Okay well, I have been observing my dog and more than anything else she likes to chew on stuff. She chews on pens paper, little toy army men, remotes, and anything else that looks edible to her. And it made me wonder, why does she like it so much, is there a special part of her brain that makes chewing on stuff so fulfilling? Or is my dog just a weirdo.
I know rats have to continuously gnaw on something to grind down their teeth other wise their teeth will continue growing forever. Perhaps dogs teeth are also like that? Either that or dogs just like to chew on stuff.
All dogs like to chew on things, it helps keep their teeth clean. Primarily puppies chew on EVERYTHING because they haven't gotten it into their heads that chewing on bad things leads to consequences. Remember to punish your dog when they do bad things like chew on your TV remote. Otherwise, they'll never learn.
We had a problem with our dogs eating through dry wall, chewing up coats, and basically destroying anything they could get their dirty little paws on. I don't think they were doing it for the cleaning....
Puppies explore their world by means of their mouths. Chewing helps relieve the pain of teething and it is necessary for a dog's physical and mental health. Chewing helps relieve tension and stress.
Since nature did not give dogs hands to use, their mouths are their source of exploration; their means to investigate new things, tastes, and it is a basic behavior instilled in dogs since the beginning of time.
Puppies start chewing around the age of 3 months, when his/her permanent teeth start coming in and they chew in earnest until the age of six to ten months when most of the permanent teeth have come in. Some dogs will continue to chew until they are 18 to 24 months old as they are strengthening not only their jaws, their teeth also.
Establishing good chewing habits is truly your responsibility, puppies and/or dogs do not know a proper thing to chew from an improper thing unless you teach them.
Giving your puppy an old shoe to chew teaches the puppy that all shoes are for chewing, the same goes for old socks, old purses, an old book or anything else that you have in the household. The puppy does not know old from new, a designer bag from an old one or a new sock from an old one. However, you do, so lesson number one is be selective in what you give your dog to chew.
Start out on the right foot and give your puppy only proper chew toys. Currently there is a debate going on considering the safety of such chew toys as rawhide, pigs ears, the many varieties of dog bones, cow hooves and even rope tugs. I do not intend to get into the middle of that debate and my suggestion is if you want to give your puppy any of these hotly debated items, do so. However, watch how you puppy handles it and if you see the item falling apart in chunks or pieces, dispose of it immediately.
Chewing on stuff seem to be the dog's way of brushing their teeth. Besides that, it could be that she is bored or is somewhat... obsessed. A bad habit gone worse, I guess.
