Teething puppy tips
There are few joys greater than bringing home a new puppy. That tiny wagging tail and those big floppy ears are enough to make your heart melt. It’s a time of great discovery, growth and bonding within your family.
When taking care of a growing puppy, teething can be one of the most sensitive and challenging times for both the owners and the puppy.
Their newly arriving teeth are not only painful to them but can also be painful to much of your furniture, clothing and other household items as well as the pain in their gums drives them to gnaw on everything they can get their paws on to try and get some relief.
Puppy teething stages
Many of you asks us when puppy teething starts and stops, so let’s look at the different stages.
The teething process lasts approximately 3 months. Like humans, puppies are born without any teeth before getting 28 temporary teeth, referred to as milk teeth, which are then replaced by 42 adult teeth.
- 2-4 weeks: around 2 weeks of age, puppies gain their very first teeth
- 5-6 weeks: around this time, puppies get all their 28 puppy teeth and start eating soft food. Should you have such a young puppy (breeders mainly) then you could give cold fruit and vegetables or puppy-specific food at this stage.
- 6-12 weeks: your puppy’s gum might start to feel a bit sore and appear swollen in preparation for the teething phase. Due to their young age, it’s important not to give them anything too harsh that could damage their gum or forming teeth
- 12-24 weeks: Generally, their puppy teeth start getting pushed out and replaced by their permanent ones.
- 6 months+: By this time, all of your puppy’s temporary teeth should have been replaced. Your puppy should have a total of 42 teeth
How to survive puppy teething
The teething process is very uncomfortable for a puppy. It’s important to provide something your pup can chew on to soothe sore gums and help make this process a little more comfortable. By doing so, you’ll be preventing the puppy from finding something on his own to chew, be it your shoes, your couch, or your children’s toys.
It’s a good idea to get a variety of toys in to provide for all phases, so something soft like plush toys that they can just gnaw on. Soft toys are especially great for the youngest pups and if you get one that makes some noise, be it a squaeker or crinkley sound, the joy will be even more.
Rubbery toys are also good to have in the toy basket, be it a JELLY Bone or a Teether Bone. You might also want to include a tug-of-war toy, like Beco Hemp ball or Ball on rope toy. Tug-of-war can be good for both teething and training, which is critical for your puppy’s development.
Needless to say edible chews are definitely good to have on hand, as not only do they relieve the teething pain but they are also delicious and healthy as long as you get your paws on natural treats and chews. We have a wide range of products to offer:
- Puppy Chomper variety box – ideal when you need a variety of chews as it will give you many to try and you can be safe in the knowledge that everything included inside it, is suitable for new puppies (suitable from 8 weeks+)
- Rabbit ears – their semi-durable texture is loved by ALL dogs. They are hypoallergenic and great natural de-wormers (suitable from 8 weeks+)
- Beef Lips – Beef lips are especially firm so they hold out longer against hearty chewers. They are so tasty that even the real fussy dogs go mad for these (suitable from 12 weeks+)
- Buffalo Skin – long lasting and low-odour chew, full of natural protein, with no preservatives (suitable from 12 weeks+)
- Bulls Pizzle – long-lasting, excellent dental chews which are loved by even the fussiest dogs (suitable from 12 weeks+)
- Multiple Delights bags (Long-lasting, Low-fat, All ears, etc.)
- Yak chews – these long-lasting chews are made from compressed and hardened yak milk with a tiny amount of salt and lime juice
- Buffalo horn – Long-lasting chews which can be used as natural KONGs. Ours have an open end at both end preventing potential suffocation and keeping it more hygienic (suitable from 12 weeks+)
- Antlers and Split antlers – Antlers make fantastic dog chews because they are totally natural, long lasting, provide good minerals and are odourless to humans (suitable from 8weeks+)
- No-hide chews – The long-lasting, heavenly & healthy alternative to rawhide; available in 4 flavours (beef, chicken, salmon and peanut butter) (suitable from 16 weeks+)
Please always ensure that you choose age-appropriate chews and that you supervise and provide fresh water.
It’s just a phase
Above all, don’t forget that it is just a short phase and chewing and mouthing are natural behaviours during this period. Not only is your pup trying to soothe his teething pain, he’s also trying to develop a relationship with his environment. The best tactic to protect your hands, furniture and clothing (which puppies are notorious for chewing) is to make sure those items are located off the ground and out of reach while providing easy access to his chew toys instead.
Teething can be really uncomfortable, but it’s also a crucial time for your puppy’s social development.
Use teething as an opportunity to soothe the pain, bond with your new family member, and train and play with him so he knows the difference between appropriate chew items and absolute no-nos, like your leather shoes.
At the end of the day, the greatest gift you can give your new pup is love, attention and a healthy dose of patience.
Let dental care begin
Once you’ve passed the teething phase, it’s very important to make sure your dog maintains healthy teeth and gums. Tooth decay and gum disease is a very real concern for dogs as they grow older, and good habits early on can do wonders for them later in life. Check out our dental care tips to establish good habits.
Always remember
If you feel like you’re having some difficulty reading your dog and providing the best solution, don’t panic. Every dog is different. Have patience and keep trying. With lots of love and attention, you’ll help make this transition as smooth and painless as possible for both you and your newest family member.
