When do puppies start teething?

The first set of small, sharp baby teeth comes in before most puppies go to new homes, so the teething most owners actually experience is the second phase, when those baby teeth fall out and 42 adult teeth grow in over the following months.

Increased chewing, occasional small spots of blood on toys, slightly swollen looking gums, and mild drooling are all common as adult teeth start to emerge from around 3 to 4 months old.

Incisors, the small front teeth, are usually the first adult teeth to come in, followed by the canines, the longer pointed teeth, and finally the premolars and molars toward the back of the mouth. This front to back progression means a puppy's chewing intensity and gum discomfort can shift location somewhat as different teeth take their turn emerging over the following months.

Small and toy breeds sometimes experience retained baby teeth, where an adult tooth grows in alongside a baby tooth that has not fallen out on its own, most commonly seen with the canines. This is worth mentioning at a routine vet check around 6 months, since a retained tooth occasionally needs to be removed to avoid crowding problems later.

Offering a variety of textures rather than a single chew type tends to suit the changing sensations of teething better, since a puppy that wants something to gnaw hard on for canine discomfort may prefer a softer, cooler texture once the process moves to more sensitive back teeth a few weeks later.