Call it Puppy Love | Family-raised Chihuahuas | Puppy Tips
You should consider that a puppy has no control and chew whatever they can get at in your absence. You must put the puppy where either it cannot do any damage, or where you do not care about the possible damage. Puppies can eat kitchen cabinets, destroy furniture, chew on carpet or area rugs, and damage a wide variety of other things. Besides the destruction, your puppy could injure itself, even seriously.
A good solution to this chewing is a crate. A crate is a container, made of wire mesh or plastic, that will hold the puppy comfortably, with enough room to stand and curl up and sleep, but not too much that it can eliminate in one corner. (See housebreaking) Other solutions include fencing off part of the house (ie: the kitchen, bathroom, or puppy pen — this may not work if your puppy is a good jumper).
It is your responsibility to put your pup in an environment it can't destroy. Puppies are too immature to handle temptation. Most dogs develop the maturity to handle short stints with mild temptation when they're about 6 months old. Think about human babies: while the parent is busy, the young one is entertained with toys in a crib, stroller, play pen and so on.
It is essential to puppy-proof your home. You should think of it in the same way as child-proofing your home. Puppies are smaller and more active than babies and have sharp teeth and claws. Things of especial concern are electrical wires. If you can get through the puppy stages without having your pup get a shock from chewing a wire you are doing a great job! When puppy-proofing your home, get down on your hands and knees (or lower if possible) and consider things from this angle. What looks enticing, what is breakable, what is sharp, etc.
Another step in puppy-proofing is house-proofing the puppy. Teach it what is and isn't chewable. The most effective way to achieve this is by having a ready supply of chewable items on hand (toys, rawhide, pigs' ears). When the puppy starts to chew on an unacceptable item (be it a chair, rug, or human hand), remove the item from the puppy's mouth with a stern, 'NO!', and replace it with a chew toy and praise. If you are consistent about this, the puppy will get the idea that only the items you give it are to be chewed on! Don't stint on the praise, and keep the 'No!' to a single, calm, sharp noise — don't yell or scream the word.
There are some products that can help make items unpalatable and aid in your training. Bitter Apple and Bitter Orange (available at most pet stores) impart a bitter taste to many things without staining, etc. You should not depend on these products to keep your puppy safe, but use them as a training aid.
A short checklist:
- Breakables up out of reach.
- All wiring and cords put out of reach behind furniture, or encased in hard plastic flexible tubing (available at hardware stores, can be cut to size).
- Anything small enough to be swallowed (pennies, bounce balls, shoelaces, bits of paper, socks, nuts, bolts, wire) must be removed from the floor.
- Block access behind furniture.
- Put children's toys and stuffed animals away.