Training Tips For Teething Puppies

Having a puppy is all fun and games until your favorite shoe or bit of something gets chewed up. The bundle of excitement with four paws you brought home is cute as can be, but over time, you start to notice your fur baby nipping at your ankles. They start gnawing on things they shouldn't be supposed to be gnawing on. 

Psst. This means they’re teething. Yup. Those chompers are coming in.

We’re talking about those 28 micro teeth inside your puppy's mouth. You might be walking to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and have this little ball of fluff following you and nipping at your feet with every step, or perhaps a left sneaker now has more holes for airflow than the right sneaker from the pair you have.  

It happens. 

All we can do is take a deep breath, be patient, and maybe apply some tips for dealing with teething and nipping puppies! You see, these puppies get their teeth much earlier than human babies do.

When that happens and the drooling kickstarts with it, you don’t want to spend your time learning how to deal with your puppy’s teething while the teething is in progress. If you can afford to, get prepared before bringing the puppy home.

Here are some training tips for dealing with teething puppies!

1. During playtime, pretend you’re injured

When dogs play-fight with each other and get too rough, one dog may yelp or bark loudly to express their pain. So when your dog starts to bite or nip at you, bust out your acting chops and let out a high-pitched “ouch” or something that indicates you’re in pain. With time, your puppy will know that’s not okay and stop what they’re doing. 

2. Resist the urge to give your puppy a treat if they’re nipping. 

That means treats through playtime, too. Dogs see playtime as a reward. If your dog nips or bites too much while you’re playing, stop playing. Playing is a form of reward and rewards don’t always take the shape of treats! Keep that in mind. Your attention is everything to your puppy! 

3. Look into toys that are useful for the teething phases. 

Hard nylon and rubber toys are usually the best toy options to go with like Kong toys. These toys can withstand the teething and are also safe on your puppy’s teeth. Reward your puppy with treats for teething on these toys. The association between toy and treats will stick with your pup over time.

4. Stimulate them with different activities.

There is such a thing as a restless dog. When your puppy’s little body has so much energy, that might show through damages at home. Gear up with a harness and a leash and hit a trail or the dog park. 

5. Use frozen veggies or fruits to help relieve teething pains.

Toss veggies and fruits that are safe for dogs into the freezer, and in a few hours, you’ll have a frozen treat that doubles as pain relief for your pup. Carrots make great frozen treats for teething puppies!

This is just a sampling of tips and informational posts we offer at Joyride Harness. You can find more content including tips and tricks and how-tos for caring for your dog on our blog at this section. Feel free to leave a comment with tips you’re looking for!