So you’ve just adopted a puppy. Congratulations! But they’re probably in the full throes of teething. This can be a challenging time.
It may seem like your dog just wants to chew up everything in sight! You likely have many questions about teething, too. What can you expect? How can you keep your puppy safe from chewing the wrong things?
How should you care for their teeth during this time? And when do dogs finish teething? Let’s try to answer these questions and more for you below.
When will my puppy’s teeth fall out?
By the time your puppy comes home with you at 12 to 16 weeks old, they’ve usually got around 28 tiny baby teeth. Your dog’s breeder will probably have begun to wean their litter onto soft puppy food and will recommend a diet for you to continue with.
You may start seeing those razor-sharp rice grain teeth beginning to fall out around your home from the time your puppy reaches 12 weeks old. During this time, socialization and training are still important, but beware of your puppy’s incredibly sharp baby teeth!
With 28 baby teeth, your puppy will actually likely swallow most of them during teething. However, this is nothing to worry about. If you notice any teeth that aren’t coming out, get in touch with your vet.
What can I expect when my puppy is teething?
Teething is definitely sore for your puppy. As those tiny teeth fall out, your dogs gums will be tender and swollen. So, your puppy will want to find things to chew. Chewing is comforting and relaxing for any dog. But when your dog is teething, chewing also relieves gum inflammation and soothes teething pain.
Here are some chew toys for when your dog is teething
NWK Pet Teether Cooling Chew Toy
Many dogs also show an increased tendency to drool during teething, even if they are not a big drooling breed. You may also spot some drops of blood on your pup’s bedding. This is perfectly normal, too, though do contact your vet if you think your dog’s bleeding is severe.
How to Soothe Your Puppy’s Teething Discomfort
1. Offer Appropriate Chew Toys: Providing your puppy with appropriate chew toys can help distract them from their discomfort and provide comfort. Choose chew toys that are designed for teething puppies and are made from durable, non-toxic materials.
2. Freeze Treats: Freezing treats such as wet food, peanut butter, or yogurt can help soothe your puppy’s gums and provide relief from teething pain.
3. Massage Gums: Gently massaging your puppy’s gums with a clean finger can help reduce pain and inflammation.
4. Use a Cold Compress: Applying a cold compress or a wet cloth may help reduce swelling and provide relief from teething discomfort.
5. Give Extra Attention: During this difficult time, it’s important to give your puppy extra attention and love. This will help your puppy feel safe and secure, which can help reduce their discomfort.
How can I keep my puppy safe during teething?
Your puppy will want to get their teeth – and gums – into anything and everything when they’re teething. Unfortunately, their chosen object is often dangerous. Say you’re out walking or playing in the park together, for example. Maybe you’re playing fetch with a stick or two.
Well, many puppies love to chew on sticks when they’re teething, and sticks are not inherently dangerous. But do inspect the stick to make sure it’s robust enough. Remember, your puppy’s baby teeth are unbelievably sharp. So, if any pieces of bark are hanging off, or the stick is soft and easy to bite, choose a different stick.
The same goes for objects around the house. Underwear, socks, and harder objects like skirting boards, stationery, remote controls, and wooden toys are all favorite ad-hoc chew toys among teething puppies. Even wooden table legs and door corners are not safe from those pointy puppy teeth!
The best way to prevent your puppy from taking a bite out of more hazardous objects around the home is to keep plenty of durable rubber chew toys on hand while they are teething. But you can only keep an eye on your pooch for so much of the time.
So, also make sure that your puppy’s other toys are entirely intact, with no bits and pieces falling off and no stuffing coming out.
Should I brush my puppy’s baby teeth?
So, your puppy’s teeth are all falling out, and they pretty much have no teeth left. Is there any point, then, in brushing these few remaining teeth?
Actually, yes. Though your puppy’s teeth are hardly getting much use yet, puppyhood is still a crucial stage for their training. Regular handling of your puppy’s nails, looking in their ears, and yes, touching their teeth too will make it less jarring when, later, they get their nails trimmed and their adult teeth brushed.
Use a soft, small toothbrush. One designed for humans is fine, but you can also get some designed for pets and even worn on your finger.
Recommended dog toothbrushes
Go for an enzymatic pet’s toothpaste, which neutralizes plaque, sugars and acids using chemical reactions. Avoid human toothpaste that contains ingredients like fluoride and xylitol. These ingredients can be fatal if swallowed by a puppy.
Recommended pet toothpaste
Arm & Hammer for Pets Enzymatic Toothpaste for Dogs
Petrodex advanced dental enzymatic toothpaste
How can I keep myself and others safe when my puppy is teething?
As I have mentioned numerous times, your puppy’s baby teeth are super sharp. In combination with your puppy having an increased need to chew during the teething stage, this fact means that you and others are at risk of getting badly bitten.
To decrease this risk, be sure to keep your hands far away from your dog when playing with them and instruct others to do so also.
When they lived in the litter, your puppy would have bitten their siblings in the course of play. Not having teeth yet, this wouldn’t have hurt much.
But as their teeth began to grow, the puppies would yelp loudly when bitten. This helped littermates learn how much force was acceptable when playing. It also helped them know that biting hurt!
So, if your teething puppy does actually bite you, be sure to teach them that biting hurts. You don’t have to yelp exactly, but saying “Ow!” loudly is usually sufficient for your puppy to understand that they’re hurting you.
So, when do dogs finish teething?
By the time your dog is six months old, all their puppy teeth should have fallen out, replaced by their 42 unique adult teeth. You’ll need to keep brushing their pearly adult teeth or giving them dental chews or water additives.
