Why does my puppy eat wood and bark? Is this normal, and what to do?

There are some dogs that love to chew on wood. It isn't ideal, but it can be a very hard habit to break. I recommend providing alternative toys to chew on, but if that doesn't work you might consider collecting branches for them to chew, which is better than furniture. Make sure they are getting plenty of exercise, as bored dogs tend to be destructive. As far as eating their own feces, yes you need to pick it up right away. Here is a great article with more information about this subject. https://www.petcoach.co/article/stool-eating-coprophagy/

Chewing on lots of things, including human hands and clothing, is completely normal behavior for a puppy this age - this is how puppies explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. She will grow out of this behavior as she gets older, but there are some things you can do in the meantime that will help. Make sure that your pup has a variety of different toys to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. She should also have lots of different chews and long-lasting treats to chew on such as bully sticks, large rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys like a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. You will need to keep your belongings put away out of her reach for now, just like you would with a toddler or small child. For furniture or other items that can't be put away, you can use Bitter Apple spray to make them taste bad, which should help to discourage her from chewing on them. If you are playing with her and she bites you, just redirect her to one of her toys and use that to play with her instead. If she bites your hands when you pet her, calmly stop petting and wait for her to settle down. I would not recommend restraining her against her will, or pinching her ear to punish her for this behavior - these techniques often make things worse by causing frustration, and do not help her to understand what you want. In addition, doing things like this may cause her to be afraid of being picked up or handled, since she associates pain and discomfort with these things. Just be patient and calm, and redirect her to appropriate things to chew as needed - this behavior will go away on its own with age :)

Chewing is very normal at her age. Dogs do not mature mentally until about 2 years old so expect this behavior will continue until them. Crate training will help and she should be crated any time you are not physically watching her. Also, there is not a way you can try Skyler not to chew everything she should not and the best you can do is provide CONSTANT supervision. Here are a couple links with helpful information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-dog/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Nala is a cutie!!! Chewing is a very common puppy behavior and it's hard to train them not to do it without constant supervision. If you go outside with her every time she goes outside, you tell her no or squirt her with a water bottle every time she starts to sniff/lick/chew on the wood. You should reward her with treats, praise or a toy if she ignores the wood. But you have to be out there every time. Otherwise she will continue to chew it. You can try applying something like bitter apple or make a pepper paste to apply to the wood but not all dogs dislike the taste. You can also cover the area some how so that Nala cannot get to it. Most dogs will chew until they are about 3 years old but they are all different and some never stop chewing. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

Puppies are notorious for destructive behavior. Most dogs will outgrow this by 2 years of age but not all do. Additionally, this behavior is not only destructive but it can lead to ingesting toxin substances and intestinal foreign bodies which are fatal without treatment. Patches needs to be crated any time you are not physically watching her. It's safer that way. Here are two helpful links: Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-puppy-or-older-dog/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Yep! Welcome to puppyhood! It may even get worse over the next few months, so start puppy-proofing your house now! Play close attention to all electrical cords and any fabric or soft items that could be torn and swallowed.

You are correct that activities like this can lead to an intestinal blockage which can be fatal and generally require surgery. This is normal puppy behavior. Most dogs will outgrow this behavior between 2 to 3 years of age. Until then you will need to watch Lexi at all times and never leave her unsupervised in a non-puppy proofed area. Best of luck.