Chewing is usually a developmental phase that puppies pass through to relieve the itch and pain of cutting new teeth. The majority of dogs stop chewing everything in sight once their new teeth are fully erupted, at about 9 months old. The few dogs that do not cease chewing by age 1, either have acquired the habit of chewing from boredom, anxiety, and frustration, or have acquired an unusual gourmet appetite.

Regardless of the reason a dog chews, the behavior of chewing can be very expensive and very dangerous to the dog’s physical well being. Correcting chewing, or any other behavior problem, requires that someone be present to catch the dog in the act. Showing the dog a shoe that was chewed several hours earlier and yelling at him may make you feel better, but there is little chance that he will connect the correction with the idea that chewing shoes is wrong. An unsupervised puppy left to roam the house may develop a taste for dangerous chew toys such as electrical cords, cleaning supplies, and other toxic items. The landscaped yard filled with possibly toxic plants, or rocks and wood that can obstruct the dog’s intestines is a similarly dangerous environment for the unsupervised puppy. Dogs that chew and swallow rocks or other sharp objects often require costly and risky emergency surgery.

To avoid mishaps when you cannot keep a watchful eye on the dog, confine him in an area where only appropriate chew items such as dog toys, rawhides, or knuckle bones are available. You must exercise caution in which chew toys are left in the crate, because dogs have been reported to choke on some toys and rawhides. If you confine your dog to a crate during unsupervised periods, you don’t have to worry about him chewing up prized possessions and furniture, or doing himself harm. You may choose to dog proof the house by removing any prize possessions until the dog has passed through the chewing stage. Products such as Bitter Apple or Tabasco sauce may be sprayed on furniture and possessions to keep the dog from chewing, but check for staining before using them. Ninety-nine percent of the dogs find the taste of these products repulsive, but a few dogs think they are a gourmet delight.

One product that may not be attractive to any dog is ammonia. Be careful not to spray the ammonia when the dog is close by; it could damage his olfactory system and eyes. Read the instructions carefully to determine what is safe to spray on valuable possessions. Your dog should be well supplied with acceptable chew items such as old socks, safe dog toys, rawhides, chew hooves, and knuckle bones. Only knuckle bones are safe; other bones will splinter and get caught in the dog’s throat or intestines. If you are worried that your dog will not discriminate between an old chewable sock and a new sock, you may want to take time to play fetch with the dog and an old sock so the item will become his favorite toy. The old sock will carry the scent of the dog, whereas the new sock has your scent. The dog quickly learns the difference between the socks when you praise him for playing with and chewing the old sock and reprimand him for chewing on socks with your scent.

1. Play with bright balls: Dogs don’t see colors very well, so it doesn’t matter very much what colors the balls are that your dog plays with, as long as they’re not green or red, colors which are hard for them to see. Also, they should be brightly colored rather than muted. Most of a dog’s vision comes from structures in the eyes called rod receptors. Rods are only sensitive to black and white. Brightly colored balls stand out more against the background and are easier for dogs to see.

2. Throw balls across their line of sight: How many times have you tossed a ball right at your dog, only to watch him lose sight of it? There’s a reason for this. Dogs’ eyes are set farther apart than ours. They can easily see movement off to the sides, but they have a lot of trouble seeing things that are right in front of them. They’ll have more fun with balls when you toss them across their line of sight rather than right at them.

3. Set aside some throwing time: Some dogs are born chewers and will work over a ball as enthusiastically as they’ll splinter a stick. Most dogs, however, won’t even notice a ball that’s just sitting there. If you want your dog to get the most fun out of his ball, you have to set aside some time for throwing it.

4. Replace food with balls for dog training: Since dogs often go bananas for balls, you can use them as motivators when you’re doing basic training. Training with balls is actually better than training with food. Balls have no calories. They make it easy for dogs to get a lot of exercise. And they help dogs get used to watching your every move, which is essential when you’re teaching obedience.

Balls are especially useful for teaching the “come” command. This command is tricky because dogs who are playing and having a good time aren’t always paying attention to the person at the other end of the yard. When you’re holding a ball, however, you can be sure you’ll have your dog’s undivided attention.

5. Here is sample training technique using 2 balls: Hold one of the balls in your hand so that your dog can see it. When his eyes are riveted on you, tell him “come.” Wait until he comes and sits in front of you. Then throw the ball. Maybe he’ll bring it right back, and maybe he won’t. It doesn’t matter too much because you’ll be holding a second ball. He’ll want that one just as much as he did the first one. Tell him “come” again, have him sit, and then swap balls for another throw. Dogs love this game because they get a chance to run, retrieve, and play with you. After a while, they’ll come running whenever they hear the word come, whether you’re holding a ball or not.

Commercially available fresh or canned meats are usually lamb, poultry and beef. Lamb is the most easily digested meat, then poultry and beef. Whether fresh, frozen or canned, meat should always be fed lean, not fatty. There is a wide variety of commercially prepared canned meat on the market. The best products developed as complementary additions for biscuit are meat and meat by-products. The ingredients’ list will show little or no cereal content, and no food coloring additives.

Make certain that the fresh meat you feed is low in fat. Place the meat in a bowl, allowing it to stand until it reaches room temperature, then knead it as if mixing a meat loaf. Is the residue on your fingers only slightly oily or fatty, just enough to give your fingers a little “shine”? Or are there actual large globules of fat on and between your fingers? If the former is the case, you have a good quality meat. If you find your fingers encased with the latter condition, change your brand of dog meat.

Commercially canned and some fresh and fresh-frozen meat for pets contain additives. Usually charcoal, a natural ingredient aiding digestion, is found among these additives. Meat purchased directly from the butcher is normally meat alone, meat trimmings and, in less reputable establishments, floor sweepings. The meat you add to your dog’s diet should be a balanced product by itself. Even a mediocre canned dog food will contain a higher nutritional value than bad, fatty meat. Dogs living in very cold climates require additional fat in the diet to produce a high caloric output. Calories processed by the body produce heat.

Check the color and odor of your dog’s meat. Whatever type (fresh or defrosted frozen), it should be moderately bright in color. It should not appear darkened, black or crusty. Nor should the meat appear weakly colored, or look as though food coloring had been added, making it artificially red. Place the meat on a dish and check the “blood” collected at the bottom. The meat should be richly dark in color with an invitingly fresh scent, not rancid of odor. If the meat you feed does not meet these standards, find another brand.

Simply because a canned food is expensive does not necessarily mean it is good. Meat should be palatable and nutritious. Some readily available products have little nutritional value. Foods that look palatable to you, and that your dog relishes, are not always the best to feed. Some of these canned products list, for example, carrots, peas and corn, which unprocessed are completely not digestible.

Cooked or raw, these vegetables exit your dog’s system in the same recognizable form by which they entered. Also try to avoid those cans that have a high amount of cereal content, artificial food coloring and water. Some canned foods are approximately 70% water! This narrows your choice on your grocer’s shelf. Generally select the commercially prepared foods packaged by reputable companies which are available nationwide.

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