Ultimate guide to puppy teething

How to help your puppy with teething pain

Offer extra durable chew toys – there are many durable chew toys available on the market specifically suited for teething puppies. Some are appropriately sized for small, medium and large breeds and even offer flavour options to entice your puppy to start chewing. Nylabone and Kong are two reputable brands. Always choose toys that have been designed with your puppy’s safety in mind.

Store appropriate chew toys in freezer – similar to babies, puppies can find cold or frozen items soothing to chew on. Whilst there are a range of teething toys on the market, almost any dog toy can be frozen. Again, always choose toys that have been designed with your puppy’s safety in mind.

Provide teething treats – there are a range of edible teething treats on the market that can help offer some teething relief to your puppy. Speak to your vet or local pet supply store for recommendations. Make sure you choose the best size for your puppy breed.

Offer frozen foods – try freezing dog friendly fruits and vegetables such as bananas, apples, watermelon, strawberries, pumpkin, carrot and cucumber. Be sure to remove skin and seeds and slice into bite sized chunks before freezing. Pumpkin and carrot will need to be cooked before freezing.

Keep belongings out of reach – always supervise your puppy to protect them from their natural curiosity and desire to put things in their mouth and chew them. Keep all hazardous and valuable items out of reach.

Keep an eye on their health – understand the normal teething signs and contact your vet if your puppy stops eating, starts losing weight, their gums are bleeding excessively, they are whining excessively or if they appear to be in pain.

Just remember when offering treats they should make up less than 10% of your puppy’s calorie intake for the day.

How to stop your puppy from chewing

Puppies tend to chew a lot during their teething phase, when their baby teeth are replaced with adult teeth. Chewing not only facilitates teething but can also help relieve some of the discomfort. We have some tips to help stop your puppy from chewing. For our full article on tips to stop your puppy biting and chewing click here.

Keep belongings out of reach – this includes shoes, children’s toys, clothing, plastic bags, garbage bins, medicine, plants and valuables. Keep doors to bathrooms or laundry shut as these are typically full of hazardous items.

Offer puppy toys - Young pets are naturally very playful which can sometimes lead to misbehaviour. Ensure you puppy has appropriate toys to play with to act as a diversion and keep them stimulated.

Supervise your puppy - Always keep an eye on your puppy to protect them from their natural curiosity and desire to put everything in their mouth and potentially chew on it.

Offer them exercise - Engaging in daily age and breed appropriate exercise and playtime helps prevent your puppy from getting bored. It also helps to burn off some of that endless energy!

Use a bitter spray - Arm yourself with some anti-chew spray. The bitter taste will help deter your puppy’s chewing away from your personal belongings that they have become attached to.

Use positive reinforcement - It’s important to keep it positive. Positive reinforcement such as small treats, praise, playtime or a pat has proven to be vastly more effective than punishment. 

How to stop your puppy from biting

When puppies play, they often bite, chew and mouth people’s hands, limbs and clothing. This is normal and generally a form of social play. It’s how puppies play with each other. Whilst this may seem cute when they are a puppy, the novelty wears off as they start to grow. So, it’s important to teach them that biting people and other pets is not allowed.

End play when puppy bites - avoid playing rough with your puppy. If at any time during general play they bite hard, end playtime to teach them that they don’t receive any attention for undesired behaviours.

Offer a chew toy - Choose a good quality chew toy to redirect this unwanted behaviour until your puppy matures. During play if they bite, trade a toy for your hand or clothing to redirect them towards something more acceptable.

Yelp when it hurts - To teach your puppy to play gently, pretend you are in pain when they bite you, by giving a high-pitched yelp (like other puppies would do). They should instantly stop. If so, praise them. Continue doing this each time they bite and they will learn to play gently.

Offer them exercise - Engaging in daily age and breed appropriate exercise and playtime helps prevent your puppy from getting bored. It also helps to burn off some of that endless energy!

Enrol in puppy class - Attending puppy school is great way to teach your puppy basic obedience & socialisation skills. In class they will not only learn basic commands such as sit, stay and come but they will also learn how to interact and play appropriately with other puppies of different breeds, sizes and sexes.

Use positive reinforcement - It’s important to keep it positive. Positive reinforcement such as small treats, praise, playtime or a pat has proven to be vastly more effective than punishment.

Caring for your puppy’s teeth

Brush your puppy’s teeth

You can start brushing your puppy’s teeth between the ages of eight and sixteen weeks. Not only will this improve the health of their teeth but also starting out early will make it much easier for them to get used to this daily activity. That's right, you should be brushing your pup's teeth every day before bedtime, just like you do your own.

You will need a specially designed toothbrush and toothpaste for dogs and it’s important to take it slowly to get them use to brushing. Read our guide for brushing your puppy’s teeth.

Look for common signs of dental disease

As your puppy matures, you will need to check their mouth regularly to check for dental disease. Common signs to look out for include:

• Swollen or bleeding gums

• Bad breath

• Yellow or brown tartar build-up on teeth

• Sore mouth

• Difficulty eating or reduced appetite

• Drooling

• Loose teeth or teeth loss

• Pawing

If you notice any of these signs or have any concerns about your dog’s dental health, contact us on 03 8784 4444.

Reward them with a dental treat

Once your puppy is 6-7 months old, you can start offering them dental treats. This number can vary depending on your dog’s weight and breed so check with your vet first. Dental treats are a great way to clean your pet’s teeth and reward them at the same time. The right treats are designed to scrape against your pets teeth as they chew, helping to reduce plaque and tartar build up. They also help to freshen up their breath too.

When do you need to see the vet

Between 3-6 months

During this time your puppy will start teething and it is normal for your puppy’s gums to be red and swollen. Their mouth may also bleed frequently and you may notice a small amount of blood on their toys or blanket. They may drool more often and they will generally have an increased interest in chewing. You may find or see that they have lost teeth. They can also take longer to eat or whine due to teething pain.

Whilst this is all normal puppy teething behaviour, if your puppy stops eating, starts loosing weight, their gums are bleeding excessively, they are whining excessively, appear to be in pain or are showing other abnormal behaviours please contact your vet to make an appointment.

At 6-7 months

Some breeds are predisposed to retaining baby teeth but it can happen to any dog. Retained deciduous teeth can lead to secondary problems when adult teeth start coming through and typically need to be removed promptly. If you notice your puppy still has some of their baby teeth by 6-7 months, talk to your vet to confirm if any necessary corrections need to be made.

At 12 months

Dental check-ups give your veterinarian a chance to assess your pet’s oral health. Dental disease is common in pets, however can be prevented, treated and even reversed if discovered early. We recommend you take your dog for a dental check-up yearly, starting at 12 months. This can also include a professional dental clean (scale and polish) if recommended.  

What to expect at a dental check-up

A dental check-up generally involves the following:

• Check for obvious signs such as bad breath, drooling, pawing at mouth

• Check your pet’s teeth

• Assessment of your pet’s mouth, lymph nodes and jaw

• Check gums for bleeding, swelling or masses

• Check for periodontal pockets around teeth and gum line

• Discuss preventative dental health care plan for future

If signs of dental disease are present, your vet may recommend at home dental care and a professional dental clean. In severe cases, surgery is often required to treat and sometimes extract the effected teeth.

Teething is a natural stage that every puppy goes through. Teething can cause some discomfort for your puppy, however there are ways that you can support them to relieve some of the pain and prevent them from developing ongoing chewing or biting behaviours. If you have any questions about your new puppy or their oral health please call us on 03 8784 4444.