deciding which few things are yours. Better that he have a few chew toys at first. Once you are sure that he has them well identified, you can add more.
When you catch your pup chewing one of your possessions, take it away, give him a firm `no' and replace it with one of his toys. When he takes it into his mouth, give him a lot of positive reinforcement (`goooood boy').
Never go away and leave your pup alone in a room where he is likely to get into trouble. Use the wonderful crate! If you go out for dinner and come back to find your brief case, two pairs of shoes, and the coffee table reduced to items for the junk hauler, what do you do? You certainly can't punish the pup because by then he will have completely forgotten what he did. All you have accomplished is to give your pup a lot of practice in chewing up things that belong to you, and since you weren't there to correct him, he naturally assumes it was ok. Soft clothing articles like sneakers, leather shoes or socks simulate soft animal like objects that are irresistible to your puppy. To a puppy, these are play items for his or her enjoyment, so prepare your family members to keep things out of the puppy's reach. For example, make use of a laundry basket, place footwear safely behind closet doors or hang towels so that they are just out of puppy's reach.
Repositioning such items as sewing needles, cleaners, soap, candy, yarn, paint, modeling clay, pens, pencils, thumb tacks or crayons (the list goes on and on) is the surest way to keep the puppy safe. Think of him as a human toddler, a very busy and curious creature, investigating, touching and tasting everything.
Puppies simply enjoy chewing and it doesn't matter if the item is an old running shoe or your very best dress shoe. It's also nature's way of reducing the painful eruption of baby teeth and then the arrival of adult teeth a few months later. They can also chew to relieve stored up energy stresses or just from simple boredom. Acceptance of these facts is a very big step in understanding your puppy. You probably can't watch your puppy 100 % of the time if you're like most people, therefore, the safety precautions make perfect sense and are a NATURAL way of resolving the problem.
All puppies chew. It’s nature’s way of reducing painful cutting and growing of baby teeth. They also chew to relieve stress from built-up energies within themselves or from simple boredom. Puppies will chew anything, from toilet paper to gyp rock or wallboard. Preventative measures are the best method of correcting the problem
The puppy needs a variety of textures and sizes of toys to vent different areas of canine instinct. For example, soft , plush type toys simulate small mammals to your puppy. Stuffed toys designed for dogs are safe; if you are giving any other stuffed toy, remove the toy’s eyes & noses and any other parts that can be chewed off for safety. If the pup was still with it’s mother instead of with you, she would be teaching it how to stalk, hunt and even perhaps ingest small mammals to survive. Those instincts are still active even though we humans provide them with a balanced diet. Allowing them to have access to furry, little stuffed toys enables them to vent this natural instinct. You may see your puppy stalk or sneak up on this type of toy, then pounce on it, play with it by tossing it around the floor or through the air then pounce on it again. They will mouth the object and may even shred it pretending to kill it. If this happens, remove the article and give him another.
Rubber toys come in all shapes and sizes and make super entertainers. A small Kong (hard rubber hollow toy) or two are wonderful to have. You can smear some peanut butter or cream cheese inside to give your pup lots of busy time in his crate. Of course, no toy box is complete without a ball of some sort in it. Tennis balls, the orange ball hockey balls, soccer balls, footballs and big soft baseballs seem to be favorites. One of our JRTs has a Jolly Ball, a large hard ball designed for horses, that he enjoys pushing around the yard and growling at for hours.
Without access to his own toys, your puppy will find his own toys amongst the families belongings. This could include slippers, mats, shoes, cushions, couches, chair legs, cushion flooring, woodwork, etc. We have all heard the horror stories of people coming home to find that “FIDO” ate through their living room sofa. Why?? Because he had free access to it (uncrated), plus a reserve of energy that needed to be burnt off.