The Puppy Teething Process – A Survival Guide
The puppy teething process is painful, fussy, and usually results in the uncontrollable urge to tear things up.
Is it Safe For My Puppy to Swallow His Teeth?
“My puppy’s canines are coming out. Is it dangerous if she swallows her baby teeth?”
“Swallowing her baby teeth should not cause her any problems. Often these teeth end up falling out when they are outdoors chewing on things and we never find them, but we do not have cases of dogs becoming ill or being injured from the loss of their baby teeth or these small teeth being swallowed.”
There are however certain things you can do to prevent your favorite pair of shoes from getting chewed up and slobbered on, starting with soothing. Most techniques to soothe your puppy during the teething stage rely on one simple action—chewing.
Puppy teething chew options include rubber toys, plush toys, rawhide bones, chew sticks, etc. But you should try and use something hard and preferably non-destructible.
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After the teething phase has passed, it’s important to implement proper oral hygiene practices to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
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Apart from regularly brushing your dog’s teeth, you can even use dental sticks to help stave off dangerous mouth pathogens.
If you have any teething questions or concerns, consult your veterinarian, especially if complications arise with your puppy’s teeth or overall health.
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Taping & gluing is certainly less intrusive, and most likely only a minor annoyance. Kind of like a cast, but it doesn’t limit your mobility. I personally would never do these things, so I cannot give a good defense for these practices. But as I always preach, it is important not to judge! Some owners can adopt a dog that had their ears previously cropped, some breeders will dock tails before they let the dog go home, and more often than not these people still take fantastic care of their companions and love them. I know plenty of cropped & docked dogs that come from loving homes, and I still think they’re just as handsome. But if someone were looking to do these things to their dog, and asked my opinion, I would respectfully object.
But tape! What does that have to do with cropping? Well, taping is often done after ears are cropped. Depending on the size of the dog’s ears, they most likely will still want to droop. Great Danes, for example, they have huge floppy ears. So after they are cropped, if they aren’t held up with tape and something hard, then they’re going to flop.
Anonyme asked: Why do people still crop dogs ears? I recently met a Great Dane service dog with the biggest floppy ears and couldnt imagine him any other way, and didnt think Danes still had it done until some searches showed me otherwise. It seems so unnecessary when it isnt natural.
Thanks 🙂 I don’t really like answering them, tbh. Some people are way too particular and unrealistic with their necessities, it makes me look like I am only ever pushing purebreds, and at the end of the day – all dogs are individuals. Generally, specific breeds are prone to behaving a certain way, but that doesn’t guarantee it. And getting a dog who is supposed to be easy to train, doesn’t mean it will train itself. You can still end up with a terrible Golden Retriever if you do it wrong.
These are NOT first time dog owner dogs. They large and strong dogs and need someone who has experience in training. They are very intelligent but can be aloof towards strangers and therefore continual training and socialization is needed. They come in one color, solid black (though a grey hair or two isn’t a problem). The males of this breed at maturity is between 27-30 inches and for females it’s between 26-29 inches. BRTs have a double coat and therefore do require daily brushing.
For Protection:
Historically, many guard dogs’ ears have been cropped to increase the intimidation of their appearance, making them more reminiscent of wolves.
Most of these historical reasons have been disproved (improving hearing and preventing ear infections) or are no longer applicable today. Dogs of war have been predominantly shifted to the shepherd family, including malinois, GSDs, and Dutch shepherds whose ears generally stand naturally. Dogfighting is illegal, and the most common dogs used for hunting and chasing down prey are hounds whose long ears serve an important role in scent trailing. Although some dogs have portions of their ears removed later in life after a few injuries, this is usually in response to injury or repeat trauma and reactionary, not elective. Whether certain breeds look more intimidating with cropped ears is a matter of opinion. Consider the rottweilers; they are not cropped and are certainly considered intimidating.
Ear Taping by Dr. Bill – EarsbyDrBill.com
Ear cropping is an elective surgery currently implemented in approximately 20 dog breeds, including Dobermans, Great Danes, Boxers, Schnauzers, and many others. This procedure involves the surgical removal of most or all of the flappy portion of the ear. The surgery may be followed by taping to train the ear cartilage into the desired position. Historically, the surgery was implemented practically for these breeds. However, it is now considered only cosmetic and has been banned in most countries. While still legal in most of North America, there are some things to consider before pursuing an ear crop on your puppy.