Getting a puppy can be a real challenge because when they’re young, they don’t know right from wrong. Whether you have them from newborns or you collect them at around the 8-12 week point, they need a lot of training to ensure they don’t end up ruining your home or ruling over the household. With that being said, here are some tips to stop a puppy from destroying your home.
Give Them Plenty Of Teething Treats
A good way to make sure that they’re not biting you too much or any of your nice furniture is to give them plenty of teething treats. One of the big hurdles to overcome when it comes to your puppy is that they teeth just like babies and they’ll lose their puppy teeth to their adult teeth. It’s good to give them as many teething treats as possible but there are also toys and materials that you can give them, that will make it a lot easier for them on their teeth. Think of teething as the inflammation and swelling of their gums. What is the best way to help with inflammation? Well apart from chewing, cold compresses can be very handy. A good way to help with teething is to give them cold items to chew on. This could be a frozen tea towel for example that you saturate before putting it in the freezer. Leave it in for forty-five minutes to an hour and then let them chew on it.
Try to find examples like this that are going to appease the pain that they’re feeling in their teeth. That way, you’re going to see less damage done to your home as a result.
Remove Anything From Reach That’s Needed
One thing to do before your puppy arrives is to puppy proof your home. This means getting anything off the ground that’s chewable and placing anything of importance to you, out of reach. This is essential because it’s going to help limit the amount of damage that your puppy does to your belongings. Slippers are a common thing to jump on so if possible, try storing these on a shoe rack in a cupboard or in a set of drawers so that they’re out of the way. The more things you can keep out of reach, the more they’ll then rely on their chew toys and any teething treats you give them.
This will also help them associate the toys as being the only thing that they can chew on. If they try chewing your clothing or you, then leave them alone briefly before coming back with a chew toy. It’s also worth wearing clothing that isn’t hanging off you or swaying seductively because your puppy will likely latch onto it.
Make Sure The Puppy Gets Plenty Of Rest
It’s definitely important that as a puppy, they’re getting as much rest as possible. Ideally, they need around 18-20 hours of rest and this seems like a lot. However, it’s good for them to rest so that they can sleep off any teething pain where possible but to also help with their growth. Being a puppy can be overwhelming and so it’s good to try and take advantage of this where you can by providing them with a comfortable space to rest their head.
If you can, try to make the bedding area as comfortable as possible. Just like you, the puppy will love a bed situation that they’ll ideally want to lounge in throughout the day.
Tire Them Out If They’re Energetic
When you’re having trouble training your puppy, there are lots of online dog training opportunities out there to take advantage of. They can also be great as a way of tiring out your puppy so that they sleep more. That’s something that you’ll want to try and do as much as possible when having a puppy. When they have lots of energy, that’s when they’ll be prone to nip more and to start chewing on things that you don’t want them to chew on. With that being said, tire them out if they’re energetic and you’ll benefit from it when it comes to their rest time and how much rest they’ll end up having.
Try Using Deterrents
Deterrents don’t always work but it’s certainly worth giving them a go where you can. You can usually get a spray deterrent that can help stop your puppy from chewing on certain areas of the home. There are also sprays, worth noting, that can entice the puppy over to a certain spot in order to do their business. Using a deterrent can certainly be a good thing to do and if you have the opportunity to do it, then you should definitely consider trying them out. Again, it’s not something that’s always proven to work but it’s certainly worth a go. Make sure that you’re also using the right cleaning products that are safe for dogs but will also remove the scent of where they pee or poo in the wrong place, so that they don’t do it again.
Keep An Eye On Them
It’s always good to keep an eye on your puppy, especially when they’re new to your home. They’re going to be exploring all areas of the home that are available to them and so it’s important to make sure that they aren’t doing anything they shouldn’t be doing. If you can, limit the space they have to roam and try to be in the same room with them as often as possible. They’re just like babies at the end of the day and so need your attention and presence as much as you can during those first few months. It’s key to ensure they get all of your love and attention from an early age. They’re less likely to cause chaos if they have you there with them.
Having a puppy can certainly be hard work to keep but it’s worth the early mornings and those few chewed up items of clothing or furniture!