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NYC Animal Shelter & Behavioral Center

Educational support information

A puppy is never knowingly naughty or purposely destructive. A puppy is only doing what is natural to him.

When a puppy chews the edge of the carpet or the leg of a chair, this could be a result of teething problems, boredom, or a combination of both. His chosen article of destruction may be one of Dad's slippers or a sock where the comfort of his master's scent may have been the initial reaction.

Teething, boredom or even a mischievous outlook in a puppy's make-up, are the main causes of these destructive episodes. There are three main requirements in a puppy household, which must be fulfilled if destruction, lost tempers and unwarranted punishments are to be avoided:

1. There should be plenty of toys for the puppy

2. There should be an attentive household

3. There should be a tidy household

Plenty of His Own Toys

Most young children have a multitude of toys, so rarely looked at, while others seem to get daily attention. The most prized possessions are usually the most inexpensive and scruffiest things imaginable, but children make their own choices. Children also get bored with their toys unless some adult is prepared to spend some time playing with these toys with them.

Puppies should not be given any of the family member's possessions (e.g., an old sock or shoe). Otherwise the puppy will think it is OK to chew on these items and will proceed to chew on a good pair of socks or shoes.

Instead, the traditional hard ball or rubber ring, which can be rolled across the floor, can bring out the instinct of chase and will also give pleasure when the family is prepared to participate. You can also stuff a Kong toy with food/treats or provide frozen marrowbones.

An Attentive Household

At any time during a puppy's waking hour, he is liable to get into some sort of mischief. When left to his own devices a puppy may look for some new interest. Wash drying on a clothesline may take his interest, or the electric cable to the entertainment center may catch his eye and, until he has been taught to leave such things alone, vigilance is required to ensure the destructive excursions are avoided.

A puppy owner must develop a suspicious mind, and if all is quiet, he should be thinking, "What's that little fellow up to now?" then go and find out.

A Tidy Household

This means more than having everything in place. Dad's slippers may look neat and tidy sitting by the fireside waiting for him to come home after a hard day's work, but they are a great temptation for an active puppy. Putting them away in the bedroom does not help very much either if the doors are left open for the puppy to investigate that wonderful extension to his normal environment.

Anything that can be carried, pulled or chewed may be considered fair game to a puppy. Therefore, minimize the puppy's opportunities to be destructive by keeping as much as possible out of reach until he has been trained to ignore the items you consider taboo.

Whenever you catch your puppy giving his attention to some prohibited item call his name enthusiastically, yet with meaning. However, there is no need to shout with such volume that the neighbors are aware, for your puppy's hearing is quite keen. "BEN" is enough to get his attention. What you do next depends on his likely reaction. Never associate his name with a correction.

(a) If you expect him to stay where he is or to run away, take no further action but wait; if he decides to leave the forbidden item, praise him from a distance "That's a good boy Ben". If he goes back to the item, then use a verbal stopper before he gets started. "No" or "leave it" should stop him, and again praise him from a distance. Again wait to see his reaction. He will probably realize that you mean business. If he thinks otherwise and returns toward his forbidden prize, repeat the process with a great demonstration of your indignation, but from a distance -- movement towards him may lay the foundation for fear and the temptation to run away from you -- avoid this situation at all costs. So long as your voice and distant actions can prevent your puppy from continuing with this destructive episode, you are winning. If you can then entice him to play with one of his own toys and have fun with you, he will not consider you to be nasty and responsible for spoiling his fun. Instead he will begin to realize that the forbidden item which was so attractive before is now the source of much unpleasantness.

(b) If you expect him to come back to you when you have disturbed him, call him and give him something of his own to play with. Play with him for a very short period (ten to fifteen seconds), then leave him to play on his own. Sit down and pretend not to be watching him, but observe his actions. If he makes for the forbidden item, stop him by calling his name with a firm "no" or "leave it." Immediately go back to playing with him for another very short spell, then wait and watch. If necessary, keep repeating the process until he realizes that he cannot play with the forbidden item.

As your puppy's scent from the saliva in his mouth is now on the forbidden item, it may well be a temptation for future exploits in moments of boredom. Wiping the item with a disinfectant cloth may act as a suitable deterrent.

To catch the little fellow thinking about a forbidden chew is the ideal situation for building up the knowledge in his mind that he cannot chew to his fancy. Catching him in the middle of such an act certainly gives the opportunity to correct the situation. But to find out after the event is a complete and total failure, harsh words or punishment after the event are of no value and will only leave the puppy with the feeling that he has very unpredictable master. The only thing you can get out of the event is the knowledge that your puppy is likely to repeat this behavior and you should be on guard to prevent his next attempt.