Puppy chewing

by Renay Powell
(Coatsegold, California)

Hi, my name is Renay Powell and we have a Rottweiler puppy that is 9 1/2 weeks old.

A problem we are having is that she likes to chew on my table chair legs, so, I tell her no and give her a chew toy. Sometimes this works. When it doesn’t work she will bark, bite & go back to chewing on the chairs.

I would greatly appreciate any help in this area. I put this question in to “just answer” & I can’t view my answer?

Hi Renay
Chewing is a very normal puppy behavior, but with these large breed puppies it can be more of a problem than with the smaller breeds because they do so much damage!

You are on the right track with the verbal correction and then redirecting her attention to her own toys… but it takes time, patience and a LOT of repetition to reshape this behavior.

If she goes right back at whatever you’ve removed her from, you need to correct her again right away. It could take several back-and-forth corrections before she gets the picture. On my Stop Puppy Biting page there’s a correction method called the ‘muzzle wrap’ and you can use this on a pup who won’t stop chewing as well as one who won’t stop biting. I’d recommend checking it out as it may help.

When a puppy is young, the best way to protect your furniture and belongings is using a crate to contain her when you’re not around, and constant supervision at all other times! It’s time consuming and labor-intensive but is the only way to make sure that your table legs (and everything else) stay intact.

It’s also important to correct her EVERY single time you find her chewing on something she shouldn’t and make sure that all other family members do the same. Any inconsistencies will make the learning process take much longer.

There is a product called ‘Bitter Apple’ that you can spray on hard surfaces and furnishings to discourage a puppy from chewing on them. You can also use it on some soft furnishings but you need to test an inconspicuous corner or area first to make sure it doesn’t stain.

But some dogs don’t mind the taste so you need to experiment with other things such as vinegar or hot sauce. Obviously there’s a limit to how many things in your home you want covered in this way, but it can help if there’s a particular item (such as table legs) that she’s partial to.

Puppies do eventually grow out of the worst phases of chewing and nipping once they’ve finished teething (somewhere around 6 – 8 months), but it can seem endless at the time I know. However if you’re consistent and patient in your corrections and make sure she has plenty of tough dog toys to keep her busy it will diminish over time.

I’m not at all sure why you can’t view your answer on the ‘Just Answer’ link, I’ve never heard of a problem with that. I’d recommend getting in touch with them through their website if you’re still having issues. Meanwhile I hope that this helps. Best of luck with your pup.

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