How To Stop Border Collie Puppies From Chewing

Border collie puppies will chew anything and everything they can get their little mouths around.  Nothing in your home is safe from their mini razor teeth unless it is placed on a high shelf, locked in a cupboard or behind a closed door.  You will be amazed at how fast they can tear through a full wardrobe, a book collection, a couch and any piece of wooden furniture or plastic item.

Does this mean I should keep border collie puppies locked up until they are over their chewing phase?  Absolutely not!  This is not only cruel; it will only make the problem worse.  Hence, what will happen is instead of having an out-of-control chomping puppy, you’ll have a fully grown destructive dog.  However, this doesn’t mean that you should let your pooch have free reign of your home either.  There is an effective way to control this behavior without being unfair to your pet and without losing every item you own.  Below are some helpful hints:

•    Provide your pooch with mental and physical stimulation.  One of the main reasons border-collies chew so much is because they are bored.  This is a very smart dog that has high energy.  Don’t forget they were originally bred for herding.  You must provide him with a good run, playtime, training and walks.

•    Give him teething toys.  You won’t be able to stop border collie puppies from chewing because part of the reason they do it is for comfort.   As their adult teeth begin to develop they will lose their baby teeth, which can cause their gums great discomfort.  Make sure you give them a variety of their own items to chew on.

•    Constructive discipline.  Only scold your fury friend when you catch him in the act of biting on something that isn’t his.  If you happen across a previously destroyed object, you can’t reprimand him because he won’t understand why you are upset.  Dogs associate your reactions to the last action they committed.  When you catch him tearing apart something that isn’t his, tell him “no” firmly and then give him one of his toys.  When he takes and begins to chew it, praise him to let him know this is acceptable.

•    Border collie puppies should be kept in a limited space when they are home alone.  Put him in a proper sized crate or board him up in an area of the house or in a room when he cannot be watched.  Make sure he has his own play things but keep all other objects safely out of the way.

•    Ensure you and your family members keep your items off the floor and room doors closed.  The last thing you want to do is unnecessarily tempt your buddy or risk his safety.

Remember, the more control you have over border collie puppies, the more tolerable the chewing phase will be.  Don’t get mad at your pup for being a dog.  Not every characteristic is pleasant, so to enjoy the good you need to manage the bad and accept natural canine behaviors.