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Puppies bring a lot of love, happiness and positivity in our life. They are pockets full of energy and affection. When it comes to affection, they show it in unique ways, sometimes it comes with leaning their head on your lap or pawing towards you, sloppy kisses and even biting.
When it comes to puppy biting or chewing your fingers it is initially good because it looks so adorable and there seems to be no harm in it. But as they grow and their little nibbling turns towards ferocious behaviour like attacking sofas or electrical wires, then that can be life-threatening. You must wonder why this fun-loving furball is suddenly attacking and destroying everything.
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So, this is a natural behaviour in puppies which is referred to as teething. Teething is an eruption of their deciduous teeth. It starts from the age of 3-4 weeks and ends when they are around 6-7 months of age.
Why do they bite?
During teeth eruptions, they go through the pain known as teething pain and to relieve themselves from this pain they chew or bite almost each and everything. Chewing is a normal process in dogs even after an eruption of permanent teeth.
Symptoms of Teething
Teething starts from the age of 3-4 weeks. Puppies are generally with their mother or with the breeder during this age. When the pups start teething, they chew and bite almost every possible thing on their way. You may notice your pup is biting everyone’s hands, fingers, legs along with sofas, cushions to even your footwear.
Solution for Teething
To relieve them from this pain you can go with teething toys available in the market. Chewing on soft but good quality rubber toys helps them to combat pain. You can also use bones available for teething. Always make sure that whichever toy or bone you are choosing for you babies should be of high quality.
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Many times because of the bad rubber quality or brittle bones the dog may face choking hazards. Many of the pet owners have observed that chewing on frozen toys helps dogs to relieve their pain and soreness. It is also helpful in reducing the swelling on gums if present. Hence, it is recommended to give them frozen toys during the teething phase.
The pattern of Teeth Eruptions
Dogs have 24 deciduous teeth (temporary ones) and 42 permanent teeth.
Deciduous teeth are sharp and pointed and hence called needle teeth. Dogs have their incisors a.k.a front teeth and fangs first, later followed by premolars. Puppies don’t have molars.
Deciduous teeth fall around the age of 12 weeks of the pup and start to have their permanent teeth. Dogs get their full mouth i.e., 42 teeth around the age of 6-7 months.
How to stop them?
Chewing is a natural behaviour for all animals. Dogs explore their world through their mouth. So, they are full of excitement and curiosity. Their chewing behaviour can be treated by training them well and discouraging their unwanted behaviour. You can stop this behaviour by training them in the right manner.
Channelising their energy into something else can also help. But every dog is different and hence after many trial and errors, you will get the right solution for your pet. Patience is key when it comes to dog training. Basic commands like No, Stay, can help to make them understand better right from an early age.
You can observe mild blood on their toys or bones while playing or you may not even notice that their teeth are even falling. They may also swallow their teeth while eating the food. This is a normal, harmless process in dogs.
What you need to worry about?
- While giving them chewable toys or bones, always use high-quality rubber toys and bone.
- Keep an eye on them while they are playing with it. It should be under supervision only to avoid any accidents.
- Use a dental spray for your pup’s teeth to keep them away from building tartar on their teeth and to have fresh breath always.
Remember dogs are carnivorous animals their natural habitat is bone and flesh. Giving them soft dog food can develop tartar on their teeth. Take a qualified vet’s guidance to maintain your pet’s oral hygiene.
This guest post published by Esha Sinha, if you wanna publish on dog or pet blog write for us.
