Understanding Puppy Teething Behaviours

When Will My Puppy… Stop Biting?!
Oh my, those little velociraptor teeth certainly hurt! The good news is, if handled correctly, this phase won’t last long and will soon pass. Your puppy is exploring everything around them, and play biting is an important part of their development.

To get a better understanding of puppy teething behaviours, its important to understand, that puppies, much like human babies, go through a teething phase as their baby teeth fall out and adult teeth come in. This process usually starts around 3 weeks of age and continues until they are about 6 months old. During this time, your puppy may experience discomfort, leading to increased chewing and biting behaviors. Providing appropriate teething relief will help soothe their gums and protect your belongings from destruction!

Top Tips for Managing Puppy Nipping and Biting

• Don’t try to handle an overexcited or overtired puppy – It won’t end well! Choose your moments for picking up, stroking, and touching your puppy. Instead, wait until they are calm and relaxed. This will reinforce the idea that hands provide something good. It’s always a good idea to learn more about canine behaviour so you can better under your pup’s que’s too!
• Avoid playing games using your hands – you don’t want to encourage your puppy to bite any body part. Always use a suitable tuggy toy instead. This is not only protect you from nips and bites, but also teach them from an early age, that teeth on skin is not allowed.
• Redirect any unwanted ‘trouser hanging’ onto a tuggy toy – preferably a long one so that your hand is at one end and your puppy’s teeth are at the other! Doing so will protect you, your trousers, and help them to release some of that energy! (Top tip-Never pull a pup up off the floor when playing tug, you want to keep all four paws on the floor, to protect the spine from injury or strain. Pull them forward or to the side of you, especially with longer backed breeds) 
• If your puppy’s teeth make contact with your skin, stop play immediately by saying something like ‘Done’, ‘Finished’ or ‘game over’ and walk away. This will teach them that fun stops when teeth go places they shouldn’t. Once the pup is in a calmer state, redirect with toys or basic training practice (Remeber, puppies have relitively short attention spans, keep it short and simple!) 
• Follow exciting games with some calming activities such as scatter feeding! This is a firm favorite of our and can help dogs relax and redirect their focus else where! Throwing a handful of kibble onto the floor/grass or placing into a snuffle mat, you can even fill a box with newspaper and drop treats/kibble in. This will get them using their nose, and brain to find those tasty nibbles. Sniffing is a very important natural behaviour, that when encouraged as redirection can help bring their energy back down.

Recognizing Triggers for Increased Biting

Puppies are more prone to biting when they are:

• Overtired or Overstimulated: Ensure your puppy gets adequate rest and avoid excessive stimulation. (Puppies will sleep for 18-20 hours a day)

• Hungry: Maintain a consistent feeding schedule to prevent hunger-induced biting.

  • 4–12 weeks: Feed your puppy three to four times a day. 
  • 4–6 months: Feed your puppy three times a day. 

• Needing to Relieve Themselves: Regular bathroom breaks can prevent discomfort-related biting.
  A puppy should be taken to the bathroom at least every 2-3 hours during the day, which can translate to around 8-12 times  depending on their age and activity level, including right after waking up, before bed, after meals, and following playtime. 

  • Age matters:

    Younger puppies have smaller bladders and need more frequent bathroom breaks than older pups. 

  • Watch for signs:

    Pay attention to your puppy’s behavior like sniffing, circling, whining, or restlessness, which can indicate they need to go. 

  • Consistency is key:

    Stick to a regular schedule to help your puppy learn when and where to go to the bathroom

Providing Appropriate Outlets for Natural Behaviors

To support your puppy’s development and reduce unwanted biting, offer safe and suitable outlets for natural behaviors:

• Chewing: Provide a variety of chew toys to satisfy the natural urge to chew. Rotate toys to keep it interesting for your puppy.

• Licking: Introduce lick mats spread with dog-safe treats to promote calming licking behaviors. These are excellent in moments where a little more relaxed and calm behaviour is required.

• Sniffing: Engage your puppy in scent-based games or use snuffle mats to encourage their natural sniffing instincts, this is also how they work out the world around them, give them time to sniff on walks as well as at home!

Recommended Teething Toys and Enrichment Tools

Selecting the right toys can make a significant difference during the teething phase. Here are some of our top recommendations:

Kong Classic Puppy

Fill with soft treats, or kibble and ‘seal’ with wet food or paste, for a quick and tasty redirection!
Kong puppy rubber is gentle on teeth, meaning puppy teeth are safe, gives them satisfying chomp-a-bility, and engages both scent work and licking, helping to release those calming chemicals in the brain!

Kong Puppy Teething Stick 

The Kong Puppy Teething Stick is a great enrichment tool, especially for those extra ‘chompy moments’, that tend to occur  when pup is over tired, or over stimulated! Cover in paste and chill or freeze, for a cooling long lasting chew to help sooth gums. Not only will your pup get a tasty treat, any sore gums will be soothed, and filling the grooves with puppy specific wet food or paste will keep them engaged.

Kong Wild Knots Bear

KONG Wild Knots Bears are not only cute, but soft and cuddly on the outside, while being durable and strong on the inside. Wild Knots bears are sure to be a hit with dogs and their pet parents. Great to keep to hand for when your pup needs a distraction from you, or your belongings! Dogs of all ages love the knotted skeleton, and the reinforced plush body provides extra durability. KONG Wild Knots have less stuffing for less mess and they squeak to entice play!

Nina Ottosson Dog Rumble Puzzle Org Level 1

The Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Topsy Treat Ball is two toys in one for interactive fun! Featuring a treat ball and a maze ball for a problem-solving challenge and extended play, this puzzle ball keeps your pooch busy and mentally stimulated for unrivalled dog enrichment. As a treat-dispensing dog toy, it is a true boredom buster that will keep your dog busy and entertained, perfect for nose work, scent games, and tapping into those natural instincts. Did you know, the mental stimulation achieved when solving dog puzzles benefits the body and the mind… just 15 minutes of mental stimulation for dogs is equal to 30 minutes of physical activity, which is especially beneficial for high energy, clever breeds!

LickiMat Tuff Playdate

A great introductory lick mat for puppies, and destructive dogs alike, the tougher plastic makes it more durable than the standard lickimats, making it safer for pups in the throws of their teething/velociraptor phase!  Dont forget you must supervise and train all puppies and chewers, and not leave them unattended. Cover with wet foods, pastes, dog safe human foods for a tasty, nutritious boredom buster, or use to encourage calm behaviours when required.

DIY Money Saving Teething Solutions for Managing Teething Puppies

If you’re looking for easy homemade options, here are some easy DIY solutions:

• Frozen Carrots or Apples – These provide a cooling effect on sore gums while also being a healthy snack (remember to remove pips, and feed in moderation!).
• Rolled and Frozen towel/cloth – Dampen a clean washcloth, sprinkle treats or kibble, roll it up, and freeze it for a safe and soothing chew. (Always over see, to ensure they don’t cheat by chewing through the fabric, or ingest fabric.)
• Homemade Rope Toy – Tie old T-shirts into a braided rope and dampen with water before freezing for an engaging chew toy!
• Cardboard box filled with materials– Sprinkle and hide treats or kibble among screwed up paper,wood chip or shavings, or leaf litter from the garden, let your pooch snuffle and sniff to their hearts content. (We always get amazing feed back with this one, its a definite winner for us!)

Final Thoughts

Navigating the teething phase requires patience and understanding. By providing appropriate outlets for natural behaviors and selecting suitable toys, you can help your puppy transition smoothly through this developmental stage. Remember, consistency in your approach will reinforce positive behaviors, leading to a well-adjusted and happy companion. If you do find yourself frustrated or struggling with the teething process or the puppy phase in general, we highly recommend investing in a trainer/behaviourist to help guide you and your puppy through, We’ve all been there! Just remember, it is a phase and it does end.

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