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how do I make sure my american bulldog puppy will not start chewing?

I just got an american bulldog pup..she is bout 51/2 weeks old and I wanna make sure that she does not start the chewing thing. What would you suggest do to train her from starting to chew up everything..She is brand new so I want a technique that will prevent this hecdache, Any suggestions will help and Thanks!!!!!!!!!! the reason my puup is away from mom so soon is because the mother will not nurse her anymore....

Public Comments

1. Well, first take her back! She's wayyyy too young to be away from Mamma and litter mates yet! Any reputable breeder would know this. Okay. When you get her back at 8 weeks of age, make sure she has plenty of chew toys to chew on. But she's a puppy, like a baby, and like babies puppies TEETHE. (I think that's spelled right). You cannot skip the stage unless you adopt an older dog.
2. You don't. Puppies chew & bite & have to mouth everything. They have to chew. They are teething. It would not be a dog if it didn't chew. It is something you HAVE TO ACCEPT. Your puppy needs to go back with it's mama & it's siblings for another 3 to 4 weeks. It is too young to be away from it's mama. Way too young.
3. I agree she is way tooo young to be taken from mother please take puppy back. normal weaning period is around 8 weeks ....
4. They chew- it's what they do- I'm not sure how to stop it- but she will be teathing and want to chew, Why do you have her so young anyways..
5. I just got a boxer puppy and to keep him from chewing on the furniture and rugs and other things that he shouldn't, I bought a bitter spray that you can spray on those items that tastes bad to them so they do not like to chew in it. It is completely harmless to them. I got my spray at Wal-Mart, but you could probably get it at any pet store too. It works for my puppy. He stays away from our rugs and furniture legs. Be sure you buy her lots of things that she is allowed to chew on so that when she starts chewing on the things she shouldn't you can give her an alternative.
6. shes to little to be away from her mom. all dogs chew on everything no matter how many chew toys they have. its not until there 1yr old or older when that habit stops. best thing to do is show her when she is chew on this that is wrong and give her her chew toy and she'll learn after some time
7. Even though your pup is weened, there are many "lessons" that they learn from their mother and littermates between the ages of 6 - 10 weeks old that would make your life with your new puppy a little easier. One of the most important is bite control. It will now be up to you to teach your puppy what she would have learned from her family. However, that said, all puppies will chew and ABD pups can be some of the worst about it. The easiest way I have found is a bottle of bitter spray and consistent training. You'll want to spray your furniture, especially wood (for some reason my ABD's LOVE to chew on sticks). Then you'll want a variety of toys. They love stuffed animals (although they won't stay stuffed for long...LOL) and also teething toys. The soft rubber feels good especially when they're teething (around 3 months). If your puppy begins to chew on something inappropriate, just remove the item with a stern "no chew" and replace it with a toy. I have found that crate training is a MUST with ABD's. If my pups couldn't have 100% of my attention, they were in their kennel. It acts as a "playpen" and will prevent a lot of trips to the vet for swallowed objects. You'll want to invest a little money and buy a higher quality toy. ABD's are intense chewers and tend to eat whatever they can get into their mouths. So, you'll want toys that are harder for them to destroy. It will pay off in the long run. Good luck with your little girl. You'll never regret your decision to share your life with an American Bulldog.
8. I have an American Bulldog who is now 2 years and 4 months and she still chews everything!!! She is crate trained and i have taken this away but as soon as i leave her even to go to the shop she chews something. She is walked for hours a day, twice maybe 3 times but she still acts like a pup and is rarely at home alone. I think she just sulks when i leave her. All i can say is good luck, you have taken on a handful of a breed. I will stick with JR's next time!!!
9. You can't prevent a puppy from chewing (actually they chew to release the pain when teething), but you can teach them not to chew on non-toy objects. The first thing to do to make sure your puppy is safe and does not chew on something dangerous or valuable is to keep your puppy in a confined area (for example, the kitchen) and puppy-proof that confined area. At such a young age a puppy does not need access to all other rooms, especially when you are away. You can introduce the puppy to the other rooms little by little at a later stage. You can actually use these 'invitations' as a treat later on: whenever your puppy behaves well when allowed into a new room, it can stay there (only under your supervision), but as soon as it tries to mark its territory or chew on something, it goes immediately back to the first room (whichever that was). All puppies understand this very well and will soon respect the other rooms as something very special where someone should behave. The first room may take longer for them to respect, but as you have made sure to completely puppy-proof that, accidents should be minor and with time your puppy will understand that even that first room is just like all the others. Anyway, that's what I have always done with my dogs and it has always worked, male or female, neutered/spayed or not, but it takes time, just be patient and consistent and it will work. Also, always redirect any chewing attempt on safe chewing toys and teach your puppy to ignore non-toy objects. For more tips on how to achieve this, see the articles below: