Raising a puppy is both fun and exhausting. If you desire to have more fun and less exhaustion, follow a consistent routine of potty time, play, food, potty time and crate or playpen time resting and sleeping. In the beginning, it’s going to feel like a whole lot of work because when puppy is awake, you are 100% engaged. When puppy is resting or sleeping in her crate or playpen, that is the time that you have to yourself. If you follow this routine, the time that puppy spends in her crate or playpen resting or sleeping will become longer and your breaks will become more meaningful, restful and productive. As a bonus, potty training is a breeze if this routine is followed, and fewer issues like reactivity and excessive barking will arise. So, find your peace by creating a consistent routine for your new bundle of energy.
Chewing as Relaxation
Reflect on how you feel when you escape into a good podcast, movie or book. You typically become single-focused, allowing all thoughts and distractions to disappear. Total relaxation.
This is what I believe dogs experience when they work on a long-term chew. Thoughts of I’m bored, I’m uncomfortable, I’m lonely can be calmed and possibly eliminated with the act of chewing. Emotions like fear and anxiety, over the long-term, can be reduced through regular chewing.
What is a long-term chew? Any appropriate consumable that takes longer than 1 minute to consume can be considered a long-term chew. My preference is for chews that take a good 20 minutes or multiple sittings to consume. Bully sticks, Himalayan chews and large slow-roasted bones are good examples of long-term consumable chews. Non-consumable chews can also be excellent as long as the dog is interested in them.
To keep a chew interesting, only provide it at the time that you want your pup to relax - ideally in their crate. After a good romp outside and lots of high-value attention from you in the form of play or brain-training, put your pup in their crate with a long-term chew and let them chew until they fall asleep. 20 minutes of chewing will lead to a nice, long nap for any pup! Once you let pup out of the crate, put the chew away for the next round of play-chew-nap.
I have observed puppies and newly adopted shelter dogs benefit greatly from a consistent routine of chewing for 20 minutes of longer at least twice daily. They are calmer and more confident — and much easier to manage!
Providing a long-term chew when leaving your pup (hopefully in their crate) will help diminish anxiety that occurs in the initial moments of separation from their human. A crazed and over-tired puppy can immediately calm and fall into a much-needed nap when given a long-term chew in their crate.
So give yourself and your pup time to relax and unwind with a good chew!