Signs Your Puppy Is Teething

Watch for: dramatically increased chewing on everything (especially things that smell like you), small blood spots on toys (completely normal), loose or missing baby teeth, increased drooling, hesitation while eating, whining, red or swollen gums, and a low-grade fever. All of these are normal parts of the teething process.

How to Help Your Teething Puppy

1. Provide Appropriate Chew Toys

   Your puppy needs to chew — that's not up for debate. What they chew on is. Durable rubber toys designed specifically for puppies, like KONG Puppy toys, are excellent. They provide satisfying resistance without the risk of breaking into dangerous pieces. Hard rubber teething sticks work well too. Avoid plush toys during teething — they won't hold up, and ingested stuffing is a hazard. Avoid your hands, no matter how gently they're mouthing — see bite inhibition below.

2. Offer Cold Relief

   Cold soothes inflamed, tender gums. Frozen carrots cut into small chewable chunks are a great natural option. You can also freeze a treat inside a KONG toy to make it especially soothing.

3. Redirect — Never Punish

   If your puppy bites on something inappropriate — including you — don't yell or physically correct them. Calmly remove the item or remove yourself, and immediately redirect to an appropriate chew toy. Getting angry and frightening your pup is not a solution and damages the trust you're building. Positive redirection is the only approach that works.

4. Puppy-Proof During Teething

   Hide personal items that smell like you — shoes, clothing, phone chargers — because these are especially tempting. Protect electrical cords. Use gates to keep your puppy out of rooms where there are things they could damage or that could hurt them.

5. Start Dental Care Habits Now

   Teething is a great time to introduce your puppy to oral hygiene. You don't need to brush yet — gums are too sensitive — but gently touching their teeth and gums with a soft finger brush paired with puppy-safe toothpaste helps them get comfortable with the process. This protects their long-term dental health and makes future brushing significantly easier.

Teaching Bite Inhibition

Bite inhibition is your puppy's ability to control the force of their bite. Dogs learn this naturally through play with their littermates — when they bite too hard, the other puppy yelps and play stops. You can reinforce this same lesson.

When your puppy bites you — even gently — make a high-pitched "ouch!" sound, let your hand go limp, and briefly withdraw from interaction. This mimics their littermates' response. Then redirect to a toy. If they bite again, withdraw again. Every family member and visitor must follow the same protocol. Inconsistency confuses your puppy and slows learning significantly.

When to Call the Vet

Teething is usually uncomfortable but routine. Contact your vet if you notice: difficulty eating or dropping food, reluctance to chew on toys, rubbing at the mouth, mouth odor, or a baby tooth that doesn't seem to be falling out even though the adult tooth has come in.

That last situation — called retained deciduous teeth — is particularly common in toy and small breeds. Retained baby teeth can crowd the adult teeth and cause serious dental problems. A vet can often address this at the time of spay or neuter.