What teething feels like and why chewing spikes
As adult teeth push through, a puppy's gums swell, itch, and ache in waves, often worst in the evening when he is tired. Chewing is not naughtiness in this phase; pressure on the gum is genuinely relieving, and a teething puppy will seek that pressure from chair legs, skirting boards, shoes, and hands if better options are not right there. You may find tiny baby teeth on the floor, see mild gum redness where a tooth is erupting, or notice brief food reluctance on a sore day. Knowing the driver changes the response: your job is to supply legal pressure, cold, and rest in generous amounts, and to puppy-proof as if chewing everything is guaranteed — because for a few intense weeks, it is.
Cold comforts that earn their place
Cold numbs sore gums in a way room-temperature toys cannot. Twist a clean damp cloth into a rope, chill it until firm, and offer it while you hold one end at first so it becomes a shared game rather than a swallow risk. Rotate puppy-appropriate rubber chews through the fridge so a cold one is always ready. A food-stuffed toy frozen solid extends licking and gnawing time and works especially well before the evening sore spell. Avoid rock-hard items — solid ice blocks, weight-bearing bones, and very hard nylon — because erupting teeth and retained baby teeth can crack against unyielding surfaces, turning a comfort into a dental injury. Supervise every frozen or cloth item and remove it when it softens into pieces small enough to tear off.
Setting up legal chewing before the urge hits
Timing beats correction. Offer a prepared chew after a walk, after play, and as your puppy settles for the evening, rather than waiting until he has a table leg in his mouth. Keep an approved chew in every room he occupies so trading is easy: swap the forbidden item calmly for the legal one, praise the switch, and block access to repeat targets with gates, covers, or closed doors. Rotate three or four chews so yesterday's boring toy becomes interesting again, and put high-value teething chews away between sessions to preserve their appeal. If hands are the target, go still, redirect to a chew held beside your hand, and end hand games entirely during this phase — wiggly fingers are too close to a chew toy in a sore puppy's judgement.
Sleep, sore days and when chewing signals a vet check
Teething pain and poor sleep feed each other, so protect naps and expect some nights to be unsettled while a molar erupts. Most teething needs no medical help, but contact your vet if a baby tooth remains firmly in place while the adult tooth grows alongside it, if a tooth looks broken, if bleeding is more than a brief smear on a chew, or if your puppy stops eating, drools excessively on one side, or paws persistently at his mouth. Those signs can point to a retained tooth or injury that home comforts cannot fix, and early removal of a stubborn retained tooth protects the adult bite. Mention ongoing gum soreness at routine puppy visits too, so your vet can check eruption is proceeding evenly on both sides.
Keeping the whole household on the same teething plan
Teething fails when one person offers the frozen toy before the sore spell, another allows furniture chewing while distracted, and a third scolds mouthing the puppy cannot help. Agree the approved chew list, where chews live, and what the trade routine sounds like, and write it down where everyone can see it. A shared rota in KinsLe Care Teams lets you assign who prepares the frozen chew, who handles the evening settle, and who checks the rooms for dropped baby teeth and damaged toys, with each task marked complete so your sore-gummed puppy gets the same relief whoever is on duty.