Teething Stages for Puppies

We all know that the puppy life involves chewing and teething.  It can take a full eight months before puppies finish teething and learn that chewing on certain items is not appropriate.  You must be patient!  There are different teething stages when it comes to your puppy which every dog owner should be aware of.  We are excited to share our insight below!

The First Teeth – Puppies typically begin to get teeth around five or six weeks of age.  Fun fact!  There are 28 “milk teeth” which are the equivalent to baby teeth.  Keep in mind that teething is painful for puppies.  This is one of the reasons why they gnaw on items to help relieve the pain.

Losing Baby Teeth – Puppies lose their baby teeth faster than it took them to come in. The baby teeth begin falling out approximately one month after coming through.  At only 3 months of age, a puppy loses his first set. The process usually starts with the incisors.

Four Month Molars – A puppy’s adult molars start to grow in around four months old. Nearly all the baby teeth will be out at this point.  Puppies should see a veterinarian to determine how many more baby teeth are present.

Six Month Teeth Check – At six months old, a puppy should have nearly all their adult teeth in place. Teeth that are growing in crooked or causing the dog to have an overbite may need to be corrected before the teething process is completed.

Adult Teeth – Adult dogs have 42 permanent teeth, and all the teeth are usually in by the time the pup is eight months old.  The good news is this is usually the point when teething stops. The bad news is that if you haven’t been working with your pup, he or she may continue to chew on things just for the fun of it. You know how much damage a puppy can do to slippers with 28 baby teeth.  Imagine how much damage 42 adult teeth will do to expensive work shoes!