Short answer: from about eight weeks a puppy can have soft, easily digestible chews, such as a rabbit ear, dried beef lung or a soft strip of tripe. Hard chews such as pressed hide, thick tendons, antlers and bones wait until the adult teeth are complete, usually around six to seven months. In between lies teething, the period in which a puppy wants to chew more than ever. Below you will find what is and is not suitable per age, and how to keep the choking risk small. You will find suitable treats in our puppy range.
A puppy's teeth: what happens when
A puppy is born without teeth. Around three weeks the milk teeth come through, and around eight weeks, when he comes to live with you, the milk dentition of 28 teeth is complete. Milk teeth are thin, sharp and fragile. Between roughly three and five months teething begins: the milk teeth fall out and the 42 adult teeth and molars come through. Around seven months that process is finished in most dogs. During that period the gums itch and ache, and that is exactly why a four-month-old puppy chews on table legs, shoes and hands. A suitable chew gives that need a safe outlet.
Per age: what can your puppy chew?
| Age | Teeth | Suitable chews | Not yet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 – 12 weeks | Milk teeth complete, thin and fragile | Rabbit ears, dried beef lung, soft tripe strips, soft training treats in small pieces | Anything hard or anything he has to work on for a long time |
| 3 – 4 months | Teething begins, gums sensitive | Soft to medium chews that give way: beef ears, tripe, thin meat strips, dried chicken necks under supervision | Pressed hide, thick tendons, antlers, hooves, bones |
| 4 – 6 months | Teething in full swing, strong urge to chew | Medium chews with chewing time: thin bully sticks, buffalo ears, large pieces of tripe; chilled soft chews soothe the gums | Very hard chews; the new molars are not yet fully anchored |
| 6 – 7 months | Adult teeth complete | Slowly build up to adult chews: bully sticks, pressed hide, dried single-piece hide | Antlers, hooves and marrow bones preferably only after 12 months |
| 7 – 12 months | Young adult, jaw muscles developing | Everything from our overview of safe chews, matched to size and chewing style | Rock-hard chews for destroyers; always the thumbnail test |
Why hard too early is a bad idea
A milk tooth breaks easily, and a broken milk tooth can become infected and disturb the eruption of the adult tooth. Newly erupted adult teeth also still have a thin layer of enamel and are not yet firmly seated in the jaw. A puppy that bites on an antler or a hoof can suffer permanent damage to teeth that have to last fifteen years. The rule is simple: as long as you cannot press a dent into a chew with your thumbnail, it is too hard for a puppy.
Choking risk: the biggest mistake with puppies
Puppies have no brakes yet. They try to swallow anything that fits in the mouth, especially if another dog or a child is nearby who might take it away. That is why the rule applies even more strictly to puppies than to adult dogs: choose a chew that is clearly bigger than the mouth, stay nearby and trade the last piece for something tasty. Practise that trading from day one as a game. A puppy that learns that giving something up always pays off becomes an adult dog that never guards.
Treats and training: small, soft and many
The first months are all about learning: house training, socialisation, being alone, walking on the lead. For that you need hundreds of reward moments a week, and they have to be small and soft. Soft one-gram training treats, or a strip of dried chicken fillet cut into pea-sized pieces, are ideal. For puppies too, count with a maximum of 10 percent of the daily energy from treats; how to calculate that is explained in how many treats a dog can have per day. On busy training days you can use part of the puppy kibble as a reward, so you do not have to cut the meals.
Introducing new treats without a sore tummy
A puppy's gut is sensitive. So give only one new kind of treat at a time, in a small piece, and wait three days before you try something else new. If the stool stays fine, the next one can follow. If the stool becomes loose, leave that treat alone for a few weeks. That way you know exactly which treat is the culprit. Preferably choose single-animal treats, then that is immediately clear too. In our shop the treats suitable for puppies are grouped under the filter age: puppy.
Ingrid's tip: during teething, put a few soft tripe strips or beef ears in the fridge for an hour before you give them. Cold soothes the itching gums, and a puppy that is allowed to chew something cool leaves the chair legs alone. The freezer is too hard for milk teeth; the fridge is just right.
What you never give a puppy
- Cooked bones and small raw bones: splinters and choking risk.
- Bleached, glued chew bones (white knots): poorly digestible and slippery, so a double choking risk for a puppy.
- Antlers, hooves and marrow bones: too hard for teeth still under construction.
- Treats with sugar, salt or colourings: unnecessary in a diet that still has to find its balance.
- Big chews to "calm him down": a chew is not a babysitter. A puppy alone with a chew is the classic accident.
When do you call the vet?
With persistent gagging, vomiting after a treat, no stool within two days, sudden bad breath with bleeding gums, or if your puppy still has double canines after seven months. A puppy that suddenly no longer wants to chew, or eats on one side only, also deserves a dental check.
Frequently asked questions
Can a puppy have a bully stick?
A thin bully stick is possible from about four months, under supervision and in a length that does not fit in the mouth in one go. Thick tendons and pressed hide wait until the adult teeth are complete, around six to seven months.
From when can my puppy have hard chews?
Only when all adult teeth are there, usually around seven months, and then step by step. Antlers, hooves and marrow bones preferably only after a year, and only for dogs that nibble calmly.
How many training treats can a puppy have per day?
Count with a maximum of 10 percent of his daily energy. A 5 kg puppy needs around 600 kilocalories a day, so 60 kilocalories of treats: about twenty soft one-gram training treats. Use puppy kibble as a reward as well.
My puppy swallows everything straight away. What now?
Choose bigger chews and chews that are eaten slowly, such as a beef ear or a tripe strip that he has to stretch. Hold the chew yourself the first few times so that he has to chew, and practise trading every day.
Can a puppy have treats when he has diarrhoea?
No. Leave out all treats for a few days, give only the regular food and call the vet if it lasts longer than a day or if the puppy becomes lethargic. Puppies dehydrate quickly.
Sources
- AniCura, Teething in puppies (timeline from milk teeth to adult teeth, check-up around six months).
- zooplus Magazine, Teething in dogs (urge to chew during teething).
- LICG, Dental care for dogs (chewing, chews and supervision).
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee, Global Nutrition Guidelines (treats at most 10 percent of daily energy).
About the author
Ingrid Kooijman is the founder of Canis Snacks. She selects natural single-protein dog treats, sells them online and at markets in Brabant, and answers dog owners' questions about food and chews every day. Questions about this article? Email info@canissnacks.com.
