Stopping chewing in Rottweiler pup

by Tara
(Jackson, Michigan)

I have a 1 year old rottie named Xander, we have had him since he was 8 weeks. He has always chewed on things. I thought it was a puppy stage so we tried correcting him and thought it would pass.

Well needless to say it hasn't passed completely. He doesn't do it all the time but when he dose it, it is always on wooden objects. He loves sticks to chew on as well.

He is not fixed, not sure if that makes a difference. If you could give any suggestions please let me know. Thank you!






Hi Tara
Xander is adorable, that expressions says it all!

All puppies chew, but some are more determined and stubborn about it than others, and some just seem to NEED to chew more than others. It's a very individual thing. Rotties are big dogs, with strong jaws, and they can do a lot of damage, even as little puppies.

Puppies definitely chew more than adult dogs, and although Xander has passed the 'chewing peak' which is usually during teething, he's still a pup (an adolescent really) and won't be mature for at least another year. Once he's fully adult you can expect his chewing to subside quite a bit more, but all dogs love to chew even as adults. They're just better at limiting it to 'allowed' objects rather than whatever they can get their teeth into :o)

Chewing is actually one of the ways that a puppy, or dog, can relieve pent-up stress or excess energy, and often giving a 'chewer' more active exercise helps to reduce the amount of chewing. Perhaps an extra walk, play or training session would help?

Also, it's very important to make sure that Xander has a variety of really tough chew toys that he can play with. I usually have a dozen or so and alternate them so that the dogs have a different 2 or 3 each day. It helps keep them from getting bored with the same old toys and experimenting on the furniture. Check out my Tough Dog Toys page to see a selection of some of the best toys around.

I also find the compressed rawhide bones (buy the XXLarge size!) are popular, so are bully sticks, but it's important to supervise your pup when he has these as you don't want him chewing off large chunks as he could choke, or get an intestinal obstruction.

Large 'natural' bones (fill the hollow ones with peanut butter) are also great and can keep a puppy occupied for quite a while. Just be creative.

Other than that all you can do is supervise Xander and be sure to correct any chewing on inappropriate objects... and be patient. It will get better. Hope this helps. Best of luck with your pup.