Poodle Teething Age – How to Handle a Teething Poodle
Teething occurs in dogs any time that they are getting teeth in. According to the experts, puppies have 28 baby teeth that erupt through their gums during early puppyhood. Before they turn a year old, they will have 42 adult teeth, which is ten more than humans have.
Poodle puppies teeth twice: once when their baby teeth start emerging, and again when their adult teeth start erupting.
Read on to learn the teething schedule you can expect for your poodle puppy and how you can help alleviate your pup’s teething pain and prevent the destruction of your belongings during this stage.
Do Puppies Have Pain With Teething?
Just like with human babies and children, puppies often experience pain and discomfort while their teeth are coming in. This pain can cause puppies to try to alleviate the pain through chewing on things, similar to the way that babies do.
What is the Poodle Teething Age?
The usual teething age for poodles is from four weeks to eight months. It lasts from the time that your poodle starts to get its baby teeth until it loses them and gains all its adult teeth.
Just like with humans, dogs start out with baby teeth before getting their adult teeth. Poodles get their baby teeth between ages four weeks and eight or ten weeks, which marks their first teething stage.
When do poodles lose their puppy teeth? They start losing their baby teeth around age 2-4 months, which is when the second round of teething begins.
The teething schedule you can expect for your poodle includes:
- Age 4 weeks: baby incisors emerge
- Age 5 weeks: baby canine teeth emerge
- Age 6 weeks: baby molars emerge
- Ages 8-10 weeks: all baby teeth should have emerged
- Ages 2-4 months: milk teeth will start to fall out and adult incisors emerge
- Ages 4-6 months: adult premolars emerge
- Ages 4-7 months: molars emerge
- Ages 5-6 months: adult canine teeth emerge
- Ages 6-8 months: most adult permanent teeth should have emerged
How Long Does Poodle Teething Last?
Poodle teething usually lasts through half or most of its first year, starting at age four weeks and ending around age 6-8 months.
When does puppy teething end? Teething usually ends when puppies get all their adult teeth in around age 6-8 months. However, it’s always possible that your poodle may keep teething longer if their adult teeth take longer to erupt. Some dogs teethe up to age 12 months.
What are Signs Your Poodle is Teething?
Some of the most annoying puppy behaviors are signs that a puppy is teething. Puppy teething symptoms are temporary – but can disrupt life, furniture, and normal training.
The good news is that most of these behaviors will stop after all its baby teeth emerge, so don’t think you have a faulty poodle. These behaviors are normal. So, if your puppy is nipping you and chewing on everything, know that it’s probably just a phase.
Here are some signs your puppy is teething:
- Chewing everything (including you)
- Drooling
- Whining
- Decreased appetite
- Red or swollen gums
- Missing teeth
- Bad breath
How Can You Stop Your Poodle From Chewing While Teething?
You shouldn’t try to keep your poodle from chewing while it’s teething since chewing relieves teething discomfort. Instead of trying to prevent your pup from chewing, you should divert its chewing efforts.
Here are some ways to keep your dog from chewing your favorite shoes and everything else in your house: (this type of intervention is called bite inhibition training)
- Limit access: Limit where you allow your pup to roam when you’re not around. Using a kennel when you’re at work or during bedtime can help.
- Remove temptations: Having a puppy requires puppy-proofing your house and yard. Remove temptations from ground level and any surface your puppy can reach. I learned the hard way that reading glasses and earbuds are irresistible to puppies.
- Use chew-deterrent spray: Spray anything that the puppy might gnaw (like wooden chair legs and shoes) with a chew-deterrent spray. You can buy one like Bitter Apple or make your own.
- Provide plenty of puppy chew toys: If your puppy has something they enjoy chewing that they’re allowed to chew, they’re less likely to chew your belongings.
- Provide new objects to chew: If you switch out toys each week, your dog is less likely to get bored and chew items it shouldn’t.
- Teach the command “no”: If your pup is chewing something it shouldn’t, say “no” firmly and offer an appropriate chew toy. When your poodle takes the puppy toy, praise it.
How Can You Help Your Poodle When it’s Teething?
What helps a teething puppy? Providing the right toys and treats for your puppy while it’s teething can help your puppy feel better and help you to stay happy with your puppy.
Toys for Teething Puppies
Some of the best teething toys for puppies look similar to teething toys for human babies.
How to Choose a Teething Toy for a Puppy
A successful puppy chew toy should have at least one of the following qualities:
- Interactive: If the toy moves or makes noise, it’s more fun to chew.
- Motivating: If the puppy gets a reward like a treat from the toy, it’s more likely to chew it.
- Multiple surface types: Different surfaces like knobs, ridges, and ropes can feel good on the puppy’s gums.
- Correct size: A toy for a puppy should be small enough to fit in its mouth but not too small that the puppy might accidentally swallow it.
- Long-lasting: Choose something that the pup can’t destroy in a couple of minutes, like a Nylabone or Kong toy.
The Best Toys for Teething Puppies
Here are some of the best toys I’ve found for teething poodle puppies:
- Frozen washcloth for chewing
- Kong ring chew toy
- Kong puppy binkie treat dispenser
- Nylabone puppy keyring teething toy
- Nylabone puppy teething dinosaur
- Cooling teething toy for puppies
- SCENEREAL interactive puppy chew toy pack
Treats for Teething Puppies
What poodle doesn’t like a treat? When a treat also helps with teething, you both win. Here are some treats that can help your pooch with teething pain:
- Ice cubes in drinking water
- Frozen chicken broth cubes
- Bully sticks
- A frozen carrot
Why is My Poodle Still Destructive After Teething?
If your poodle continues to chew things after the teething period is over, and all 42 adult teeth have emerged, it’s probably a sign that your poodle is bored, needs social stimulation, or needs exercise.
Final Thoughts on Teething Poodles
The teething stage can be one of the most challenging stages of poodle ownership. However, it doesn’t have to be a destructive stage if you divert their chewing away from you and your belongings. Puppy toys are your best friend during the teething stage.
Once you know how to help your teething pup, you can start enjoying all the fun parts of poodle puppyhood again.