If you have a puppy around the house you will surely have noticed his propensity to gnaw on chairs, table legs, shoes, electrical cables and anything that he can easily reach. The explanation that many give is that puppies love to tease their owners, but is it really like that?
In this article you will find an explanation on the importance of chewing for dogs and cats and useful advice on which snacks and chews are best to use to avoid the nightmare of destructive chewing.
Does your dog tease you?
Experts say that the dog by its nature is not able to connect an action to its future consequence precisely because it lives only as a function of its present. It is very common for owners to "anthropomorphize" their pet, attributing to it psychological and emotional characteristics that by its nature do not belong to it.
But if he doesn't do it out of spite, why does the dog like to destroy our things?
Chewing is a natural and totally instinctive behavior of the dog . Just like children, puppy dogs use their mouths as their main means of discovering the world, and chewing alleviates the discomfort generated by the growth of their teeth which occurs during the first year of life.
It must be considered that chewing is the main relief valve for the dog, in fact often what we identify as "spite" turns out to be the simple manifestation of discomfort ; some examples could be separation anxiety, the desire to attract attention or simple boredom. In any case, chewing is an instinctive action of the animal, which is born at an early age and which should also be encouraged during adulthood.
What are the benefits of chewing in dogs and cats?
Chewing is a necessary activity for dogs of all ages because it brings significant benefits. During chewing, the brain releases chemical substances such as endorphins and serotonin which produce natural effects of relaxation and psycho-physical well-being , such as reducing stress and anxiety , improving the quality of life.
Furthermore, in both dogs and cats, chewing can bring an enormous benefit in improving the animal's oral hygiene by preventing the formation of tartar. For both dogs and cats it is important to choose snacks and chews suited to the animal's jaw resistance in order to guarantee a satisfying chewing activity.
Snacks or chews: which to choose?
Dog snacks are considered to be all those edible products, usually small in size, that are offered to your pet in small quantities as a reward during training. The meat sticks of the Tasty and Happy Farm lines, given their small size, are ideal to use for their cleaning action on the dog's teeth or as positive reinforcement after correct behavior requested by the owner.
In this sense, even the cat can indulge in some treats: the new Shanghai cat snacks represent excellent rewards for our feline friends, which could help promote the cat's education and reduce the formation of tartar on the teeth.
However, chews for dogs are considered to be all those products that allow the dog to chew for a prolonged time, in order to vent their unexpressed energy. The Niki Natural Barf line, inspired by the Barf diet , includes edible leather or dried meat products which, in addition to having a nutritional function, also have a mechanical-cleaning action on the teeth.
In conclusion, chewing is not a prank on the owner, but is part of animal instinct and must be taken into consideration if you want to guarantee physical and mental balance for your pet. A winning move is to provide moments of venting in total safety with products created specifically for him and never let him miss a good dose of love.
