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Training : Chewing
Aside from chewing to alleviate the pain of teething, your dog will chew because of stress, boredom, and frustration. We might chew our fingernails - dogs chew everything in sight...
Your puppy, at around 8 to 10 months of age, could chew through an entire house filled with fine collectibles and still need more to chew on until it reaches approximately 12 months of age and sometimes a few months beyond that!. This is not only frustrating and expensive, it could also be harmful to your puppy. You cannot imagine the things a dog can swallow whole. Just ask your vet if you have any doubts your precious pooch is capable of ingesting a hole tennis ball or a plastic grocery bag. One pup I know of swallowed several pair of her owner's underwear!
The way to prevent this potentially destructive behavior is to make sure your pup always has plenty of hard rubber chew toys available, and nothing else! Don't give your puppy old shoes or socks as toys because they will not be able to distinguish between old and new. Keep things that you do not want your puppy to get a hold of picked-up and put away.
Change your dogs' chew toys often so there is always something "new" to discover. I recommend a hard bell shaped rubber toy that is hollow in the middle. If you place a pig's ear, dog biscuit or maybe a little peanut butter inside of it, your dog will be entertained for hours. Soak a rope toy in water and freeze it. This will work as a sort of pacifier to help numb your pups sore gums. Ice chips in the water bowl works pretty good too!
And remember again to teach your dog what "No" means. Teach your dog to drop those things it has decided it wants to keep from you. Don't chase your dog when it has something in it's mouth as this only makes a game of it. Armed with a squirt water bottle you will have more authority. Better yet, if your little monster is dragging a leash around the house you can simply step on it and easily get from your pup that which it decided it so desperately had to have.
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