How dog teeth develop
Dogs, like humans, have two sets of teeth:
- Deciduous (milk) teeth: 28 teeth. Begin erupting at 3–4 weeks. All present by 6 weeks of age.
- Adult (permanent) teeth: 42 teeth. Replace the milk teeth between 3 and 7 months of age.
Teething timeline
- 3–4 months: incisors (small front teeth).
- 4–5 months: canines (the "fangs").
- 4–6 months: premolars.
- 5–7 months: molars (present only in the adult set).
Signs your puppy is teething
- Increased drive to chew and gnaw anything within reach.
- Slightly red or swollen gums.
- Excessive drooling.
- Occasional mild loss of appetite from mouth discomfort.
- Finding small milk teeth on the floor or in toys.
If the puppy is eating normally and showing no signs of severe pain — this is physiological and will pass.
Managing teething biting
- Provide appropriate chew toys: medium-density rubber toys, frozen wet rope toys, frozen stuffed Kongs. Cold soothes inflamed gums.
- Redirect, don't punish: when the puppy bites something forbidden, remove it calmly and immediately offer the correct chew toy. When they take the toy → praise.
- Teach bite inhibition: when pressure is painful, an exaggerated "ouch!" followed by 30–60 seconds of withdrawing attention teaches the puppy that hard biting ends the game.
- Protect valuables: during this phase it is more efficient to put things away than to try to teach a puppy what belongs to them.
When to see the vet
- Retained milk teeth: if at 6–7 months a milk tooth is still present alongside the adult tooth → veterinary extraction needed to prevent malocclusion.
- Excessive bleeding or signs of severe pain → dental check.
- Misaligned teeth → may require veterinary orthodontic assessment.