Why your puppy needs a TOY BOX

[ACooper]

Originally Posted by BuzzedHornet

Would you suggest that I put the toy box in his play pen with his crate and bed? It has a door that I will keep open so he can come and go as he pleases except at night and when we are gone.

I would pick a place that is convenient for YOU and also accessible to him at all times. That way you are both happy

[pooch1041]

This is GREAT ADVICE! I've never come across tips for keeping your puppy from chewing your belongings. Are there certain toys that are better for a dog than others?

Originally Posted by RedyreRottweilers

If you have a new puppy, you know already that they like to chew. Not only do puppies LIKE to chew, they really NEED to chew. Chewing is more than entertainment for puppies. It helps them teeth, and it relaxes them. They are able to relieve themselves of frustration and anxiety by chewing.

Destructive chewing usually begins quite innocently for the puppy, but it can rapidly escalate into a serious problem if the puppy is not supervised and directed properly.

Here is a typical scenario:

Owner has new puppy. Owner leaves new puppy unsupervised. Puppy gets anxious, and looks for something to soothe itself with. It comes across a shoe. (or anything else that smells like the owner) Immediately the puppy is comforted by the scent of the owner. Then it will begin to chew the object that smells like the owner to relieve it's frustration and anxiety. As the puppy chews, he feels much better. The amount of reinforcement a puppy gets from this activity cannot be over emphasized. The liklihood of a puppy expressly seeking out your personal items goes up exponentially after even only ONE incident where he's allowed to relieve his anxiety in this manner. This is why careful confinement and supervision is SO IMPORTANT. You can never remove that reinforcement the puppy got while he was chewing the object that smells like you.

So what do we do? We confine and supervise the puppy very carefully, and we make sure she has a GREAT toybox with a variety of very interesting chew items. You can use a box or basket of any type as long as the puppy can easily get to it to take out chew items. Some things that can go in the box are kong toys, nyla bones, real bones.....use your imagination and keep it interesting and varied. For the first week or so, put a tiny smear of peanut butter or cheez whiz on each toy once a day.

So now you have your toy box set up, and your pup is out playing. Of course the pup will choose a toy from the box to start. But eventually the pup will decide to investigate something that's not his business. This is why you MUST watch a puppy EVERY SECOND he is loose in your house in the beginning. You don't want to miss an opportunity to TEACH. So, when the puppy focuses on something he should not have (this means LOOKING AT, SNIFFING, or PUTTING HIS MOUTH on any object you don't want him to chew) immediately interrupt him. I usually say AH AH, as I move towards the puppy. Once you have his attention, rush him happily and cheerfully to the toy box, and help him find a cool toy to play with and chew. Encourage him with a little tug game, or a few tosses.

Do this each time your puppy focuses on something he should not have. I also interrupt and redirect in this manner each time the puppy looks up at tabletops, countertops, stovetops, trash can, etc.

If you are consistent, and if you supervise CAREFULLY, in several weeks you will have a puppy who will consistently choose articles from the toy box to play with and chew.

Keep the box in one place, and never miss an opportunity to encourage the puppy towards the toy box when he wants something to play with.

[pitbullfriends]

This is great advice, my three year old Pitbull Kalypso still has a toy box and I was planning on getting a whole new box to avoid ownership problems when I recently got a new puppy but fortunately the two dogs share everything with no scuffles and I just have the one toy box between them for now and I have had no chewing problems yet.

[angelaplynn]

Now I do understand why most puppies like to chew. I also wondered for so long the reason behind it and I never find time to research on that. Good to know I found the answer here. I thought they are just playful in nature but now it is very clear to me that there's a reason behind that. Thank you.