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!