Skip to content
newpuppy.vet
Emergency
Menu

Teething, biting and chewing

When do puppies lose their baby teeth?

By Dr. Steve Pelton, DVM

The short answer

  • Puppies have 28 baby teeth, all in by about 6 to 8 weeks.
  • Baby teeth start falling out around 3.5 to 4 months, front teeth first, canines by about 6 months.
  • Most puppies have all 42 adult teeth by about 6 to 8 months.
  • A tiny tooth on the floor or a little blood on a toy is normal. Two teeth in one spot isn't: call your vet.
  • Biting usually eases a lot once the adult teeth are in. Trade, pause and nap get you there.

Try it

Slide through his first year

UPPER JAWLOWER JAWfront of the mouth is at the top and bottom
Baby tooth Adult tooth Gap (one just fell out)

28baby teeth (of 28)

0adult teeth (of 42)

A full set of baby teeth

All 28 baby teeth are in by about 6 to 8 weeks, so most puppies come home with a full mouth of tiny needles.

What you might notice: Lots of mouthing and nipping. Normal, and very pointy.

Slide past 5.5 months to see it.

Normal while he's teething

  • A tiny tooth on the floor, or never finding one. Most puppies swallow their baby teeth, and that's fine.
  • A small spot of blood on a chew toy, or a little pink in his spit.
  • Gums a bit red where a new tooth is coming in.
  • Chewing on everything, especially in the evening.
  • Sweet, slightly odd puppy breath.

Call your vet

  • Two teeth in one spot. That baby tooth usually needs to come out now, not at the spay or neuter.
  • A broken tooth, especially with a pink or dark spot in the middle.
  • Bleeding that doesn't stop, or more than a small spot.
  • He won't eat, chews on one side, drops food or paws at his mouth.
  • A truly bad smell from his mouth.
  • A bite that looks off, with a tooth poking his gums or the roof of his mouth.

The biting: what to do tonight

Puppies play with their mouths, and in the litter a yelp from a brother taught them how hard is too hard. Now you're the littermate. He isn't being mean. Teething, excitement and missed naps all turn it up. These three first steps work for most puppies, and a good reward-based trainer or puppy class takes you further.

Three panels: Trade, Meatball swaps a sleeve for a rope toy; Pause, a grown-up turns away; Nap, a wild puppy at dusk, then asleep in his crate ten minutes later

Trade

The second teeth touch skin or a sleeve, swap in a toy and make it the most exciting thing in the room.

Pause

Teeth on skin? Stand up, turn away and go boring for a few seconds. Then start again gently.

Nap

A land shark every evening is usually an overtired puppy. Crate or pen, a chew, lights low. Ten minutes later: new puppy.

Skip these

  • Hitting or tapping him
  • Flicking his nose
  • Holding his mouth shut
  • Scruffing, shaking or pinning him

Veterinary behavior experts recommend reward-based training only. A puppy who learns to fear hands is more likely to bite hands later.

See your vet if...

  • He suddenly starts biting when he didn't before. Pain is a common cause.
  • He growls or snaps when one spot is touched, like an ear or a paw.
  • His bites are hard and stiff instead of floppy and playful.
  • His bites still break skin after his adult teeth are in.

Questions I get every day

When do puppies lose their baby teeth?

Usually starting around 3.5 to 4 months, front teeth first, with the canines swapping out by about 6 months. Most puppies have all 42 adult teeth by about 6 to 8 months. Puppies have 28 baby teeth, all in by about 6 to 8 weeks.

My puppy swallowed his tooth. Is that a problem?

No. Most puppies swallow most of their baby teeth. They're tiny and pass through without trouble, so you may never find one.

What if I see two teeth in the same spot?

That's a baby tooth that didn't fall out, most often a canine. Call your vet soon. It usually needs to come out promptly so the adult tooth can settle in the right place. Waiting for the spay or neuter generally isn't recommended unless that's only days away.

Is a little blood normal when my puppy is teething?

A small spot of blood on a toy or a bit of pink in his spit is normal while teeth are changing. Bleeding that doesn't stop, or more than a small spot, is a reason to call your vet.

When will my puppy stop biting?

Most puppies get much softer with their mouths over a few weeks of trade, pause and nap, and the biting usually eases a lot once the adult teeth are in, around 5 to 7 months. If it isn't getting better, talk to your vet.

What chews are safe for a teething puppy?

Nothing harder than his teeth and nothing he can swallow whole. Skip bones, antlers and very hard chews, which can crack thin puppy teeth. If your thumbnail can't dent it, it's too hard. Watch him chew anything new, and swap chews out when they wear down small.

Where this comes from

  • USDA-APHIS. Aging Puppies by Teeth. APHIS-23-030, July 2023.
  • VCA Animal Hospitals. Retained deciduous teeth (baby teeth) in dogs.
  • American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). 2019 Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats.
  • AAHA. 2019 Canine Life Stage Guidelines.
  • American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB). Humane Dog Training Position Statement. 2021.
  • San Francisco SPCA. Puppy play biting and mouthing.

General education, not veterinary advice. Your vet's plan for your puppy comes first.