Does anyone have any advice on the teething issue of puppies. We have never had a dog before let alone a puppy. We knew that puppies teeth, just like babies, but we are a bit confused on some aspects. We didn't really take a look in our puppies mouth when we got him home, but of course we realised there must be teeth because of the nipping. So, are the teeth they have when they are small the first and baby set? Or do these come in over the next few weeks? May seem like a silly question, but does it work in the same way as a small child, that teeth get wobbly and then you find them having fallen out? Chester is 17 weeks now and still nipping which we have put down to teething still, but at our recent puppy class, the trainer said that by 16 weeks puppies should have stopped biting. So, we wondered if maybe he does not yet have all his teeth and his gums are still sore etc. When looking into his mouth, it does not really appear that he has a full set. If the baby teeth have been and are indeed now being replaced, we have never yet seen a tooth lying around, unless he is swallowing them. Many thanks.
Some sail through teething, others seem to have a bit of pain and sore gums. Yes, the teeth come loose then fall out and the new, adult, tooth is behind it. My pups mostly just swallow their teeth but I may find one or two. The biting isn’t usually connected with teething - all is play (inappropriate with humans, of course, but play nonetheless). When it’s teething they chew a lot rather than nipping. Frozen carrots are good for soothing their gums. Here are some good articles about biting and no, the trainer is wrong, some pups are crocodiles long after 16 weeks - especially Labs! Mollie was 7 months before she stopped being a terrible crocapup. She’s now about to start Advanced training as a Guide Dog, so fear not - they all grow out of it eventually! https://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppies-biting/
I'd add to @Boogie's post that teething often isn't complete by 17 weeks, and maybe not even started. The adult teeth are very different to the puppy ones, so you should be able to tell the difference. Puppy teeth are sharp as needles, adult teeth are larger and more rounded. I found very few of my puppies' teeth - most were eaten.
Thank you all so much, I now understand better about the teething problems, and now will try to work on the 'biting' aspect. Generally Chester is not too bad and we try to redirect him away from our arms etc. We were (wrongly) putting it down to teething, so thank you for the information. It's clear now that Chester does not have even half of his adult teeth, I can clearly see gaps now where they will eventually be. Thank you to Boogie to for the point on the trainer, I too thought he was wrong and that it must surely depend on the dog, and also the breed. Thank you, what a great site to get info, especially for the complete novices like us.
