DIY Bitter Apple Spray for Puppies/Dogs

There’s nothing worse than arriving home after a hard days work and finding your designer mahogany has been chewed to bits by your little companion. Chomping on anything and everything can be the most annoying behaviour from your dog or a young pup, in this article we’re going go over what you need to make a ‘bitter spray’ to deter your dog from ever munching on your household items again. One thing to remember is that bitter apple spray is no substitute for training. Behavioural training is the long-term goal of preventing your puppy from chewing things. In the short term you could try all natural treats that aid teething or specific puppy toys for teething.

Get 10% OFF our puppy range use code APPLE10

Mini Chomper Natural Dog Treat Box

£14.50

Add to basket

Items and Ingredients for homemade bitter apple spray

Spray bottle – you can get these from most large supermarkets
Lemon juice or Apple Cider Vinegar and some white vinegar

1. Safety – If you are using a spray bottle that you’ve recycled from some form of a detergent bottle, first things first, safety. Make sure you’ve completely cleaned out the detergent bottle with near boiling water, and also hot soap and water, no traces of the detergent can be left in the bottle what-so-ever!

2. Mixture – Pour 2 cups of lemon juice into a jug with one cup of white vinegar, or 2 cups of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of white vinegar. Whether you use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar is up to you, lemon juice smells nicer around the home but apple cider vinegar can sometimes be more effective. The bitterness from either should deter your puppy or dog from wanting to chew anything that’s been sprayed.

3. Method – Spray all areas and objects he likes to chomp on, you should repeat this each week to make sure the taste doesn’t fade. This should in time keep your dog away from these areas as he/she will slowly learn these items taste foul.

If you want to read more about puppy training read our article: Puppy Training Tips to Help Keep Both You and Your Puppy Sane