But, as with any other breed of pup, they can also be little devils!
One of the less desirable behaviors is chewing! Especially when they chew your new dining table or an expensive pair of sneakers.
If you don’t deal with their chewing habit while they are still a puppy, you can expect the behavior to continue well into adulthood.
I know how frustrating this can be (and have had many a nibbly pup), so I’ve put together a guide on how to stop your golden pup from chewing.
As long as you follow the steps and use the tips and tricks we have provided, your pup will soon unlearn this habit.
Top Tips To Stop Your Pup From Chewing
Golden retrievers of any age can start chewing for many different reasons, but it’s a behavior that’s more prevalent in their puppy years and should be trained early.
You can stop your Golden Retriever puppy from chewing in a few different ways.
Regardless of how the habit is formed, if you ensure these basic needs are met, you will usually see some improvement in their behavior in a couple of weeks.
Exercise
Golden Retrievers are an active breed of dog, and if they aren’t getting enough exercise or burning off enough energy, this can cause them to start chewing.
The appropriate amount of exercise for an adult Golden Retriever should last for around 60 to 90 minutes a day.
When it comes to puppies, they will usually need to exercise in shorter bursts spread throughout the day.
Taking them for a walk on the leash is a great form of exercise, but they will need more stimulation to tackle the chewing problem.
Giving them time off of their leash will work wonders, and it will allow them to run, but they also love to swim and hike.
Even for puppies, the more intense forms of exercise will tire them out and discourage them from wanting to chew.
Sleep
Puppies of all breeds need a good balance of sleep, and if your Golden Retriever pup is overtired, this can cause them to chew things.
Lots of people often overlook just how important sleep is, especially for their puppies, and if you have a puppy who suffers from anxiety or stress, this can help them tenfold.
When it comes to the appropriate amount of sleep, puppies generally need between 18 and 20 hours a day.
As they get older, these numbers will decrease, but while they are still developing and growing, they will need to spend most of the day asleep.
It isn’t uncommon for puppies to need help with getting settled for sleep, though, so look into things like baby gates and crates to help them get that uninterrupted sleep.
Other Ways To Prevent Your Puppy From Chewing
Making sure your Golden Retriever puppy gets enough sleep and exercise is paramount to stop them from chewing. But there are other things you can do to stop it from happening.
The more your puppy chews, the more it will be ingrained into their heads, and it will be harder to break the habit, so take a look at some of these alternative measures to help stop them.
Chew-Proofing The Home
It’s hard to train your puppies not to chew when there are so many things in the home they can chew on.
The first step you should take before anything else is chew-proofing your home.
If you haven’t puppy-proofed your home though, you might want to consider it seriously.
Simple things like putting shoes and loose objects in your closet (out of sight, out of mind) can help deter your puppies from chewing, for example.
If you have any rugs down, you might need to store them away for a while. Block off your couch so they can’t reach it. Put your houseplants somewhere out of reach.
Basically, you need to remove everything that can be chewed from your puppy’s presence for a while.
Eventually, with nothing to chew on, they should grow out of this habit.
Offer Alternative Chewing Options
Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs of all ages, so you don’t want to prevent them from doing something that’s natural; instead, give them the right items to chew and satisfy this need.
Providing toys and treats that dogs can gnaw on is an important source of enrichment – plus, it’s great for dental health.
Providing your pup with dog-safe items to chew on is particularly important when they are teething, as it can provide some much-needed relief and prevent them from eyeing up your furniture instead.
You can find lots of appropriate chew toys online and in pet stores that are incredibly affordable, so if you haven’t bought any for your puppy yet, look into it.
Supervision
Pups need plenty of supervision; this is a key way to spot chewing behavior and end it.
When you spend time really supervising your puppy, you can stop them from chewing before it even becomes an issue.
You can use commands like ‘no’ or ‘stop’ and train them to associate chewing with bad behavior, and they will learn quickly that this behavior won’t benefit them.
The Final Woof
It can be incredibly stressful dealing with a puppy who chews, and Golden Retriever puppies can be pretty bad with it.
But as you can see, there are simple solutions that can help you prevent them from chewing things in your house.
Use the tips I’ve provided here to stop your golden pup from chewing the things it shouldn’t.
Satisfy their instinct to chew with toys instead of your favorite shoes.
Do you have an issue with your pup biting? Take a look at our guide here.
