When to Start Teaching Puppy Commands: The Puppy Training Plan

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When to Start Teaching Puppy Commands: The Puppy Training Plan

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When Should You Start Teaching Your Puppy Obedience Commands?

Wait Until Eight Weeks or Older to Bring Your Puppy Home

Some of the most important lessons your puppy will learn are taught to them by their litter mates during their seventh week of life.  They are learning important social skills, including bite inhibition, dominance and submission as well as social rank. Litter mates will quickly let each other know when they are taking things too far or playing too roughly. Soft tempered puppies learn coping skills for dealing with dominant dogs. This can be a life saving skill for a puppy entering a home with an established, dominant dog already in residence. Only after they are 8 weeks old, are ready to leave the den and begin a new journey of bonding and learning the manners that will make them your indispensible, faithful companions.

Your First Day Home With Your Puppy
Prior to bringing your puppy home, your breeder will probably have already begun teaching them some basic commands, such as "here" or "come" at feeding time in addition to the ubiquitous "No!" As soon as you bring your puppy home, he is ready to begin learning basic obedience commands, but wait until day two to start your basic obedience training. Being on his or her own for the first time is an overwhelming life change. Give your puppy time to explore his new surroundings and time to rest from the mental and emotional challenges of the first day.

Keep in mind that for very young puppies, eight weeks to six months, there will be a special training schedule (which we discuss below) that you should adhere to when you start to teach your puppy new commands.

Border Collie Puppy Learning the Down Command

Your Puppy's First Night Home - Time to Start Crate Training

We highly recommend crate training your puppy, and the first evening home is the best time to begin. Crate training not only protects your valuables when you are unable to pay attention to the puppy's activities, it also provides a safe harbor for your companion once he is acclimated to the crate.

Additionally, many competitive obedience trainers crate their dogs for 20-30 minutes following each training session. This gives the puppy or dog a chance to think about and review the lessons of the day. These timeouts to reflect on the day's lesson greatly accelerate the training process. (to learn more about quick and painless crate training click here.)

How To Begin Teaching Basic Commands to Young Puppies

These simple rules, consistently applied, will have your puppy well trained with minimal time invested. Overdoing the training, by working him more than two sessions a day, can create nervousness in puppies. One session a day is enough to quickly progress through the training schedule. Keep in mind, they are babies, and the training should always be fun. Take care to stop before the dog becomes bored, and you become frustrated.

• Set aside 10-15 minutes a day for training every day.
• New skills should be taught in a quiet place with few to no distractions.
• Be consistent in your commands and markers (clicker or word markers such as "yes" or "good" are used to mark the correct behavior as soon as it is offered by the puppy).
• Use soft, bite-sized treats for rewards. Large, hard to chew treats distract the puppy and slow down the lesson.
• Once your puppy has acquired several skills, mix them up within the new skills training to prevent boredom, reinforce previous lessons and allow the puppy to feel successful throughout each training session.
• Always end on a positive note where the dog has performed a new or older command correctly.
• Celebrate the end of the lesson with a phrase like "Free Dog," and play for a few minutes - tug or retrieve.
• Give your puppy 10-15 minutes crate time to think about the lesson immediately after training followed by playtime.

Puppy Teething Phase and Training

At approximately 13 weeks of age, your puppy will begin cutting its adult teeth.  During this phase your puppy may become restless and irritable; gums will be inflamed and the puppy may at time be feverish. If it seems your puppy has turned into a gremlin, don't lose hope!  

Keep in mind that teething time is not a good time to work on any advanced training lessons.  Both you and your puppy are likely to become frustrated. To learn more about soothing your puppy's teething phase click here.

Use this time to reinforce the lessons you have already learned, and to begin lots of socialization exercises. Take your puppy with you on outings whenever possible.  Headed to Home Depot? Their landscape department is pet friendly, and so are many of the customers. Puppy manners classes are a good idea at this time for socializing with other young dog breeds.

Consider Enrolling in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program

You may want to enroll your puppy in the new AKC S.T.A.R. (Socialization, Training, Activity, Responsibility) puppy training program. This is a certification that lays the groundwork for the AKC CGC title (Canine Good Citizen). 

Owners learn their responsibilities, as well as recommend exercise levels and activities for their breed. Puppies learn to be handled by strangers, groomed, walked calmly on lead in a straight line as well as with other puppies as distractions.  Puppies are socialized and tested and even learnt to give up their favorite toy on command.

The S.T.A.R. Program as well as the CGC certification can be especially important for breeds that have reputations as being aggressive or bully breeds.  Pit bull owners as well as owners of breeds like the Rottweiler may find that this certification can allay some of their new acquaintances fears of their breed, and in the case of a bite incident (whether accidental or provoked) these certifications may prove useful in dog court. You will be recognized as a responsible dog owner, and your dog will have demonstrated good canine socialization skills.

Keep in mind with your new puppy, that you will only get out of your puppy what you put into him. Training that allows your puppy to know his boundaries will make for a long life of companionship and unconditional love!

Skimlinks Test

The Essentials For Teething Retrievers 5 Best Puppy Toys for Labs

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The Essentials For Teething Retrievers 5 Best Puppy Toys for Labs

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America's favorite dog breed is also one of America's toughest power chewers.  These five toys have been tested for durability, interest and safety.  Several of these toys float, making them ideal for retrieval training, as well as all round chew toys. Your Labrador Retriever puppy is guaranteed to love these toys for a long time to come!

The GoughNuts Stick is Guaranteed for Life

The GoughNuts Guaranteed Indestructible Dog Chew Toys

Designed with maximum safety in mind, the GoughNuts Dog Toys are made from premium rubber that is not as plastic tasting as some of the competitor's toys.  The Original Toy comes in green with a red center. Their slogan is, "Green means Go! Red means Stop!" If your dog reaches the red center, it is time to take it away from him and send it in for a replacement.  You pay shipping and a small handling fee for the replacement.

Here Black means Go, and Red means Stop!

Lab owners rave about the durability of these toys.  To maximize your value and the longevity of the toy, go for the Goughnut Maxx 50 Ring. This toy has the strongest rubber of any chew toy on the market, and is available in both the stick and doughnut shaped designs.

Advantages:

• Made in the USA
• Floats in water; ideal for water loving Labrador Retrievers
• Guaranteed Indestructible. GoughNuts will replace your toy for free when it reaches the red inner core.

Doughnut Shaped GoughNuts Three Sizes:

• .75 Ring is offered in Green, Black, and Yellow - 3.75 inches in diameter and 1.3 inches cross section.
• Original GoughNut Ring in Green, Black, Pro 50, Yellow & Orange - 5 inches diameter, 1.75 inches CS
• MaXX Ring in Black, Pro 50 (distinguished with a yellow marking) - 6.25 Inches diameter, 2.1 inches CS

Stick Shaped Goughnuts in 3 Sizes

• .75 Med Sticks in Green, Black, Orange & Yellow - Length 6.5 inches, Cross section 1.3 inches (for 10 to 25 pound dogs or used as a quick reward for larger dogs).

• Large Stick in Green, Black, Pro 50, Orange & Yellow - Length 9.0 inches, Cross section 1.75 inches (Ideal for medium and large - 30-60 pound - dogs for play and moderate chewing).
• MaXX Stick in Black & Pro 50 - Length 11.5 inches, Cross section 2.1" (Large dogs for play and moderate to heavy chewing).

Recommendation:

To maximize the lifespan of the toy for your lab, purchase either the Black Pro 50 or MaXX for extremely heavy chewers.

Best All Natural Chew for Labs: Antos Origins Natural Root Chews

All Natural Root Dog Chews are sourced in Spain

These long lasting root chews satisfy your lab puppies desire to chew on sticks, but are guaranteed not to splinter or cause digestive upset.  They look and feel like very dense cork. Our "Sprout" size root chew lasted for 4 weeks with 7 growing puppies! That's better than any antler chew has lasted, and it won't break teeth.

The Himalayan Chews come in a variety of sizes. We recommend the Sprout size (3x4x4 inches) for Lab puppies and the Stump size for adult Labrador Retrievers ((5x5x6 inches).  The irregular shape allows puppies to always find an angle to chew on the treat no matter what size it start out at.

Advantages:

• All natural
• Sourced in Spain
• Will not splinter or break teeth
• Natural toothbrush
• Durable and long lasting
• High interest for all dog breeds

Recommendation:

• Antos Origins Natural Root Dog Chew Toy - Small for teething Lab puppies
• Antos Origins Natural Root Dog Chew Toy - Extra Large for adult Labrador Retreivers

Nylabone Teething Keys: Best Puppy Teething Toy - For Puppy Teeth Only

We can't explain the intense interest puppies have in these teething keys, other than the fact that they really do smell like bacon.  The introduction of these toys in the puppy pen caused a minor riot. Puppies were snatching them and guarding the toys from each other.  If you have more than one puppy, get enough to go around with a few spares!

Advantages:

• Made in the USA
• High Interest
• Encourages nondestructive chewing habits while satisfying the natural urge to chew
• Softer material designed for teething puppies
• Bristles raised during chewing help clean teeth and prevent tartar buildup
• Different textures massage gums and teeth for better oral health

Warning: These are designed specifically for puppy teeth. Remove these toys from puppies once the adult molars erupt. Not recommend in households with adult dogs present.

Recommendation: Purchase the medium or large size Nylabone Just For Puppies Medium Key Ring Bone Puppy Dog Teething Chew Toy for Lab puppies.

The Toughest Retrieving Toy - The Tuffy Ultimate Series of Dog Toys

Start your Lab puppy's retrieving skills with this durable ring toss toy from Tuffy.

How can this dog toy be so tough that it has lasted for years, when other indestructible dog toys made from fire hose material have failed within 30 minutes? The construction of these toys is, in fact, quite a feat of engineering:

Each toy is made with four layers. The first two layers are made of industrial grade luggage material, 1 layer of plastic coating, and the outer layer is made of soft fleece on the outside. All of these layers are sewn together to make one super strong layer of material. 

Each toy is sewn together with 2 layers of quilted cross stitching and then 2 layers of linear stitching. After the toy is sewn together an additional piece of black trim is added to cover the four rows of stitching. This extra piece of black trim is sewn with 3 linear stitches to give the product a total of 7 seams.   

Advantages:

• Great for teaching puppies to retrieve: roll it on the ground, sail it as a Frisbee or use it as a tug toy.
• It Floats!
• Incredibly durable
• Machine washable, air dry
• Comes in a wide Variety of colors, shapes and sizes

At 20" Tall, the Tuffy T-Rex Toy can stand in as a companion for your lab puppy!

Recommendation:  We recommend the Tuffy Ultimates Ring Dog Toy, Red Paws to start.  It floats, making it a great starter tool for retrieval training and beginning Frisbee training.  its soft edges won't damage teeth and gums.

Best Toy For Soothing Irritated Teething Gums: Chilly Bones

This durable toy stays frozen for a long time and cools burning gums during the teething phase.

This delightful toy is made with non-toxic, quick freezing gel covered with durable canvas.  It has a slight vanilla scent, that seems to be appealing to most puppies.  The toy should stay cold for over an hour depending on ambient room conditions.

The cold gel chills out red inflamed gums as puppies are cutting new teeth. Just rinse and return to freezer to chilly it out again. We recommend that you get two so you can have one chilling out while the other is in use.  

Advantages:

• Great for teething puppies or chilling out adult dogs during the dog days of summer
• Promotes healthy teeth and gums
• Simply hand wash and return to freezer
• Inexpensive
• Comes in two sizes

Recommendation: Purchase the Large size for Lab Puppies.

Bonus Recommendation: The Ultimate Retriever Training Kit

Retriever training kit for teaching duck retrieval
Coastal Pet Duck Training Kit

If you want to get your young retriever off to a good start and teach a soft mouth for retrieving fowl, Remington makes a complete kit for teaching dogs to retrieve both ducks and pheasants. The kit includes a retrieving dummy, scent for either ducks or pheasants, a 25 foot lead, so you don't lose your dog during training, and a whistle with lanyard for teaching commands.

This is an ideal gift for the new bird dog owner. It can be used for both serious gun dog training or just for a fun game of fetch.  The long lead is recommended for any serious long stay training, as it still gives you control over the dog, if he breaks his stay as you walk away from him.

You May Also Like:

10 Puppy Teething Survival Tips - 10 Tips to help you and your furniture survive puppy teething! 

How to Inspect Dogs' Teeth to Determine Their Age Wear patterns on dogs teeth can tell you the approximate age of your new puppy or rescue dog.

Is Pet Insurance Worth The Cost? What Does It Actually Cover?

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Is Pet Insurance Worth The Cost? What Does It Actually Cover?

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Pet health insurance can save pet owners thousands of dollars in veterinary bills, but only if the claim is not denied. Buried in the fine print of many policies are preexisting condition exclusions and annual exam requirements, the scope of which leave many pet owners unreimbursed and infuriated.

These tips are designed to help you understand what is and is not covered in a given policy, so that you can make an informed decision – is pet insurance right for me and my particular pets? And if so, how do I find the best plan for my pet's potential needs?

Pet Insurance Case Study: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The story of Zephyr illustrates the advantages and shortfalls of pet insurance coverage. 

Zephyr was a six month old puppy and a show dog prospect, when she caught her toe in a screen door and broke one of the delicate bones in her foot. To ensure the foot healed correctly, and prevent a career ending limp, her vet recommended a costly surgery to place a pin in her foot.

The surgery cost $2,400 in 2009. Fortunately, her owner had pet health insurance, which covered all but a $50.00 deductible. A year and a half later, Zephyr went on to become one of the top winning show dogs of her breed. Then, during a routine screening, she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Her owner then learned that, because hip dysplasia was common in her breed, any complications which might arise from the hip dysplasia would not be covered by her particular insurance policy…

With many policies, breeds with a high prevalence of any disorder may be excluded from coverage based simply on the fact that their breed has a high rate of occurrence of a specific malady. Breeds with high rates of cancer, Cushings disease or Addison's Disease may be excluded from coverage for treatment if the insurance company has listed them as preexisting conditions for your breed.

Why Buy Pet Health Insurance

Approximately 1 million pets in the USA are covered by health insurance. That equates to 3% or dogs and 1% of cats, a relatively small percentage of pets. It is important to note that studies have shown that over the lifetime of the average healthy pet, pet insurance premiums cost more than they reimburse for routine illnesses and annual medical checkups.

Pet health insurance is designed to help soften the financial burden of catastrophic illness and injuries, and prevent “economic euthanasia.” Cancer, automobile accidents, crutiate ligament tears and chronic diseases such as renal failure and can easily cost between $3,500 to $10,000 in veterinary expenses.

Many families cannot support these extreme fees for even the most beloved family pet. The right health insurance plan can help you share those costs with your pet insurance company.

It is important to note that studies have shown that over the lifetime of the average healthy pet, pet insurance premiums cost more than they reimburse for routine illnesses and annual medical checkups.

The Basic Coverage You Need In A Pet Insurance Policy

There are three different types of plans to choose from: accident only, accident and illness and accident, illness and wellness.

• Only the wellness plans will cover your vet exams. Even if your exam is part of a treatment for an accident or major illness, that portion of your invoice will be removed from the total bill to be reimbursed. However, the additional premiums paid for wellness plans cost the pet owner more than they actually reimburse. We recommend that you select a plan that covers both injuries and illnesses, but not wellness.
• Some plans reimburse as a percentage of actual fees charged, called a “percentage reimbursement plan”, while others reimburse on a set fee schedule based on the average price per procedure in your area, the “reasonable costs plan.” Choose a percentage reimbursement plan that pays a percent of your actual bill.
• The higher the deductible the lower your premium. Deductibles are not met annually as with human policies, but occur per injury or illness. So if your pet has an injury and two different illnesses over the course of a year, you will pay 3 separate deductibles. To keep down premium costs, select the highest deductible that you would feel comfortable paying twice a year. Keep in mind that you will still pay for exam fees, preventatives and vaccinations as well as a percentage of the total bill.
• Some pet health policies limit coverage for an illness to the year in which it initiated. Then, when the policy renews, it becomes a pre-existing condition that is now excluded from coverage. Other policies will cap the amount to be paid per illness. Select a policy with no lifetime limits and continual coverage for chronic diseases.

Kidney disease is a common chronic disease in cats, choose a continual coverage plan
 to manage both the acute and chronic renal illnesses.

Understanding Preexisting Conditions and Exclusions

Preexisting conditions are conditions that have been diagnosed or suspected prior to enrollment and the policy waiting period. Most policies have a 24 hour accident waiting period and a 14-30 day illness waiting period, before coverage actually begins.

Bilateral preexisting conditions are not covered. For example, a crutiate tear (ACL injury) in one knee creates a preexisting condition for the other knee as well. Once one side is affected, the other will be excluded as well.

Policies without hereditary or congenital defect coverage can exclude a vast array of illnesses. Under this exclusion hip dysplasia, developmental abnormalities, heart defect or common breed specific illnesses may not be covered.

Policies without breed specific or species specific illness coverage can exclude a wide range of diseases. For example specific cancers are prevalent in golden retrievers. German Shepherds are notorious for high rates of hip dysplasia. (see the next section on underwriting reports).

Generally preventatives are not covered. Preventatives typically include flea and tick, heartworm or even motion sickness preventatives for dogs with inner ear problems.

Unless you have a wellness plan, dental cleanings will not be covered. However, dental injuries and endodontics may be covered. Typically, endodontics are only covered up to the amount that would be the equivalent cost of an extraction.

Some plans require an annual checkup at your vet to remain in effect. On these plans, if you go beyond 12 moths without seeing a vet, they will refuse to pay your next claim. They will of course keep your premium.

The Plan You Choose Must Include Coverage for the Following Conditions:

• Cancer (some plans offer alternative and holistic treatment coverage for an additional fee)
• Hereditary and Congenital Conditions (such as heart defect, osteochondrosis or hip dysplasia)
• Chronic Diseases (such as kidney disease, diabetes, Addison’s and Cushing’s disease)
• Continual Coverage for Chronic Diseases (coverage for each illness that will last for the lifetime of your pet)
• Medical Conditions Common to Your Pet’s Breed (some unscrupulous insurance claims departments will include certain cancers or a chronic diseases in your policies exclusions if that disease is common to your breed).

Protect Your Self from Unscrupulous Insurers

Before you buy a policy, get an underwriting report for preexisting conditions. This is especially important if you are trying to insure a newly acquired older pet or rescue with no veterinary history available.

Before signing up for a policy, you can request from each insurance company’s underwriting department a list of preexisting conditions that would qualify as exclusions to your pet, based on his medical history, breed and species.

Getting this list from underwriting can take up to 30 days, but it is well worth the wait.

This list will let you know what you can be sure will not be covered. Additionally, it may provide you with protection should a claim be rejected at a later date for a preexisting condition that was not on your list. Store your pet's list of preexisting exclusions in a safe place!

The Best Pet Insurance Value

Consumer Reports studied 9 pet insurance plans by comparing their expected premiums and payouts on two real cat's veterinary histories.

Of the nine plans reviewed 24PetCare QuickWatch Gold and VPI paid out the least relative to the premiums charged. A customer using one of these plans would have lost between $800-$1900 in excess premiums paid.

Trupanion Pet Insurance would have paid out the most with either its 70% or 90% percentage reimbursement plan. The Trupanion pet insurance plan also meets our coverage requirements with no lifetime limit on coverage, and coverage for breed specific, hereditary and congenital diseases as well as continual chronic disease coverage.

You Might Also Be Interested In

• 12 Things Your Vet Does Not Want You To Know!
  12 Secrets that many vet practices don't want you to know. Knowing these hidden facts can save you money and heartache while enhancing the medical care your pet receives.

10 Puppy Teething Survival Tips!

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10 Puppy Teething Survival Tips!

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When Do Puppies Start Teething

Depending on your puppy’s breed, teething will begin somewhere between 12 and 14 weeks, and the small, sharp milk teeth will begin to be pushed out by the larger adult teeth.   

With this developmental stage comes a new set of challenges. This is the puppy equivalent to the “terrible twos” -staircase banisters, window sills, house plants, leashes, table and chair legs, shoes and socks, all are fair game to the teething puppy that does not yet know its boundaries. If she can get her mouth around it, it’s going to be fun to destroy!

Why Do Puppies Chew?

Like infants, puppies explore the world by putting objects in their mouths. As they mature, dogs continue to place a high emphasis on how an object feels in its mouth, to gain understanding of a new item. The following study explains how dogs' mouths are their equivalent to human hands.

In the study, How Dogs Learn The Meaning of Words, a dog named Gable was taught to associate words with objects to be retrieved. The first set of items for retrieval were made of abstract forms, designed with differences in size, shape as well as texture and firmness. 

Once the dog had a firm understanding of the name of each object, the articles were replaced with a new set items, from which the dog could chose the next closest object to retrieve, based on his perception of the original item associated with that command.  

The dog nosed and mouthed the new objects trying to make the best match to the original object he had learned to retrieve, for each command. When making a choice between several new objects of varying size, shape and texture, the dog chose the object that felt, in his mouth, most like the original retrieval item associated with that word.

It appears dogs use their mouths, much the same way we use our hands in order to determine the physical properties of a new article in his environment.  While humans would tend to select the next best replacement based on shape, dogs will instead make that selection based on texture. Dogs use their mouths not only to grasp objects, but also to form a definition of an object. Puppies chew in part to explore their world and learn about new objects, but during the teething phase, gnawing brings relief to the hot, irritated gums..

How Long Do Puppies Teeth?

Puppies begin teething at around 3 months of age and should have all of their adult teeth by 8 months of age.  Large dogs tend to fill in their teeth faster than do smaller breeds. During the teething phase you will want to keep an eye out for any retained baby teeth.  Sometimes the adult tooth will come in beside the baby tooth, and fail to push it out. These will need to be removed by your veterinarian as they will decay and can cause an abscess, which can affect the health of the permanent tooth as well.

Example of a wry bite caused by misaligned puppy teeth.

You will also want to check for any misalignment of the teeth.  Upper and lower teeth that do not properly align can cause a "wry bite." A wry bite means that the jaw has been pulled out to one side due to one tooth getting hung up on its corresponding tooth on the upper or lower jaw. In extreme cases the lower jaw is noticeably off to one side, making it very difficult for the dog to chew.  If you catch it early, the tooth that is causing the misalignment can be removed, taking the pressure off of the jaw, and allowing it to develop normally.

Keep in mind, as the puppy begins to teeth, the jaw is growing rapidly; the gums are inflamed from cutting new teeth, and your puppy is, in general, feeling pretty miserable. This is not a good time to do any serious training outside of basic puppy manners. He or she is going to be crabby, easily distracted and not a good candidate for learning new tricks. You will both be frustrated with any advanced training in this phase of your puppy’s development.

To help ease his pain and yours, here are some tips and tools of the trade that we and other breeders have used with success to channel a puppy’s need to chew towards appropriate objects. Included are some of the best teething toys for puppies of all breeds as well as chew deterrents.  Additionally, the training techniques discussed will help him learn some important boundaries in his relationship with his new family members.

10 Puppy Teething Survival Tips 

     1) Teaching “Leave It!”

It’s a good idea to begin to teach your puppy “Leave It!” as soon as you bring him home. A good “Leave It” will prevent you from getting into a tug of war over an object that you value, leaving it in worse condition than when you first discovered it in puppy’s mouth.


“Leave It!” is taught by playing tug with your puppy with a preferred toy. When you want the puppy to let go of the toy, you say “Leave It,” holding the toy with one hand, and producing a treat in the other hand. The puppy will release the toy for the treat, and you reward the puppy with the treat, saying, “Good Leave It!” Eventually, you will replace the treat with another favored toy, alternating between a reward of favored toy or treat until the puppy has a firm grasp of the phrase “Leave It.”

   2) Trade Up 

Whenever you find your puppy chewing on something inappropriate, correct him with a “no.” Then trade up by giving him a toy that you know he likes. Once he starts chewing on the correct toy, praise him.

Always try to find a way for your puppy to be “right” and deserving of praise at the end of any training session or correction. In times when a training session has not resulted in a breakthrough, end the session with a command that the puppy knows well, so that it can be ended with a “good dog,” praise and a treat.

3) Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray

Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray has prevented my dogs from chewing on leads, furniture and themselves. The taste is unpleasant, and puppies generally look for something else to chew on. Spray down any hard surfaces that your puppy may be inclined to chew on: window sills, stair railings, furniture legs etc… Color test any fabric before you spray Grannick's on large areas of cloth.

 4) The Chilly Bone Dog Chew Toy

MultiPet makes a very durable toy called the Chilly Bone. This toy lasted us through 3 generations of teething puppies, before it disappeared in the backyard. It may still be out there in reasonably good condition.

The Chilly Bone is covered with a tough canvas outer and filled with a non-toxic gel that will freeze quickly in the freezer. This toy numbs the sore gums and cools the tendency towards feverishness. It’s great for the adult dogs too on hot summer days, helping to lower body temperature after exercise in the heat of the day. Rinse with plain soap and water and freeze while still damp once it has thawed.

5) Soft Mouth Training for Your Puppy

I like to be able to put my hands in my dog’s mouth whenever I need to give her a pill or remove something from the back of her throat that I don’t want her to swallow.  Teaching a soft mouth and eliminating biting at an early stage in the puppies development is critical.  A cute nip or bite from a puppy can become a dangerous liability in a grown dog.

Teaching a soft mouth can be done by lying on the floor with the puppy and playing a little tug. Remove the toy and gently play with the lower jaw. It’s okay to let him gently “mouth” your hand, but if he bites down hard make a sharp, high pitched “ouch.” Then clamp is mouth shut gently but firmly for 2-3 seconds. If he bites again, say “no” and clamp the mouth again for 2-3 seconds. 

This action mimics his mother’s method of correction, and has a calming effect on the puppy. When the mother sees behavior she does not like, she will snap the puppy’s mouth closed with gentle bites in quick succession. You can use this technique to stop nipping and barking as well. Snapping their mouths shut has been equated to sticking the puppy’s head in the toilet, so don’t go overboard, or hold their mouths shut for more than 2-3 seconds.

6) Rope Toys

Rope toys are some of the best teething toys as they are inexpensive, easy to clean, versatile and last a long time. Rope toys are great for teaching fetch, tug or for solitary chewing activities. They also promote dental health by helping to clean teeth and strengthen gums. Rinse the toys with plain soap and water every few days, and freeze them while still wet for extra soothing chewing.

7) Kong Chew Toys

The Kong Company makes a variety of tough toys that are great for all levels of chewers. The original Kong product line includes hard rubber toys in which treats may be hidden. Puppies will work these toys for hours trying to dig the treats out of them.

The Kong Wubba toy line, which resembles an octopus, is great for fetch and tug games. These colorful and tough toys will last beyond a year in most multi dog households. Wubbas come in a variety of sizes from Puppy up to Mega Wubba. Our boy Boomer keeps a large Wubba in his mouth about 30% of the day!

The Kong Puppy Classic chew toy adds interest with an
unpredictable bounce with treats stuffed in the cavity.

8) Chilled Carrots Are Good For Puppies

A cold carrot soothes the gums, tastes great and is rich in Omega 6 fatty acids, Vitamins A and K and Potassium. Puppies love chewing on carrots and watching them disintegrate. As carrots are also high in fiber, limit the puppy to one carrot per day to avoid stomach upsets.

9) Crate Training

We recommend crate training for protecting the household when you are asleep or away and also to aid in potty training. Dogs are den animals and love small dark spaces to call their own. In the wild, mothers dig underground dens for a safe haven to whelp and raise their litters. Puppies will stay under ground until they begin to walk steadily enough to climb out of the den, usually around 3 to 4 weeks old.

If your puppy has not been crated before, you can expect a night or two of lamentation at having his activities restricted. Don’t feel too bad about it; he should cry himself to sleep within 45 minutes of being crated, and typically they adjust to being crated at bedtime after 2 nights.

 Feeding your puppy in the crate will help him to appreciate his new space. Also, toss in a treat whenever you want him to get in the crate; eventually he will go to the crate on his own when he is ready for a nap or just to relax. Be sure the puppy has access to clean water while he is in his crate. To Learn More About Crate Training click here.

10) The Naughty Paws Puppy Teething Survival Kit 

Wags-n-Whiskers-Gifts and Gift Baskets makes a gift basket for training and entertaining teething puppies. Consider investing in this gift basket in preparation for the inevitable terrible teething phase - it's the gift that keeps on giving!

In addition to healthy training treats, it includes Grannicks Bitter Apple, the Chilly Bone, a dental rope toy, a training clicker complete with a training guide, a dental cleaning kit, a poop bag dispenser with refills, Training Treats, a plush toy with replaceable squeakers, 1 Skinneeez stuffing-free toy, a 160 oz food or water bowl. (Get it with an extra 10% off with Coupon Code RP2012 and Free Shipping)

(Wags and Whiskers Gifts also offers many pet play pen options for indoors and outdoors as well as crates with dividers for puppies to grow into. The discount coupon can be used on the entire order!)

Wags and Whiskers Puppy Teething Survival Kit

Includes many teething supplies as well as clicker training manual and clicker.

Toys to Avoid

Don't confuse your puppy by providing him with cute toys that resemble objects that you don't want destroyed, such as rubber tennis shoes with squeakers, imitation remote controls or cell phones.

Remember that consistency is the key to all successful puppy training – the teething phase won’t last forever, but the good habits you instill in him or her now will last a lifetime!

Related Articles on Dog Teeth and Teething: 

Top 10 Puppy Chew Toys for Teething Puppies

How to Inspect Dogs' Teeth To Determine Their Age

5 Essential Toys for Retriever Puppies 



Need Some ideas for New Puppy and Dog Names? Check out these articles for some inspiration:

60 Greek Names that Make Cool Names For Male Dogs

30 Powerful Names for Your Noble Guard Dog

18 Irish and Scottish Names for Male Dogs From Myths and Legend

50 Greek Names That Make Cool Names For Female Dogs

47 Meaningful Native American Names For Female Dogs