Your puppy may look cute and innocent, but beneath their adorable smile they actually have super-sharp teeth that not only hurt when they bite but can cause serious damage to your home. If you recognise that your puppy’s going through the teething process, you might just be able to save your favourite items from being chewed to shreds.
Puppy teething timeline
Newborn puppies
Much like human babies, puppies are born without teeth. In the first weeks of their life, they will start growing their milk teeth.
3-8 weeks old
From the ages of three weeks to eight weeks, puppies will have their first set of 28 sharp little teeth come through. During this stage, they should be weaned off their mother’s milk and slowly move to eating soft puppy food.
Start regularly having a look in their mouth so your puppy becomes used to people looking at their teeth. This will also be a good way to track their teething process.
4-6 months old
From 4 months, the next phase of a puppy’s teething process will begin, and they will start to lose their first set of teeth. Their milk teeth will be pushed out by their adult teeth so don’t be alarmed to find any tiny teeth around the house… if you ever see the missing teeth at all. Puppies commonly (and safely) swallow them! In addition to replacing their set of milk teeth, puppies will also gain 14 more teeth at the back of their mouth.
Remember to take your puppy in to your local Greencross Vets before all their adult teeth finish growing in so the vet can do a precautionary dental checkup and fix any issues before the teeth permanently set.
Recommended Teething and Chew Toys
7 months old
The teething process should be done by the time your puppy is seven months old, and by this stage your puppy should have 42 teeth. You’ll want to get your puppy accustomed to people looking in their mouth and touching their teeth and gums as early as possible, so that they won’t be fazed when you start brushing their teeth.
Recommended Oral Care Products
What to expect when your puppy is teething
Just like when a baby is teething, your puppy will feel discomfort when their teeth come in. You may notice that their gums are inflamed and that your puppy’s mood can be a little low.
The natural reaction for your puppy is to want to chew things to alleviate the pressure of the new teeth, so take extra care when puppy proofing your home or be prepared to find things at their mouth level chewed to pieces. It’s important to be aware of electrical cords or cables they can access, as they may be attractive to a teething puppy, but are very dangerous for them. Remember, if you don’t want it chewed, keep it out of your puppy’s path.
What you can do to help your teething puppy
While it’s inevitable that you may lose some of your things to your teething pet, you can give them better alternatives in the form of chew toys.
If you spot your pet chewing something they shouldn’t be, firmly tell them “No!” and offer a chew toy. We recommend that chew toys are given to your puppy under supervision.
Petbarn has a range of great chew toys on offer that differ according to your pet’s size and chewing needs – some are a lot more durable than others. Visit your local Petbarn store where our friendly team members will be more than happy to recommend the best chew toys for your teething puppy.