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Puppies chew because chewing is normal: it helps them explore, play, cope with teething, and occupy themselves. The goal is not to stop chewing altogether. It is to prevent access to dangerous or valuable objects and teach your puppy which things are appropriate to chew.
Teething can make puppies more inclined to chew, but there is no exact age when chewing automatically ends. Chewing itself remains normal throughout a dog’s life, so a successful plan channels it rather than trying to eliminate it.
Why do puppies chew?
Chewing is not usually spite, stubbornness, or an attempt to “get revenge.” Puppies experience the world through their mouths. Chewing lets them investigate texture, smell, shape, and resistance, while also providing an absorbing activity.
Several causes commonly overlap:
Exploration and normal development
Almost anything within reach can become an experiment: shoes, laundry, furniture edges, remote controls, children’s toys, cardboard, and trash. A puppy does not understand that one leather object is a shoe and another is an acceptable chew. If an object is accessible and interesting, it is likely to be investigated.
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Every time a puppy successfully chews furniture or steals a sock, the behavior is rehearsed and may become more rewarding. Preventing access is therefore part of training, not a failure to train.
Teething discomfort
Teething may make puppies more inclined to chew because their gums can be uncomfortable. Chewing behavior varies, so do not rely on a particular age or tooth count to predict when it will stop.
A small spot of blood on a chew toy can occur as baby teeth are lost. However, notable bleeding, facial swelling, persistent mouth pain, difficulty eating, poor appetite, or a tooth that appears to remain alongside an adult tooth warrants veterinary advice.
Play and mouthing
Mouthing hands, sleeves, feet, and ankles is a normal part of puppy play. Puppies learn bite inhibition—the ability to control the force of a bite—through feedback from littermates and people.
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Boredom, frustration, and excess energy
A puppy with too little appropriate play, training, exploration, or problem-solving activity may create its own entertainment by chewing. Mental enrichment matters as much as physical activity. Short reward-based training sessions, sniffing opportunities, interactive play, food-stuffed toys, and puzzle feeders can all provide suitable work.
More exercise is not always the answer. Growing puppies need age-appropriate activity and plenty of sleep; pushing a tired puppy into more high-energy play can make the behavior worse.
Separation-related distress
Chewing that happens mainly when a puppy is left alone may indicate distress rather than ordinary teething. Look for a pattern involving whining, barking, pacing, restlessness, house-soiling, escape attempts, or destruction around doors and windows.
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More exercise or punishment will not reliably resolve separation anxiety. The puppy may need carefully graduated alone-time training and help from a veterinarian or qualified behavior professional.
Hunger and food-seeking
Food-smelling objects, food packaging, and items associated with meals may be especially attractive to a hungry puppy. Calorie restriction can contribute to food-directed chewing, but freely adding food or treats is not the safest response. Ask your veterinarian to review the puppy’s age, size, growth, diet, and feeding schedule, and count treats and food-stuffed toys as part of the total daily intake.
When is chewing normal, and when is it a problem?
Chewing is generally manageable when the puppy can be calmly interrupted, redirected to an appropriate object, and supervised successfully. It becomes more concerning when it involves any of the following:
- swallowing pieces of toys, fabric, wood, plastic, or other objects;
- chewing electrical cords, batteries, medication containers, or toxic substances;
- persistent fabric sucking or chewing that is difficult to interrupt;
- destruction that occurs primarily during periods alone, especially with panic signs;
- pain, drooling, facial swelling, difficulty eating, or other signs of illness;
- guarding an object, growling, snapping, or biting when someone approaches;
- compulsive chewing that continues despite careful management and enrichment.
These patterns may require veterinary assessment, behavior support, or both.
How to stop inappropriate chewing: a practical plan
1. Puppy-proof before relying on training
Start at your puppy’s eye and mouth level. Remove or secure:
- shoes, socks, laundry, bags, and children’s toys;
- remote controls, batteries, coins, jewelry, and other small objects;
- medications, supplements, food, trash, and cleaning products;
- houseplants or foods that may be toxic;
- electrical cords, chargers, and power strips.
Use closed hampers, latched cabinets, cord covers, baby gates, and a puppy pen where appropriate. Keep cords unplugged where possible, but remember that an unplugged cable can still be swallowed or damaged.
During waking periods, supervision should be close enough that you can intervene before the puppy settles into chewing furniture or takes a dangerous object. When you cannot supervise, use a properly introduced crate, exercise pen, or puppy-proofed room containing safe, familiar items. A crate should be a positive resting place, never a punishment.
2. Provide several appropriate chewing outlets
Offer a small rotation of puppy-suitable items with different textures and purposes. Options may include:
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- food-stuffable rubber toys;
- puppy teething toys;
- appropriately sized treat-dispensing or puzzle toys;
- veterinarian-approved puppy dental chews;
- other chews selected for the puppy’s age, size, dental development, and chewing style.
Food-stuffed toys can be frozen to make them last longer and provide cooling relief. Some puppies also enjoy a puppy-safe frozen chew, ice cube, or frozen wet washcloth. Monitor the puppy closely, and remove any item that begins to unravel, splinter, crack, or break into swallowable pieces.
No toy or chew is risk-free. Choose items to suit your puppy’s size and chewing strength, and consider whether the material could be swallowed in chunks. Avoid items that are small enough to swallow, splinter easily, or become dangerously hard or sharp. A product’s label does not replace supervision. Introduce a new chew while you are watching, and ask your veterinarian about products whose safety or suitability is unclear.
For products marketed for dental benefits, the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s accepted-products list can be a useful starting point. VOHC acceptance relates to plaque or tartar claims; it does not mean a product is suitable for every puppy, nor does it remove the need for supervision.
3. Redirect calmly and reward the replacement
When you catch your puppy chewing an inappropriate object:
- Interrupt calmly. Use a neutral sound or brief cue rather than shouting.
- Prevent further access. Move the object or guide the puppy away if it is safe to do so.
- Offer an appropriate chew immediately.
- Reinforce the good choice. Praise, play, or provide a small reward when the puppy engages with the replacement.
If you discover damage after the event, simply clean up and improve management. Scolding later does not teach the puppy which earlier action was wrong. It can instead make people seem unpredictable or cause the puppy to hide when chewing.
Do not chase a puppy for an object unless there is an immediate safety emergency. Chasing can turn theft into a rewarding keep-away game.
4. Teach “drop it” with a trade
Practice when your puppy has a safe, low-value toy—not when it has stolen medication or another dangerous object.
- Let the puppy hold the toy.
- Present a high-value treat or a favorite second toy.
- When the puppy releases the first toy, calmly say “drop it” or “out.”
- Give the reward, and often return the original toy.
Returning the toy teaches that releasing an item does not always mean losing it forever. Gradually practice with different safe objects and in different rooms. If the puppy guards an item, do not force it away or reach into the mouth; seek professional help.
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5. Teach “leave it” before the puppy picks something up
Hold a treat in a closed hand. When the puppy stops investigating your hand, mark the moment with praise and reward from your other hand. Progress to an open hand, then a treat on the floor protected by your foot, and finally safe household objects at a distance. Add the cue “leave it” only as the puppy is beginning to move away.
Keep practice brief and rewarding. “Leave it” is a prevention cue; “drop it” is a release cue. Both are safer and more useful when taught before an emergency occurs.
6. End biting of people without frightening the puppy
If teeth touch skin or clothing during play, become still, withdraw attention, and pause the game. Resume only when the puppy is calmer or has a toy in its mouth. Consistency matters: everyone in the household should follow the same rule.
Some puppies become more excited by a loud yelp. If squealing increases arousal, skip it and use quiet withdrawal instead. Do not hit, yell, muzzle, alpha-roll, hold the mouth shut, or use physical corrections.
Children should not be expected to manage a mouthy puppy alone. Supervise every interaction, teach children to keep hands and clothing out of rough games, and give the puppy a calm escape area. If the puppy becomes overexcited, separate them gently and allow the puppy to rest.
Build a routine that prevents over-tired chewing
Many puppies become especially mouthy when they are tired rather than when they need more stimulation. Individual sleep needs vary. A predictable routine can include:
- regular potty breaks;
- quiet naps in a positively conditioned safe area;
- short reward-based training sessions;
- age-appropriate play and sniffing;
- meals delivered partly through food puzzles or stuffable toys;
- supervised chew periods;
- brief, gradual practice being alone.
Observe what happens before chewing starts. If it follows a busy play session, try a nap. If it occurs after a long period without activity, try a short sniffing walk, training game, or food puzzle. If it occurs only when you leave, focus on alone-time training rather than simply adding exercise.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What not to do
- Do not punish after the fact. The puppy cannot reliably connect a later reprimand with earlier damage.
- Do not use pain or intimidation. Physical punishment, leash corrections, choke chains, prong collars, electronic collars, and frightening handling can damage trust and do not teach the desired alternative.
- Do not offer old shoes, socks, cushions, or other household items as “allowed” versions. This makes the rule confusing.
- Do not depend on bitter spray alone. A deterrent may help protect an item temporarily, but it does not teach what the puppy should chew.
- Do not leave a puppy alone with an unfamiliar chew. Watch first to learn how the puppy uses and destroys it.
- Do not leave hazards accessible. Electrical cords, medicines, batteries, cleaners, toxic foods, and small objects require active prevention.
- Do not forcibly take high-value objects. Force can provoke guarding and may result in a bite.
When chewing is an emergency
Contact a veterinarian promptly if your puppy swallows a chunk of a chew or toy, since it may cause an intestinal obstruction or perforation. Also contact a veterinarian or an appropriate poison-control service promptly if your puppy may have swallowed medication, xylitol-containing products, chocolate, grapes or raisins, rodenticide, corrosive cleaners, a battery, or a large piece of fabric or toy. Keep the product packaging or label available.
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Electrical-cord chewing can cause oral burns or electrocution. Seek urgent professional advice for repeated vomiting, heavy drooling, abdominal pain, lethargy, breathing difficulty, tremors, seizures, collapse, inability to pass stool, or marked injury to the mouth. Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinary professional specifically instructs you to do so.
When to involve a veterinarian or behavior professional
Arrange a veterinary examination if chewing is painful, compulsive, associated with poor appetite or other illness, involves repeated ingestion, or does not improve with consistent supervision and management. A veterinarian can assess dental development, retained teeth, mouth pain, nutrition, and medical contributors.
Seek qualified behavior help for separation distress, resource guarding, aggression, persistent people-directed biting, or behavior that is difficult to interrupt. Look for a reward-based puppy trainer, certified behavior consultant, certified applied animal behaviorist, or board-certified veterinary behaviorist whose methods and credentials you can verify. Professional assistance is especially important when a puppy may bite or when anxiety is involved.
The simplest way to remember the plan
- Prevent: remove access to dangerous and tempting objects.
- Provide: offer safe, varied chewing and enrichment options.
- Redirect: calmly replace an inappropriate object with an appropriate one.
- Reward: reinforce every good chewing choice.
- Rest: protect naps and avoid overstimulation.
- Escalate: involve a veterinarian or behavior professional when chewing involves ingestion, pain, anxiety, guarding, aggression, or danger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my puppy stop chewing at six months?
There is no guaranteed age when chewing stops. Teething-related chewing may change as adult teeth come in, but chewing remains normal throughout a dog’s life, so continue providing appropriate outlets and management.
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Should I give my puppy ice for teething?
Some puppies enjoy ice cubes or other frozen, puppy-appropriate items, but suitability depends on the individual puppy and the item’s size and durability. Supervise closely and remove anything that breaks apart or can be swallowed. Ask your veterinarian if you are unsure.
What should I do if my puppy growls when I take a chew away?
Do not forcibly remove the chew, punish the growl, or reach into the puppy’s mouth. Use management to prevent access to dangerous objects and contact a reward-based trainer or veterinary behavior professional for help with resource guarding.
Is chewing when my puppy is alone separation anxiety?
It may be, particularly when destruction is accompanied by barking, whining, pacing, house-soiling, restlessness, or escape attempts. Record or observe the pattern if safe, and discuss significant distress with a veterinarian or qualified behavior professional.
The Bottom Line
Chewing is a normal puppy need, not a behavior to punish away. Puppy-proof the environment, provide appropriately sized and supervised chews, redirect calmly, reward the right choices, and protect sleep. Treat swallowed objects, electrical-cord injuries, pain, guarding, aggression, and alone-time distress as reasons for prompt professional help.
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