How to stop your dog from teething on you and your belongings

"A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more then himself"

-Josh Billings


So my new puppy has bought love, joy, and her sharp little teeth into my life. Yes, she is the cutest thing, but those teeth hurt! I can't look away from the dog for a second without her finding some piece of furniture to grab onto with her mouth... or my arm. So I called some dog trainers and looked into what I could do to try and stop this.  Here are the top 5 responses I received. 

1) Take an empty tin soda bottle, fill it up with coins, and put some heavy duty tape over the opening. When the dog nips, shake the can while saying "No!". Repeat whenever the dog nips. This will startle the dog,  in hopes that they will discontinue the behavior. 

2) Purchase a spray bottle and fill it with water. Anytime the dog nips, you can spray the dog in the face while saying "No!". Dogs do not like to be sprayed with water.

3) Go to a local pet store and buy a Kong dog toy. These toys can be filled with treats and peanut butter (which they love!). This will allow your dog to chew on the toy to help with their teething, while expelling a large amount of energy. It is a lot of work for your dog to reach the treat.

4) Purchase many dog bones and toys. When your dog tries to nip at you or an object say, "No!", and replace the object with the bone/toy. This is showing the dog what is acceptable and not acceptable to chew.

5) There are all natural sprays that you can buy which dogs have a natural dislike towards. You can spray objects that you do not want the dog to chew, including your body parts (my arms and hands have take. A toll). The hope with this method is to make the dog not want to attempt to lick or taste the substance. Below is a link for some home made sprays you can do yourself!

Do it yourself sprays

Personally, the methods that have worked best for my dog include buying the Kong, bones,  and toys.