Chew, Chew, Chewing!

So my little guy is 14 weeks old tomorrow and he has a chewing fetish. It ranges from carpet, tables, cords, boxes, shoes, fingers!! BUT NOT his toys that have hardly been gnawed but if they have a tag he will chew on that!! Could it all be due to teething??? and will just vanish with his upcoming "Big" dog teeth??? I stop him when I can but its hard to do much when im not home. I will be getting his litter brother this weekend and hoping that it might make things better. Please help!!

Hi

Yes it is teething and yes it is normal. Will it suddenly stop? depends on the dog. My 7 1/2 month old pup still loves chewing and shredding things, but I'm lucky she hasn't chewed any furniture. In fact, all my dogs love chewing (it is natural!) so I satisfy that instinct by providing them with plenty of bones and toys throughout life.

As for 'getting his litter brother', I would strongly advice that you DON'T do this. Doing so would almost certainly be a big mistake. This will NOT stop your puppy from chewing, which is a perfectly normal behaviour. If anything, having two of them means that you will have to deal with double the amount of chewing.

At 14 weeks old, puppies are still very impressionable. If you introduce his litter mate the odds are that they will bond more strongly with each other than you. They wil bounce off of each other and probably ignore you when together. Then you will have to deal with the possibility of fighting when they hit adolescent. People who purchase two male puppies (or even two females) from the same litter sadly often have to end up rehoming one when they hit adulthood due to fighting.

I would advice that you wait until your current puppy is at least a year old before you introduce another. When your current puppy has a good standard of training behind him and is reasonably well behaved, that will rub off on the new puppy positively. If you introduce a chewy, bitey, bouncy puppy to another chewy, bitey, bouncy puppy, you will have DOUBLE trouble, not better behaviour.

Hi there

Do you have a crate for your pup. I have found my crate was a godsend when Kira was younger. I cover it with a blanket and it has her bed and some toys in it for her. She loves it in there, and in fact is only in it at night time now. You can rest safe in the knowledge that your house is safe, and that he can't hurt himself with whatever he is chewing.

In fact, just before Xmas, when both of us were at work (we generally work opposite shifts, but not always poss) Kira had a wee chew of a door frame. First ever, so she will get one more chance the next time both of us are out, and if she chews again it will be back in the crate for her

I have to agree with the other poster...I wouldn't be taking on his littermate. It will only lead to further problems.

Hope that helps

Heather

Thank you both!! But now just super worried about the other puppy!!!!!

I would apologise to your breeder for time wasting and walk away from the other puppy. Honestly; it'll be the best thing you ever did.