Puppy Teething, Chewing, and MouthingPuppy teething is one source of anxiety for many new puppy parents. Like humans, dogs have two sets of teeth in their lifetime -- baby teeth and adult teeth. The baby teeth come in early, and your puppy will already have most of these by the time you get her home. These baby teeth are sharp and pointy, and puppies are inclined to use them often -- on your furniture, on your hands, on your clothes -- pretty much everywhere! The sharp teeth can actually be pretty painful on your skin. It's important to consistently discourage the puppy from biting you. Every time the puppy does that, whimper as though you are in pain. This works well since it simulates the behavior of your puppy's littermates. After the whimper, sternly say something like "No Bite!" As with everything else, consistency works wonders.
For Golden Retriever puppies, the baby teeth fall out at about 4 months of age, and the second set of teeth -- the adult ones -- come in. This stage can cause significant discomfort to the puppy. She may not show interest in food and may use her mouth to bite or chew ever more than usual. I have found that softening her food with a small amount of water can help. Providing frozen teething toys may also help her discomfort.
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