29/05/2026
🦷 PUPPY TEETHING: WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING INSIDE THAT LITTLE MOUTH? 🐾
Now that my little puppies' teeth have all erupted and they are busy exploring their world with them, I thought it a good time to discuss teething.
Puppy teething is not just about sharp teeth and chewed shoes. It is a major developmental stage involving rapid changes in the mouth, jaw, nervous system and behaviour.
Like human babies, puppies are born without visible teeth. Their baby (deciduous) teeth begin erupting at around 3 weeks of age. By approximately 6 to 8 weeks, puppies usually have a full set of 28 deciduous teeth.
Then comes the next stage …
At around 12 to 16 weeks of age, those baby teeth begin loosening and falling out as the permanent adult teeth erupt beneath them. Most puppies complete this process by around 6 months, although larger breeds and some individuals can continue teething longer.
Adult dogs eventually have 42 permanent teeth.
🧠 WHY TEETHING CHANGES BEHAVIOUR
During teething, the gums become inflamed and sensitive as adult teeth push through bone and soft tissue. This activates pain receptors and creates pressure within the jaw.
Chewing is not “bad behaviour”.
It is a biologically driven pain relief mechanism.
Chewing helps:
• Relieve gum pressure
• Massage inflamed tissues
• Stimulate blood flow
• Support jaw muscle development
• Reduce stress and frustration
This is why teething puppies suddenly become obsessed with:
• Shoes
• Furniture
• Skirting boards
• Sleeves
• Fingers
• Rocks and sticks
• Anything they can fit in their mouth
The brain is essentially saying:
“Chew something. It helps.”
🧬 THE SCIENCE OF CHEWING
Chewing also activates calming pathways in the nervous system.
Repetitive chewing can increase dopamine and soothing neurochemical activity, helping puppies regulate stress and arousal. This is why many overtired or overstimulated puppies become “bitey”. They are often trying to self-regulate through oral behaviour.
In working breeds like Border Collies, this phase can feel especially intense because highly intelligent puppies already have strong exploratory and sensory drives.
Cold objects can help significantly because cooling temporarily numbs inflamed gum tissue and reduces swelling.
Safe options include:
• Frozen silicone chew toys
• Frozen carrots
• Frozen blueberries
• Frozen wet washers for supervised chewing
• Puppy-safe rubber toys
Always supervise and avoid anything hard enough to risk fracturing developing teeth.
🚨 WHAT TO EXPECT DURING TEETHING
Many puppies experience:
• Increased chewing
• Mouthiness and nipping
• Drooling
• Mild gum bleeding
• Restlessness
• Reduced appetite temporarily
• Irritability or clinginess
• Bad breath from erupting teeth
You may even find tiny baby teeth on the floor… or never see them at all because many puppies swallow them harmlessly.
🪥 THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO TEACH MOUTH HANDLING
Teething is also an important learning period.
Gently handling your puppy’s mouth now helps build lifelong comfort with:
• Tooth brushing
• Vet examinations
• Grooming
• Medication administration
Keep sessions calm, brief and rewarding.
Touch the lips gently.
Lift them briefly.
Pair handling with praise or tiny treats.
The goal is not restraint.
The goal is teaching your puppy that hands near the mouth predict safety and good things.
🦷 IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTES
If retained baby teeth do not fall out properly, especially canine teeth, they can alter how adult teeth erupt and may contribute to crowding or bite issues. This is particularly important in some small breeds but can occur in any puppy.
Contact your veterinarian if you notice:
• Persistent retained baby teeth
• Severe gum inflammation
• Broken teeth
• Refusal to eat
• Facial swelling
• Excessive bleeding
• A sudden foul odour from the mouth
Teething can be exhausting for puppies.
Remember, they are not trying to be difficult.
They are navigating one of the biggest physical developmental changes of puppyhood. 🖤
- Donna Williams,
Emerald Park Border Collies.
www.emeraldparkbc.com
"Guided by science.
Raised with purpose ..... naturally!"
