Chewing is one of the most basic habits of a dog. Chewing serves multiple purposes including eating, easing puppy teething pains, manipulating objects, and relieving boredom. Since your puppy is a young creature, chewing is also one of its most basic forms of play. Puppies are born toothless but by the time a puppy is 8 weeks old, all 28 of their baby teeth should be intact. When they are between 3 to 5 months old, they will begin losing those baby teeth to develop the permanent 42 adult teeth they will have through the duration of their life.
When your puppy is teething, he may seek out relief in whatever method appears easiest and most sensible to him. Puppy teething can last anywhere from five months to over a year. You will have to be alert during the puppy teething time period as your personal possessions may end up being the most convenient source of relief for your puppy. Purchase a variety of chew toys to use as a substitute for your belongings so your puppy will find an outlet for his chewing needs. Make sure that the chew toys you purchase do not look like common objects in your home that you don’t want the puppy to chew on to avoid confusion.
Occasionally, a puppy teething problem may manifest itself as puppy boredom. Try to provide your puppy with plenty of playtime and exercise so that he is too tired to go searching for a shoe or pillow to chew on. An easy way to ensure that your puppy doesn’t destroy any of your personal belongings is to take the time to clean and put away items you do not want eaten. Some good options for puppy teething toys are Nylabones, Kongs or really hard bones that will take awhile to break down. If you supply your puppy with a variety of strong chewing toys he will be less likely to stray into your personal property while teething. Just make certain there are no pieces on any of the toys that will harm the puppy if it’s swallowed.
Other ideas for easing puppy teething pains are ice, freezing your puppy’s toys, freezing natural dog bones that you can fill with peanut better or cheese, freezing his dog treats, or dip some knotted socks into broth and freeze them.
There are also some pet sprays available that will discourage puppy teething on whatever it is sprayed on. Test this on a small area first to make certain your puppy has an aversion to the smell or taste before investing too much into a product. Keep in mind, there is always a chance that your puppy will prefer the spray rather than be deterred by it.
If you work full time, consider crate training your dog to curb the puppy teething problems. Place a few chew items in his crate while he is in there to satisfy his chewing needs. This is a temporary fix.
Puppy teething is only one aspect of healthy doggy dental care. To prevent serious dental problems your puppy should have regular dental exams by his veterinarian. Make certain to ask your vet about the best way to prevent dental problems and disease, as well as what you can do to promote better dental health for your pup.
Brushing your puppy’s teeth regularly is a necessity. If you can train your puppy to sit still during a brushing, then he will be more likely to do so as an adult dog as well. Only use toothpastes that are designed strictly for dogs as other pastes may make your puppy sick.
Puppy teething can be a nightmare if not dealt with early. Your furniture, clothing, walls, cabinets and flooring could all suffer the high cost of not providing your puppy with proper chewing options. Being deliberate when selecting chew toys for your dog will make the early stages of puppy ownership less frustrating and more rewarding.
Related posts:
- Top Seven Teething Remedies
- Teething Stage for Puppies
- Different Stages of Puppy Dental Development
- Puppy Dental Care
- Options for Canine Dental Care – Alternatives to Brushing Teeth
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