To Chew or Not To Chew, Is That the Question?

Housebreaking involves more than where to go potty. It also includes learning the house rules, which include which things are okay to chew on and which are not. The most important concepts in inappropriate chewing are puppy proofing the house, and providing appropriate chew toys.

Just like with potty training, supervision and controlled access are important when it comes to chewing. Your dog needs to be kept from those inappropriate items and monitored in the house. If your dog loves slippers, clothing, or the kids' toys, put them away. Keep all inappropriate items out of the dog's safe area and out of reach throughout the house.

Dogs (and especially puppies) need to chew. It cleans their teeth, provides their jaws with exercise (because dogs can't talk), gives them something to do, helps a young dog loose baby teeth, and so on. It is important to provide them with appropriate chew toys so that they can fulfill their natural instinct to chew without getting hurt or damaging your things. Some example of good chew toys include:

• Kongs and Kong toys. These can be stuffed with goodies to entertain your dog and provide jaw stimulation. The simplest stuffing technique (and one I use often) is to mix a tablespoon of peanut butter or Natural Balance Roll with all or part of the dog's kibble meal, stuff into the Kong, refrigerate until firm, and serve.
• Nylabones and Big Chews. These come in many flavors, shapes, textures and size. They provide good chewing exercise for your dog and are non-toxic. Please follow package directions and discard when the end knobs are chewed off.
• Rope bones. These are hard chewies that can also act as floss for your dog's teeth. Many dogs also like to play games with them, and I've seen more than one pup loose a baby tooth in one. (This is a good thing, as it allows the adult teeth to grow in correctly.)
• Digestible chewies. These include Greenies, Pedigree Jumbones, Nylabone Edibles, and so on. They are usually made out of ingredient like cornstarch that the dog can digest but that simply pass through the system.
• Rawhides and bully sticks. If you have a dog that is a heavy chewer, and/or one that rips off big chunks and swallows them, and/or a barrel-chested dog, rawhide pieces and bully sticks may not be for you. Good options for the larger dogs include smaller pieces, rawhide flips given sparingly, pressed rawhide (vs. rawhide knots), or a different chew toy. Many smaller dogs can chew on the same rawhide bone for years, which is fine and not harmful. Dogs that swallow large pieces that swell in the stomach when in contact with liquids can get life-threatening conditions such as gut torsion and blockage. This is why care must be taken with rawhide and larger dogs.
• Bones. Do not give your dog any bone that may splinter, such as poultry and certain steak bones. My dogs get special bones that are slow roasted so as to not splinter. Many people swear by raw bones because cooking a bone wrong can make it splinter easier. Ask your vet if you have any questions about which bones are best for your dogs. Some pet stores also sell bones that are stuffed with goodies for your dog, much like the above concept with the Kong.
• Pig ears and cow hooves. Pig ears have a lot of fat in them, so I do not recommend them for overweight dogs or young puppies. Some people like giving their dogs cow hooves, but I think they make the dog's breath smell horrible. These items are of a personal preference and are not necessary in any dog's diet.
• Biscuits and treats. Crunchy dog biscuits are fun treats for your dog and provide many of the teeth-cleaning and exercise properties as kibble.
• Squeaky toys, balls, soft toys. These are fine for everyday play, but they are not appropriate chew toys. Please do not leave your dog alone with these and do make sure to also have chew toys on hand.

If you catch your dog in the act of inappropriate chewing, similar rules apply as with inappropriate elimination: interrupt, replace with appropriate item (a chew toy), praise for using appropriate toy, and make sure to remove inappropriate item from dog's reach. Or move dog away from inappropriate item. If you find something chewed in the past, punishing the dog now will do no good. It only confuses the dog and hurts training in the long run.