Little Scarlett has been a little cranky lately.
And I think I know why.
Within the last few days her little teeth have been coming in and I think that is the reason.
We went to my sister’s house last night for dinner and all she was interested in eating were frozen grapes.
Thankfully she hasn’t chewed up my shoes or TV remote which is what happens when puppies start teething.
Speaking of teething, let me share some tips with you because there is a lot of misinformation out there, especially when it comes to taste deterrents.
Taste deterrents are the products you see in pet stores and online, products like bitter apple and sour grapes. The ads tell you to spray this magic potion on any of your belongings and your dog will stop chewing your stuff.
Unfortunately this rarely happens. In fact, most dog owners tell me that their dogs start to chew more when they use the spray.
So let me share a little test you can perform to make sure your taste deterrents work. You have to find out if your dog hates the taste and smell BEFORE you use it.
If you are going to use bitter apple, you need to spray some on a slice of cheese first. If you spray the bitter apple on the cheese, offer it to your dog and your dog gobbles it down, guess what?
It is NOT going to stop your dog from chewing your shoes.
On the other hand, if you spray the cheese and your dog turns his head and refuses to eat it, then you know that it will probably work to deter your dog from chewing.
Make sense?
Of course it does. That’s why you tune in here everyday to get help training your dog.
BTW – there is more that goes into chewing and other behavior problems. You have to find out the root cause for the behavior, you have to manage the behavior, teach new behaviors and so on.
I cover it all in my classes that I teach. You can get all the details by going here NEXT:
Best,
Eric