Keep An Eye On What Your New Puppy Is Putting In His Mouth
It will be natural for your puppy to put small objects in his mouth that he finds around your house.
He is curious and it is his way of investigating the world around him. The best way to make him drop something from his mouth is to place your thumb and index finger at the sides of his mouth and apply pressure at his canines so his mouth will open.
Say, “Open” as you do this. When his mouth opens, the object can be rescued. State “Give” or “Drop-it” as the object drops from his mouth.
This maneuver comes in handy not only when you need to retrieve something from his mouth, but also when you need to open his mouth in order to give him medication, or for the vet to examine him.
Take Responsibility
If your pup is chewing on something that she is not supposed to, then blame yourself for leaving it out to begin with.
Puppies, like babies, do not know the value of shoes, books or other household items. Don’t punish your puppy. Get angry at yourself for leaving items out.
A pup’s only desire is to put things in her mouth. It’s natural for her. Its her way of experiencing the world around her.
The same goes if your dog sheds or vomits on your carpet or furniture. It is your fault for not placing adequate barriers around the house to protect your home.
Avoid Accidentally Teaching Your Puppy To Run From You
If you see your pup from across the room chewing on your favorite shoe, don’t run toward him to get it away from him.
When you move in quickly on your puppy, you are forcing him to make a decision – he must either drop the shoe or run off with it. Most puppies choose the latter.
He is also reading your body language as a threat which will frighten him.
What you are also doing is teaching your dog to bolt from you. Once you teach your dog to bolt from you, it will be that much more difficult to teach the “Come” command later on.
By chasing after your puppy, you are merely reinforcing the idea that he can run away. This may not be a big problem now, but later when you have your puppy outside, it can be dangerous.
You will need him to drop something such as a dead bird or rat, instead of taking off running with it.
The best thing you can do when you see your puppy chewing your shoe from across the room is to approach calmly, sidestep the puppy and utilize the exchange program, you’ll give her a toy or a treat and she will quickly let go of your shoe.
