Your cute, adorable puppy has turned into a land shark. Those tiny needles hurt, but it’s a phase that every puppy will go through. You need to have your toys on you at all times, try everything and most importantly, track everything that works and build your arsenal. You can scream and say ouch but some dogs see that as more exciting, fill your freezer with every treat – You got this, it’s just a phase.
Puppy Teeth vs Adult Teeth — Understanding the Why?
Baby Teeth (28): Tiny Needle Razors
Puppies start with 28 baby teeth, all of which are designed to be as sharp as possible so their siblings learn conflict resolution early.
Adult Teeth (42): Fully Armed and Operational
By around 6 months, they replace those razors with 42 adult teeth. More teeth = more chewing.
When the biting starts
Puppy Teething, From My Side
I will start here.
When your puppy bites, it does not feel playful from the inside.
It feels urgent.
My mouth hurts.
My body is learning faster than my brain.
Everything close to me becomes information.
You see chaos.
I feel pressure looking for a place to land.
This is teething.
What Teething Actually Feels Like to a Puppy
Humans like timelines.
Dogs feel waves.
Some days, my mouth barely registers.
Other days, it buzzes, throbs, and asks me to do something about it.
That “something” is chewing.
Not because I am naughty.
Because pressure changes how my gums feel.
Cold slows it.
Resistance soothes it.
Movement makes it louder.
This is important later.
Why the Biting Feels So Constant
Teething biting is not one behaviour.
Several needs overlap.
From my side, biting usually means:
My gums hurt
My brain is full
Something near me is moving too fast
I do not know where else to put my mouth
That is why it feels relentless.
It is not one problem repeating.
There are many small ones stacked.
What to Do the Moment Teeth Touch Skin
This is where humans accidentally make things worse.
Fast reactions feel exciting.
Noise feels like play.
Pulling away feels like a game.
What helps me most is boring clarity.
When teeth touch skin:
Your body goes still
Your hands stop moving
Your attention pauses
Then, quietly, something better appears.
A chew.
Right there.
Not across the room.
I am not learning “don’t bite.”
I am learning where the biting belongs.
This works only if it happens every time.
Not perfectly.
Predictably.
The Timing Insight Most Guides Miss
Here is something humans usually learn too late.
The best moment to offer a chew is before the bite.
Watch my body.
When my movement speeds up
When my mouth starts searching
When I pace or reorient repeatedly
That is the window.
Humans who learn to intervene there say the biting drops dramatically.
Not because I improved.
Because I never reached desperation.
Why Yelp-and-Ignore Rarely Works
Many humans are told to squeal or dramatically withdraw.
From my nervous system, that feels like:
Sudden noise
Big emotion
Fast movement
All things that wake me up more.
Stillness works better.
Not coldness.
Not anger.
Just nothing is happening.
Then the chew appears, and my mouth finally relaxes.
What Actually Makes a Good Teething Chew
Cold alone is not enough.
From my mouth, the best chews have:
Resistance Plus gives
Texture that changes under pressure
Enough weight to feel grounding
This is why damp, frozen fabric works so well.
Why silicone baby teethers work.
Why braided rope works better than stiff plastic.
Humans often think variety helps.
What helps me more is contrast.
Soft, then firm.
Cold, then neutral.
Yielding, then steady.
Why Furniture Suddenly Becomes a Target
This part confuses humans.
Furniture does not taste better.
It does not run away.
It does not change.
When I am overwhelmed, solid things ground me.
Table legs.
Skirting boards.
The same corner, every time.
Blocking access helps only if you replace it with something equally stable.
I am not testing boundaries.
I am stabilising myself.
Children and Teething Puppies
Children are not the problem.
Unpredictable movement is.
Running looks like play.
High voices sound exciting.
Waving hands invite mouths.
Stillness ends the game without conflict.
When children freeze, fold their arms, or step up onto furniture, my interest fades.
Not because I was taught.
Because nothing is happening anymore.
Teach the child stillness.
My body already understands it.
When Chewing Turns Frantic
This is rarely about teeth alone.
It usually means I am tired, overstimulated, or carrying too much energy.
What helps then is not more activity.
It is lowering my head.
Slowing my breath.
Doing something repetitive and simple.
Scatter feeding
Licking mats
Sniffing games
These quiet my nervous system.
They are not enrichment tricks.
They are regulation.
The Pen or Crate Insight Humans Discover Late
When used only after chaos, a pen feels like removal.
When used before overstimulation, it feels like relief.
Smaller spaces calm my body.
Especially when the day has been loud.
Many humans think I dislike it.
Then I fall asleep immediately.
From my side, containment can feel safe.
Why Evenings Are Always Worse
Teething often peaks at night.
Not because my teeth hurt more.
Because my day has been full.
Sounds
Smells
Movement
Decisions
By evening, my body has no off switch left.
The humans who see the biggest change do not add more exercise.
They reduce stimulation.
Softer voices
Slower movement
Dimmer lights
The house exhales.
So do I.
What Actually Ends the Teething Phase
Time helps.
But what stays are habits.
Puppies who come out of teething calmer are not the ones corrected most.
They are the ones who have always had:
- Something better
- Offered early
- In a quiet moment
I do not remember the pain.
I remember the relief.
If You Are Tired
That makes sense.
If your furniture looks different now, I understand.
I am not trying to challenge you.
I am trying to cope in a body that is changing faster than my understanding.
- Move slower.
- Offer the chew earlier.
- Lower the energy instead of adding to it.
That is how my teeth learn where they belong.
Not because I was told.
Because it finally feels easier not to bite.
And when this phase ends, it really does end.
Quietly.