Maltipoo Teething
There are a few challenging phases you will face when bringing a new puppy home. Teething is one of the top challenges.
When a puppy is teething, there is quite a bit of discomfort and itching. This can send a pup into a frenzy as he looks for something to cure his teething discomfort. However, there are some things that you can do to help your puppy and keep your home from being destroyed.
The Maltipoo Puppy Teething Timeline
Maltipoo Puppies are born without teeth, but they will grow in very soon.
They will first grow a 'puppy set' of 28 deciduous teeth, and then later an adult set of 42 teeth.
Here is an example of the time table for the puppy teeth coming in:
3-4 Weeks Old – The puppy's canines (the longer teeth on each side in the front of the mouth) begin emerging
3 to 5 Weeks Old - The incisors (the tiny teeth in the front) begin coming in
4-6 Weeks Old – The premolars (larger side teeth) begin to show
Puppies should have a total of 28 milk/puppy teeth by the age of 8 weeks.
The age that a Maltipoo starts the teething phase when the milk teeth start falling out and the adult teeth growing in is just around the 4 month mark. There will, of course, be some early and late bloomers. Typically, teething is complete around 8 months of age.
The order of this is usually as follows:
4 Months old – the adult incisors begin to grow in
5 months old - the adult canine teeth begin to grow in
6 months old - the adult molars begin to grow in
By 8 months old, a puppy should have all adult dog teeth ascended and teething will end.
How to Help When Your Maltipoo is Teething
Puppies have very little self-control so you'll need to take some steps to prevent your puppy from chewing on non-toy items and to help with the itching and discomfort.
Here is what you can do:
1. Puppy-proof the house.
In this section you will see that there will be little time for your Maltipoo to roam around and mouth things. However, all it takes is a second.
So you'll want to scour every room that your puppy could possibly be in for hazardous items.
Tie cords out of the way, and use cord concealer for those that must stay plugged in and within reach.
Pick up any small items from the floor that they might chew. Teething puppies often mouth things just to find out if they might be pleasant to chew on, so nothing is off limits. Sometimes dogs will chew and swallow small socks, toys and coins. Pay close attention to items of this nature to make sure they are not available for your puppy to chew or swallow.
Put shoes, clothing and personal items up high. If a shoe gets destroyed during the teething phase, it is not the puppy’s fault. It should always be kept up where the puppy cannot reach it.
2. Supervise.
Supervising is one of the most important yet simple and overlooked items in keeping your dog from chewing items they shouldn’t.
Young teething pups should not be allowed to roam the house, leaving puddles of pee and poop throughout. They should have a designated area and supervision whenever possible to avoid these issues.
When you can have your puppy near you, keep your pup on a harness with a 6 foot leash. You can simply slip the end of the leash around your wrist or secure it through your belt loop. Be sure to use a harness and not a collar, as this will prevent neck injury as your Maltipoo follows you around.
When you cannot keep an eye on your puppy, keep him in one designated area. One of the best ways to set up a comfortable and safe area is to use an indoor playpen. These are also great for potty training and to keep a puppy's essentials right near him to help cope with separation anxiety. Inside the playpen should be a bed, water, food (if you won't be home) and teething toys. Read More About Setting Up a Safe Space for Your Maltipoo
3. Provide effective teething toys.
You don’t need to waste time stocking up on generic toys. These will not help with teething discomfort. Teething puppies need toys that are specifically designed to soothe discomfort and relieve itching.
The toys should be:
Properly sized - If a puppy has to struggle to fit parts of the toy in his mouth, he will most likely give up.
Properly textured - What really helps a teething puppy is that the toy has the right density to work the jaw, while having textures that scratch itchy gums.
There are two textures that work well for this.
tiny nubs
ropes - Ropes are a good choice to have as at least one of your pup's toys, since you can soak and freeze them.
Giving your puppy cold ropes can really help with both pain and itching, and it also helps with swelling that often occurs around the teeth.