If your puppy is chewing everything in sight and you've found a tiny tooth on the floor, welcome to teething. It's a normal, temporary stage — but a sore one for your puppy. Here's the timeline and how to help them (and your furniture) through it.
Few phases of puppyhood are as memorably destructive as teething. Just like human babies, puppies go through an uncomfortable period as teeth push through their gums — and their instinctive response is to chew on absolutely everything. Understanding the teething timeline and giving your puppy safe, appropriate outlets makes this stage far easier on both of you. Here's what to expect and how to help.
The puppy teething timeline
Puppies actually teethe twice. Their 28 baby teeth (deciduous teeth) come in at around 3 to 6 weeks of age, usually before they come home. Then, starting around 3 to 4 months, those baby teeth begin to fall out as the 42 adult teeth push through. This second wave is the teething owners notice. By about 6 to 7 months, most puppies have their full set of adult teeth and the worst of the chewing subsides. The exact timing varies by breed and individual.
Signs your puppy is teething
- Increased chewing and mouthing on everything — the hallmark sign.
- Finding tiny teeth around the house (though puppies often swallow them harmlessly).
- A little blood on toys or slight bleeding from the gums — usually normal and minor.
- Drooling more than usual.
- Red, swollen, or tender gums.
- Mildly reduced appetite or preferring softer food when gums are sore.
- Irritability or restlessness from the discomfort.
Why puppies chew during teething
Chewing isn't bad behavior during this stage — it's a need. The pressure of chewing relieves the ache of teeth moving through the gums, much as a teething baby gnaws on things. On top of the physical relief, chewing is how puppies explore the world and soothe themselves. So the goal isn't to stop your puppy chewing; it's to redirect that chewing onto appropriate things and away from your shoes and furniture.
How to help: safe chew toys
Provide a variety of puppy-safe chew toys with different textures to find what your puppy likes. Good options include sturdy rubber chew toys designed for puppies, soft nylon teething toys, and rubber toys you can stuff with food. Rotate them to keep things interesting. The right toy gives your puppy the chewing outlet they need and protects your belongings at the same time.
Cold relief for sore gums
Cold soothes inflamed gums beautifully. Pop rubber teething toys in the freezer, offer a frozen wet washcloth (twisted and frozen, supervised), or give a few ice cubes as a simple treat. Some toys are designed to be frozen for exactly this purpose. The combination of cold and gentle chewing pressure is one of the most effective ways to ease teething pain.
Redirect, don't punish
When your puppy chews something off-limits, calmly take it away and immediately offer an appropriate chew toy, praising them for switching. Punishing a teething puppy for chewing is unfair — they're responding to a real need — and it damages trust. Consistent redirection teaches them what is okay to chew. This also overlaps with managing nippy play; see our guide on how to stop puppy biting.
Puppy-proof your home
During teething, prevention saves both your belongings and your puppy. Keep shoes, cords, remote controls, and anything chewable out of reach, use baby gates to limit access, and supervise closely or use a crate or playpen when you can't watch. Many "destructive puppy" complaints are really just management problems — a teething puppy will chew what's available, so control what's available. Watch especially for anything toxic; see foods toxic to dogs for household dangers.
Retained baby teeth and when to call the vet
Sometimes a baby tooth doesn't fall out as the adult tooth comes in, leaving two teeth in one spot — a "retained deciduous tooth," most common in small breeds. This can cause crowding and dental problems and may need removal, often done during spay or neuter surgery. Call your vet if you notice doubled-up teeth, if your puppy stops eating entirely, has significant or persistent bleeding, has very swollen gums, or seems to be in real pain. Routine teething discomfort is mild; anything beyond that deserves a check.
Start good dental habits now
Teething is the perfect time to get your puppy used to having their mouth handled, which pays off for a lifetime of dental care. Gently touch their muzzle and lift their lips during calm moments, and once the adult teeth are in, introduce tooth brushing with dog-safe toothpaste. A puppy who accepts mouth handling becomes a dog whose teeth you can actually care for — and dental disease is one of the most common problems in adult dogs.
Teething is a phase — and it ends
If the chewing feels relentless, take heart: teething is genuinely temporary. Once the adult teeth are fully in around six to seven months, the desperate need to gnaw eases dramatically, though normal adult chewing for enrichment continues for life. The intense, into-everything energy of this stage also settles as your puppy matures — our guide on when puppies calm down sets realistic expectations for the months ahead. Pair teething management with the rest of your new-puppy checklist, including the vaccination schedule, and you'll get through these early months with your sanity — and most of your shoes — intact.
Could it be more than teething?
Most chewing during this window is ordinary teething, but it's worth distinguishing it from other causes. Anxiety-driven chewing tends to happen specifically when a puppy is left alone and may target doors or exits. Boredom chewing eases dramatically with more exercise and enrichment. And chewing paired with signs of illness — not eating, lethargy, swelling, or pain — isn't teething at all and needs a vet. If your puppy's chewing seems tied to being alone or comes with other worrying signs, treat it as its own issue rather than assuming the teeth are to blame.
One more reassurance for worried owners: a puppy swallowing the occasional lost baby tooth is harmless — it happens constantly and you often won't even find the teeth. What matters is providing safe outlets, protecting your belongings, and watching for the few genuine red flags above. Handle those, and teething becomes just another quirky chapter of puppyhood rather than a crisis. With a little patience and the right chew toys on hand, you and your puppy will be through it before you know it, and left with a mouth full of healthy adult teeth to care for.
The bottom line
Puppy teething runs from about 3 to 7 months as adult teeth replace baby teeth, and the intense chewing that comes with it is a need, not misbehavior. Offer plenty of safe chew toys, use cold for sore gums, redirect rather than punish, puppy-proof your home, and avoid anything hard enough to crack teeth. Call your vet for retained teeth or anything beyond mild discomfort — and use this stage to build the dental habits that protect your dog for life.
Frequently asked questions
At what age do puppies teethe?
Puppies get their baby teeth around 3–6 weeks, then start losing them and growing adult teeth from about 3–4 months. By roughly 6–7 months most puppies have all 42 adult teeth and the heavy chewing eases. The exact timing varies by breed and individual.
How can I help my teething puppy?
Offer a variety of safe puppy chew toys with different textures, use cold for relief (frozen rubber toys, a frozen damp washcloth, or ice cubes), and redirect chewing from household items to appropriate toys. Puppy-proof your home so tempting items are out of reach, and avoid anything hard enough to crack teeth.
Is it normal for a teething puppy's gums to bleed?
A little blood on toys or minor gum bleeding as baby teeth fall out is usually normal and harmless. However, significant or persistent bleeding, very swollen gums, refusal to eat, or signs of real pain warrant a call to your vet rather than waiting it out.
What shouldn't I give a teething puppy to chew?
Avoid anything hard enough to damage teeth: real or antler bones, hard nylon bones, cow hooves, and large ice chunks can all crack teeth. A good test is whether you can dent it with a thumbnail — if not, it's too hard. Stick to puppy-specific rubber and soft chew toys.