If you are currently bogged down by your Portuguese water dogs chewing issues, don't fret because help is here.
As with any process, the first thing to do is to identify what exactly is the concern. If your dog is a newly acquired puppy, then the chewing is a natural response to teething, and is simply part and parcel of the dog's age. But if your dog is way beyond puppyhood and still not acting mature, this calls for a more serious response.
Portuguese water dogs, or all dogs for that matter, can be divided under aggressive or non-aggressive chewers; what falls under the two categories are not the breeds but actually the dogs' personalities. Now, the aggressive chewers will actually chew and also swallow the bits and pieces of what they were busy with. The passive chewers on the other hand will gnaw, play and mouth objects without ripping through them.
So under which category will your portie fall under? Check the dog's personality. Aggressive chewers will need chewy and rubbery toys from you, and these toys also need to be extremely tough and durable. What you are looking for are products made of tough rubber and rawhide. They also need to be kept away from toys that the passive chewers would enjoy more.
Gung-ho chewers will enjoy Kongs and also those jumbo retriever rolls. The latter consists of several feet of rawhide compacted to make a giant and very intriguing roll. Pressed rawhide bone-looking toys are also good options.
But what if your Portie is way past the teething and chewing age for portuguese water dogs? Then its possible that the chewing is the symptom of a displaced anxiety. Its now time for you to play the dog shrink to root out what is troubling the dog. Is the dog less of a chewer if you are around? Is he deprived of exercise? Is there some disturbance to the usual household routine which the pet is reacting to by chewing?
Believe it or not, your pet's mind can be likened to a stress detector; something must definitely be going on to make the dog resort to chewing if he is already too old for teething. Adults pets are like children in a way; they will want to literally turn your world upside down to get your attention. But do not be slow when it comes to enlisting the aid of an expert when tackling chronic chewing problems. A fresh and educated viewpoint may save you from so much frustration.
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