puppy chewing

Question
My four-month-old miniature poodle chews on anything. The one thing I cannot keep away from her are her wee-wee pads which she has begun to chew up as well.  I have tried spraying the edges with a product called "Bitter Yuck" and that doesn't keep her from chewing them.  I am out of ideas. Any suggestions?

Answer
At four months, she is starting to teeth, which means she NEEDS to chew. I'd be sure she has plenty of appropriate stuff to chew. You may even put toys in the freezer so the are cold and soothing on her sore gums. I'm not a big fan of piddle pads. A pad laying on the floor is very much the same texture and appearance as a number of things I WOULDN'T want peed on - like area rugs, clothes than end up on the floor, etc. And most puppies would rather shred them than use them. I prefer litter boxes to pads but I think it's even better to teach the pup that the best place to eliminate isn't inside at all, I'd start going out with her and praising for eliminating outside. At her age, she'll need to go out at least every 5 hours. But I'd start setting that pattern as soon as possible. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com