greytraining

Have you ever seen a group of puppies rolling, nipping and clumsily biting at each other? There is more to what meets the eye here, since all that seemingly naïve puppy play is actually part of a dog's development phase. Around this time, puppies are sort of feeling their place around in the pack, in order to know their place in the pecking order, so to speak.

When a puppy nips or chews at their siblings too hard, they immediately think twice about it when their siblings let out a yelp. Then either one of two things happen. First the hurt sibling will defend itself by nipping back, or the hurt pup will stop playing with the offender. Both of these responses teach the pups bulk of their social skills, and in particular, how to interact. In fact, pups that are separated from their mother and littermates too early end up missing out on this critical character formation.
 

Does your westie puppy or dog have this chewing, biting and nipping problem? If so, this article will help you in training a west highland white terrier puppy to let go of those shoe-shredding and pillow-ripping hobbies.

Teething is as natural to a puppy as teething is to a human infant. Teething specifically helps a puppy's teeth come through the gums, and also promotes the continuous development of its adult teeth under the gums. Puppies see no difference between a bone and a hairbrush; in its point of view, both have the same purpose: teething. Sometimes, separation anxiety is another powerful motive to make a puppy seek out and nibble on items that bear your scent. Thus, it is critical to teach your puppy appropriate chewing behaviors, starting from day 1. Otherwise, your puppy will assume that everything that falls in its line of vision is “fair game.”

If you are training a west highland white terrier puppy to ditch nipping, biting and chewing tendencies, your first sensible step (aside from puppy-proofing the home) is to get your dog some engrossing chew toys. If mentally engaging enough, that Kong or buster cube could just be the key to getting your dog off the cabinet! Once your dog figures out that there are items in the home that provide it with a gastronomic highlight, i.e. a Kong filled with peanut butter, it will veer away from harassing your shoes, clothes and sofa. Keep in mind to rotate the toys, and make available only one or two of these at any time.