Many Pom owners have tons of love for their dog and a bit of frustration in regard to chewing issues.
While puppies are usually most infamous for destroying shoes, books and just about anything not made out of metal; adult dogs can have chewing issues also!
If your Pom has chewing issues, it may seem as if they are the most destructive dog you have ever seen; however rest assured that dogs of all breeds go through phases and all dogs, no matter what their size can have separation issues that manifest as negative behavior.
Adult Pomeranians may chew items because of anxiety, most often caused from Separation Anxiety when their owners (their best friend) must leave.
This can happen whether an owner is gone for 1 hour or a whole day.
We will discuss the reasons that a Pomeranian will gnaw on inappropriate items and how to address those reasons and correct the behavior.
Whether you have a Pomeranian puppy who is going through the teething process or an older dog who eats your shoes, help is on the way!
Your Pomeranian may have chewing issues because of several reasons:
Teething
Plain and natural curiosity
Boredom
Separation Anxiety
Nervousness
General Overview
One must keep in mind that a dog will use their mouth to explore and understand the nature of items. While there may be other causes for serious gnawing problems, in general a dog will chew something out of curiosity. They will pick it up, shake it, and bite down on it to determine what it is. For this reason, it is vitally important to be very aware of the items in your home that can be dangerous.
While you may not think twice about a cord, your Pomeranian may very well come upon an electrical cord and chew on it to learn about it. Unfortunately, this can lead to great harm. While it makes logical sense to you that no one would ever put a cord in their mouth, your Pomeranian has no way of knowing the difference between the dangerous cord and a toy made of rope! As a loving owner, it will be your job to teach your dog right and wrong.
It is best to spend a day going through your home and placing potentially dangerous items up high where your fluff ball cannot reach them. If you look at your new shoes and think, "He would never think of touching those!", think again. Until your dog is fully trained in regard to chewing and biting, stay one step ahead of the game by not even allowing the temptation to be there.
Of course, some things must remain on ground level or at a height that your Pomeranian can reach them. It is for these items that you can implement simple training techniques to teach your dog how to behave.
No matter which reason your dog's chewing may be out of control, one element remains the same: The behavior must be stopped by training and your Pomeranian must be given something to chew on that keeps them satisfied. Stopping them is just the first half of the mission; if you do not have the correct toys to give them to bite away on, your dog will become very frustrated. Dogs that are frustrated are dogs that become stressed and this can lead to not only worse behavioral problems but health issues as well.
The Most Important Word
"No" is the arguably the most important word that you will ever teach your dog. It will be used when housebreaking, when training your dog how to walk nicely beside you, how to behave when visitors come over...it will be used to teach your Pomeranian just about everything there is for a dog to know about!
How you say the word will determine how well the word works. If you are shy or have a meek voice, practice until you can loudly and sternly say "No!" and mean it! If you say "No" without meaning, your dog is not going to give it much value. When you say it, your tone makes all the difference in the world. Pretend that you are babysitting a child and that child is reaching for a very hot object. In what tone would you say "No!". Okay, now try it. Go ahead, try it out loud. Don't be shy because to train your dog, you must be able to say this command word not only in private but in any public area as well. Your one spoken word should stop your dog in his or her tracks. If you have a very stubborn Pomeranian, you may use a clean spray bottle with warm water in it. The idea to is quickly spray your dog to get their attention away from what they are doing, while you say the command word. This will ensure that they listen to you.
It is vital to the training to never chase after your Pomeranian or to play tug-of-war with an object. Your dog will undeniably believe that you are playing a game with them and this will backfire your training attempts. When you catch your Pomeranian with their mouth on something other than an acceptable dog tog, you must give the very stern command word and spray (if necessary). At that very moment when you dog is thinking, "What?", take the object away.
Teething
A puppy must be allowed to chew as much
as they wish, when they are teething. However, it will be your job to
supply the correct items. Anyone can create a dog toy! Some toys are
so cheaply put together, the manufacturers splash on some color, give
it a cute name and people clear the shelves! However, those are the
toys that most dogs do not find interesting and you inevitably waste
your money and your dog is not being helped. Ahead, we will talk about
the toys that do help teething dogs.
When Does a Pomeranian Begin and End Teething?
4 Months old - the incisors begin to grow in
5 months old - the canine teeth begin to grow in
6 months old - the molars begin to grow in
By 8 months old, a Pomeranian puppy should have all teeth ascended and stop teething. Do keep in mind, that some Poms are late bloomers and teething may last a bit longer.
Easing the Pain
Teething toys help, of course. Giving your puppy an ice cube to lick and chew on will help distribute cold to the gums and help with discomfort; however a pup can quickly become bored with an ice cube.Dr. Sara's Healthy Home Cooking for Pomeranians includes 5 recipes for teething Poms, which are both yummy and help greatly (and 66 Pom dog food receipes in all) . Teaching Your Dog to Chew on Dog Toys
Once you have cleared your home of low level items the best that you can and you watch your Pomeranian carefully to stop any unwanted chewing, you must have a great supply of dog toys. Your Pomeranian may need a bit of encouragement to play with their toys. Training is rather simple. Always have a lot of toys for your dog to choose from, we will show you what toys we recommend, so that you do not waste your money on pointless toys that will just lay around your home.
When you Pomeranian does play with a toy, show great happiness with praise and kind words. Act as if you caught your dog doing something wonderful. You can also play an easy game to make them learn to love their toys. Take several dog toys and hide them around the room. Encourage your dog to find them with the command word of "Find"; when they do, show extreme happiness, as if they have located a treasure! They will pick up on your feelings and actions and your dog will believe that they have found something very special. This training method of using the "Find" word will come in handy for the next issue. Separation Anxiety Chewing
If your Pomeranian seems to destroy things or chew on objects while you are away, they are most likely expressing their nervousness and anxiety while waiting for you to return. You can resolve this once your Pomeranian is used to their fun and interesting toys. When you come home, give your dog the "Find" command. When your dog grabs a toy and brings it to you, then you may lavish him or her with hugs, kisses and attention. In this way, your Pomeranian will learn that having a toy ready for your arrival is a good behavior that will earn them lots of love and attention.
More Chewing & Teething Help
Chewing & Teething are huge issues for not just the growing puppy but for adult dogs as well. Many owners who do not reinforce proper training in the puppy years, find themselves with an adult dog who has had years of chewing habits. If you are looking for more information or if you wish for the PetPom experts to answer any questions that you have....just click here to learn how this can be available to you.