Do puppies bite themselves when teething?

Raising a puppy is like embarking on a wonderful journey full of surprises and challenges. Among the many stages of a puppy's growth, the teething period is a particularly special time that requires the owner's meticulous attention. Many owners will observe various strange behaviors in puppies during teething. One of the worrying phenomena is that puppies seem to bite themselves, which inevitably leads to the question: Do puppies really bite themselves when they are teething?

When a puppy enters the teething period, usually between 3 and 6 months old, its baby teeth start to loosen gradually, and the permanent teeth are eager to emerge. During this process, the puppy's mouth will go through a series of complex physiological changes. The gums will become red, swollen, itchy, and may even be accompanied by slight pain. Imagine the feeling of swelling and discomfort in the gums when we humans are getting our wisdom teeth. The discomfort that puppies experience during teething may be even greater, after all, they can't express this discomfort in words.

To relieve the oral discomfort, puppies will instinctively look for various things to chew on. In this process, because their cognitive and control abilities over their own body parts are not yet fully developed, they may sometimes accidentally bite their own bodies. For example, when they chew on their legs to relieve gum discomfort, they may bite their own skin due to excessive force. This is not something the puppies do on purpose, but driven by the intense discomfort caused by teething, it is difficult for them to control their behavior accurately.

Another reason why puppies bite themselves is that they are in the stage of exploring the world. During the teething period, they are curious about everything around them, and their own bodies are also one of the objects of their exploration. They feel the texture and sensation of various parts of their bodies by biting. However, in this exploration process, due to their poor control of the force, they are likely to cause harm to themselves.

From an emotional perspective, the behavior of a puppy biting itself during the teething period is actually a distress signal to the owner. They are experiencing the pain of growth but don't know how to deal with it, and can only attract the owner's attention in this way. When the owner sees the puppy biting itself, there is often a lot of worry and pity in their heart. This emotional connection makes the owner more eager to help the puppy get through this difficult period.

However, if the behavior of a puppy biting itself is not intervened, it may lead to some serious consequences. They may bite their own skin, causing 破皮 (skin breakage), bleeding, and then leading to infection. Once the wound is infected, it will not only make the puppy suffer more pain but also affect its physical health and normal development. In addition, developing the habit of biting themselves for a long time may also have a negative impact on the puppy's mental health, leading to emotional problems such as anxiety and restlessness.

So, what should the owner do when facing the situation of a puppy biting itself during the teething period? First of all, the owner should give the puppy enough attention and companionship. When the puppy feels the owner's love, its inner unease and anxiety will be relieved, thus reducing the behavior of biting itself caused by emotional problems. You can spend more time playing with the puppy and communicate with it in a gentle tone, making it feel warm and safe.

Providing suitable chewing items is also crucial. Specially designed chew sticks and chew toys for puppies can not only meet their chewing needs but also effectively relieve oral discomfort. The texture of these items is usually specially designed and will not cause harm to the puppy's mouth. At the same time, they can also help the puppy clean its teeth. When choosing chewing items, pay attention to the safety and quality of the materials to ensure that they will not be accidentally ingested by the puppy or cause other hazards.

Regularly checking the puppy's mouth is also essential. The owner can gently open the puppy's mouth and observe the growth of its teeth and whether there are any abnormal phenomena such as redness, swelling, and inflammation of the gums. If a problem is found, take the puppy to see a veterinarian in a timely manner to get professional treatment and advice. The veterinarian may, according to the specific situation of the puppy's mouth, give some medications to relieve pain and inflammation or provide more detailed nursing guidance.

During the puppy's teething period, appropriate training can also help correct the behavior of biting itself. When the owner finds that the puppy has a tendency to bite itself, they can stop it in a gentle tone and guide it to chew on suitable items. Through repeated training, the puppy will gradually understand which behaviors are acceptable and which are not allowed. At the same time, the training process is also a good opportunity to strengthen the communication and trust between the owner and the puppy.

A puppy biting itself during the teething period is a relatively common phenomenon that requires attention. As owners, based on professional pet-raising knowledge and starting from the physical and psychological needs of the puppy, we should give them enough love, correct guidance, and proper care. Accompanying the puppy through the teething period smoothly can not only help it grow healthily but also deepen the emotional bond between us and it, laying a solid foundation for a wonderful relationship in the future. Let's use patience and love to help these lovely little lives have less pain and more joy on the road to growth.