About German Shepherd Teething
Do you suspect your German Shepherd may be teething? The following information will help you during this time.
All dogs, including German Shepherds will go through teething at some point. German Shepherd puppies will usually start developing teeth when they are approximately three to six weeks old.
Do you know what the most annoying thing about German Shepherd teething is?
The chewing! You will start to notice that once teething begins, your German Shepherd will chew anything and everything in site! This is not good for your lovely shoes. Luckily there are some ways you can control this chewing behaviour:
- The best method to stop your German Shepherd from chewing is to distract them! You can distract your German Shepherd in a number so ways including exercising them or playing games outside. The more you distract your German Shepherd, the less chance they will have of chewing everything around them.
- A second step to help with the chewing is to provide your German Shepherd with things that they are allowed to chew. There are lots of dog toys on the market that are made especially made for chewing. If your German Shepherd has lots of these fun chew toys then they will be less likely to go after your shoes!
- When learning about German Shepherd teething, you will come across information on how painful it can be for your beloved pet. A great way to help aid in this pain is to freeze foods such as carrots or strawberries for your German Shepherd to chew on. Your German Shepherd will love these special frozen treats and the relief it brings to their teething pain.
- It’s important to teach your German Shepherd what they can and can’t chew. If your German Shepherd starts chewing an item they shouldn’t such as your shoe, then quickly remove it and say “no” in a firm yet calm voice. You can then replace this shoe with something your German Shepherd is allowed to chew such as one of their special chew toys. Repeat this every time your German Shepherd chews on a forbidden item. Your German Shepherd will soon understand what they are allowed to chew on and what they are not allowed to chew on.
- A great tip to follow – keep anything you don’t want your German Shepherd to chew well out of reach. This means good shoes, cords – anything that your German Shepherd may be tempted to chew.
Part of learning about German Shepherd teething, is acquiring information on how to look after your German Shepherds teeth once they have fully grown. The following are just some of the things you can do:
- Set up regular appointments with your chosen vet. They will be able to give your German Shepherds teeth a once over to check that everything is okay.
- Another aspect of learning about German Shepherd teething, is learning that you will need to brush your German Shepherds teeth once they have fully grown. This is vital as it will help prevent against tooth decay and other diseases. Ideally, you should start brushing your German Shepherds teeth from when they are a puppy as they will become used to the situation much more quickly. Brushing your German Shepherds teeth should happen daily or at a minimum, several times per week. It’s really important that you use special dog toothpaste, rather than human toothpaste. Human toothpaste may cause your German Shepherd to get an upset stomach.
- Feeding your German Shepherd a healthy diet is a vital part of looking after your German Shepherds teeth. Your vet or even pet store will be able offer you advice on food that will benefit your German Shepherds teeth.
The thing about German Shepherd teething is that all dogs have to go through it and it can’t be avoided. Therefore it’s a good idea to take the above tips and get prepared. This means getting ready for the chewing stage and also getting ready to look after your German Shepherds teeth as they get older. If you do both of these things then your German Shepherd should end up with a fantastic healthy set of teeth.
