Puppy Teething: Timeline, What Helps, and How to Save Your Hands
When puppies teethe, what the signs are, what’s safe to chew, and how to handle the biting that comes with it. Plus the signs that need a vet.
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The teething timeline
- Around 3 to 6 weeks: the baby teeth come in. There are 28 of them and they’re needle sharp.
- Around 8 weeks: most puppies go to their new homes with a full set of baby teeth.
- Around 12 to 16 weeks: baby teeth start to fall out, front teeth first. You may find one on the floor, though most are swallowed, which is harmless.
- Around 4 to 6 months: the adult canines and back teeth come through. This is usually the most intense chewing.
- Around 6 to 7 months: most dogs have all 42 adult teeth.
Signs your puppy is teething
- Chewing on everything, especially hard edges like chair legs and baseboards.
- More mouthing of hands and clothes.
- Small spots of blood on toys. This is normal.
- Drooling, and sometimes eating more slowly.
- Red or slightly swollen gums.
What helps
- Puppy-proof at dog level: shoes, cables and kids’ toys go out of reach. What they can’t reach, they can’t practice chewing.
- Offer a legal chew whenever your puppy settles near you. Rotate chews so they stay interesting.
- If they pick up something they shouldn’t, trade it for a treat, then hand over a chew.
- Puppies need roughly 16 to 20 hours of sleep a day. A bitey, wild puppy in the evening is usually overtired.
- When the crazies start, give a chew in the pen or crate in a quiet room and let them nap.
- Cold soothes sore gums. Freeze a damp, knotted cloth or a stuffed rubber toy.
- Offer different textures and rotate them every day or two.
- Choose chews you can dent with a thumbnail and that are too big to swallow. Very hard chews can crack teeth. Supervise, and ask your vet what suits your puppy.
Teething and biting people
- Puppies explore with their mouths and teethe until about six months. The aim is a soft mouth first, then no mouth.
- When teeth press on skin, go still and quiet. Take your hands away and look away for 10 to 20 seconds.
- If your puppy keeps coming, calmly step over a baby gate or out of the room for 20 seconds.
- Come back and offer a toy. Play again as long as teeth stay on the toy.
- Everyone in the house does the same thing, every time.
- Yelping loudly, pushing the puppy away or holding the mouth shut. To many puppies that’s exciting play.
- Rough hand-wrestling games. They teach that hands are toys.
When to see the vet
- A baby tooth still in place next to its adult replacement. Retained baby teeth are common in small breeds and sometimes need removing.
- A broken tooth, or a tooth that has changed color.
- Not eating, a lot of bleeding, or a bad smell from the mouth.
- Heavy chewing that carries on well past seven months. That is usually habit or boredom, not teething, and it’s worth a conversation.
A note on this guide
Check Safe Human Foods, Daily Calories & Breed Vet Costs
Frequently Asked Questions
When do puppies stop teething?
Most have their full set of adult teeth by about six to seven months. Chewing as a habit can continue through adolescence, so keep providing things to chew.
Do puppies lose their baby teeth?
Yes, all 28. They start falling out at around three to four months. You may never see one, because puppies usually swallow them while eating.
Can I give my teething puppy ice cubes?
Many vets are comfortable with small pieces of ice or frozen toys for healthy puppies, and the cold is soothing. Very hard chewing on large cubes isn’t ideal for teeth, so a frozen cloth or stuffed toy is a gentler choice. Ask your vet if you’re unsure.
Is my puppy biting because of teething or bad behavior?
Usually both teething and normal play. Neither is bad behavior. Give sore gums something to chew, and teach that teeth on skin ends the game.
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