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Chew Therapy
              
Puppies and most dogs need to
chew. It's occupational and therapeutic! There are number of
quality chew toys like Kongs, sterilized cowbones, Nyla & Gumabones,
tennisbones, Kong squirrels, on and on. Gumabones are easier on puppy's and older dog's teeth and gums.
Choose quality, long-lasting, non-destructible chew toys that will are
safe for your dogs. Latex, vinyl, old worn-out toys are
dangerous. They can be torn, swallowed and even toxic.
Chew therapy is simply
shaping chewing behavior.
Be the "director" of your puppy's chew habits, knowing that what you
reinforce and teach to chew NOW, likes shoes and baby toys, will be
open-territory for the adult dogs.
Puppies need to chew to exercise their jaws, soothing
sore gums from
teething, and for mental stimulation. "Give your dog a
Bone" is meaningful, as long as the bones are healthy ones. To
shape chewing, teach your puppy what they can chew, when they chew it and where.
Keep (or put away) items they shouldn't chew. Don't give them
"untouchable" chew
toys (like old slippers). Puppies
cannot distinguish or rationalize between a toddler's doll or shoe,
their stuffed teddy or cow bone, or a white comforter versus navy-blue.
They can discriminate, but need to be taught, slowly. They are clever in this area, but it needs
quality time and skill.
How many toys does my puppy need? As
many as you like, but don't overwhelm or over stimulate them. Have a
toy box for the toys. Put a few key toys like a Kong that you can
stuff with their kibble to keep them amused in their crates or on their
relaxation mats. A few toys at a time are plenty. Invite them
to pick out a toy, then have them put it back into the toy box later
on. Rotating toys will continuously stimulate your pup and is cost
effective for you!
THE
ART OF STUFFING
Stuffing chew toys increases the
intrinsic value to the dog. It
is like getting a bonus CD/DVD with a new computer game.
There are multiple, creative ways of stuffing chew toys.
Activity Balls and Buster Cubes are good for mental stimulation
too, but they can be loud and get stuck under things. Be mindful of how much
you are feeding, how much you energy you have for stuffing and how much
attention you want to dedicated to retrieving toys from under the sofa.
Kong holders (many kinds to choose from) can safely
hold an entire day’s meal. Some
dogs will empty an Activity Ball in seconds, while others will work at
them for hours.
It is YOUR JOB to discover what your pup's capabilities are, then be
safely creative in new ways to keep them mentally stimulated and fed too!
Stuff your Kongs and cow bones with kibble,
biscuits and other creative menu items (healthy liver treats, low-fat
turkey dogs, cheese). Dab a
tiny bit of cheez-wiz or low-fat peanut butter on the ends, enticing them
to explore into the crevices of that cow bone cave. Think
outside of the box to create your own ideas, while considering caloric
intake and health. Be mindful not to
substitute stuffing for quality time--teaching your puppy what to
chew!
Excerpt
taken from Train Your Dog, Change Your
Life
by Maureen Ross and Gary
Ross, Howell Book House, Wiley Inc., 2001.
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