[Dailydrool] teething

[Cblatz]

Maliah is going through teething and has lost 7 baby teeth in the past week. I have been trying to get her to chew on toys, but she seems to like my hands better. Those little puppy teeth are sharp! I was just wondering how long this phase lasts and if anyone has tips on surviving the teething stage other than providing lots of chew toys.

----Never let a puppy use your hands or any other part of the human anatomy as a teething toy.    a firm grab around the snout (as the mother dog would do), a firm NO, and give them a substitute chew toy.  One of the joys of getting a puppy from a breeder who keeps their puppies till 10 or 12 weeks is the fantastic bite inhibition the puppies learn from mom and siblings.

Teething can last upwards of six months and one of the best toys I've ever given my dogs is old tennis shoes to chew on.  The resilient rubber gives them plenty of chew time without falling apart and they love to drag them around by the laces.  Of course I keep my good shoes in the closet through out the teething stage,  but I've never had a puppy grow into an adult  dog that eats shoes.  Then of course there is my little Mercedes who ate the puppy gate.-----


Maliah is doing great, by the way. - learning the basset 500 and racing up and down the stairs. 

--- I have Dachshunds and Bassets.  Racing up and down the stairs is a serious no-no for puppies.  I don't even let puppies walk up and down stairs until they are 4 or 5 months old.    Joints and backs are much  too fragile and small, un-noticeable injuries in puppies can grow into large problems in adults.  In fact when placing puppies one of my first questions is how many steps they will have to negotiate.  
I was recently at a seminar on puppy development and the instructor said one of the easiest ways to ruin a puppy is to let them run with adult dogs.   The puppy tries to keep up and it puts way too much strain on the developing joint and muscle system of the puppy.  Socializing with gentle adults is very beneficial to puppies,  trying to do the basset (or Dachshund) 500. possibly sliding on the floor or crashing into the furniture is probably too much for a young pup,  outside in the grass would be much better----

Cathy Blatz
www.summerhilldachshundsandbassets.com
http://www.geocities.com/clubbasset/index.html
http://www.dachshund-wpdc.org/
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