Some strange puppy behaviors are rarer and need to be addressed quickly. Barking was one, but the one I will discuss today is more medically related: chewing paws. This behavior seems more common when puppies are a little older. However, it can still happen in young puppies and for a wide variety of reasons that mostly fall under two main topics: skin irritants and stress. Let’s take a look.
Chewing Paws
Chewing paws is a behavior that seems to have three leading causes:
There is something on the paw that is itching.
There is something wrong with the paw that is causing discomfort.
There is psychological damage (usually caused by stress).
Most dogs demonstrated that last one more in licking behaviors and scratching other areas of their body rather than chewing paws directly. But it can happen and should be considered if your puppy chews its paws.
Identifying the Cause
So, how do we determine what is causing the chewing paws behavior? Just like in the other posts, we observe. First, we need to look closely at the paw. There are multiple things to observe on a paw. There are the paw pads. If these are rough and dry, the paw may itch or get something stuck in the cracks. Then, there is the skin between the toes. This skin is much more sensitive than the paw pad and is usually the place that will get irritated if there is something between its toes. Then there is the fur. Things can get stuck in the fur between your dog’s toes quite easily, especially if it is something sticky like tree sap. This problem is one reason why it is so important to keep the fur length between the toes under control. If you have a breed of dog that tends to get long paw fur, you may need to keep it trimmed, especially if you hike or spend a lot of time outside with your dog.
If the pad is rough and dry, you must consult your vet to ensure your dog is not dehydrated or in need of better food. You may also need to use paw butter to protect your puppy’s paws from hot pavement, as that can also cause damage to the paw pad. If there is something stuck in between the toes or in the fur, you will need to get it out and then wash the paw to make sure everything is cleaned off. If the skin between the toes is red and irritated, call your vet and let them know. They may tell you to clean it and then come in later if it is still irritated. However, it is still a good idea to consult your vet as one of the more common skin irritants is allergies, which would require some help from your vet to diagnose and treat.
The Rarer Stress Chewing
It is usually pretty easy to tell if there is a skin irritant by looking at the paw and having your vet check it for skin problems. However, if the chewing behavior is motivated by psychological and emotional problems, identifying the internal state triggering the behavior becomes a little more challenging. But it is still possible. First, you want to look for what happens right before your puppy starts chewing on its paw. Many times, this type of behavior will present itself as a way to release stress and thus will often happen during and or after a stressful event. Please remember that something that stresses people out does not necessarily stress out puppies, and something that stresses puppies out does not necessarily stress out people. In other words, don’t just make an assumption. Observer your puppy and try to find the common denominator before you try to address the behavior. For behaviors like chewing paws, if they are psychologically motivated, consulting a behaviorist is a must if you have already ruled out physical health problems, as paw chewing may allude to a deeper psychological struggle.
Sometimes, paw chewing occurs much later than the stressful event that triggered it. This delay is often the case when “trigger stacking” is involved. Trigger stacking is when multiple stressors pile up on themselves throughout the day until the dog is so stressed that when they encounter one more stressor, they are put over the edge and can’t deal with it anymore. Trigger stacking is a common reason behind aggression and biting, but it can also play a role in more subtle behaviors like chewing paws. To remedy this, take note of when your puppy chews its paw. And I don’t mean only in relation to the stressor (as the immediate event might not be the only stressor causing the behavior). Is it bedding down for sleep? Is it in the middle of a car ride? Also note if other stress behaviors are present (scratching other areas of the body, whining, sniffing, unsettled, etc.). Once you have taken note of all of this information, you can piece together a little paw-chewing profile to help you find out when the stressor (or stressors) occurred and how much of the stressor is needed before your puppy will chew its paw. This “profile” will also help you see how your puppy is dealing with the stressor. If it is waiting to chew its paw until it is about to sleep, it might be stressed all the time and only relax in a certain context. If it chews its paw right after the stressful event, it might simply be responding to the moment and is using the paw chewing to help it recover.
In all of these situations, a behavior such as paw chewing needs to be addressed either medically or behaviorally. If it has a medical cause, you need to work out a treatment plan with your vet to ensure your puppy gets what it needs to feel better. If it is a behavioral or psychological problem, your puppy may be feeling a very deep sense of stress on a regular basis and need some psychological help. This help may even require the use of anxiety drugs, but I would advise that you consult with your vet and behaviorist together before you explore that option.
Conclusion
Pay close attention, and don’t make assumptions without investigating. Please educate yourself and do the research before acting on what you know. Make sure you consult your vet and your trainer (the sooner you do, the better), as both will be able to help you understand how to help your puppy.
Has your puppy ever chewed its paw? What turned out to be the problem?
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