Teething!

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Our 16 week old pup Penny has just lost her first baby tooth, top front, and has very pink gums at the back of her mouth. Is it common for pups to be off-color at this stage? She seems very draggy today, not her normal exuberant self. I gave her one of her favorite dog biscuits this morning, and she just sat there with it her mouth for about 5 minutes before eating it way slower than she usually does. I know human babies can go through hell when teething, but it's been so long since we had a dog, really can't remember what our previous dogs were like. Any feedback would be appreciated, as we're worried it might be something else.

[Barbara Tobin]

we too have a 16 week old pup, named Buckley and he is also teething and very out of sorts at times.... but our concern is more over peeing in the house too... He also doesn't seem to like the heat... where did you get your pup?

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Thanks Barbara, hopefully that confirms our suspicions why Penny is a little listless today. As for the peeing, doesn't seem like an exact science does it? Penny never pooped in the house, ever. But after 4 weeks she stopped peeing in the house too. I was incredibly vigilant during the first few weeks (luckily I had the time), as soon as she showed signs in suddenly losing interest in what she was doing and started to wander off to other parts of the house, I'd say "Wanna go outside?", and I'd take her out, most of the time producing a result that I praised her for, but even being vigilant, we were still caught out occasionally. Now she seems to have a bladder like a horse, can go ages before she needs to go, and now she goes to the door and just stands there until we notice, if we don't notice, she yawns, got the loudest, squeaky hinge-like yawn I've ever heard. Sometimes when she does that I'm not always sure she wants to go out, especially if we're in the kitchen preparing food, but she will learn not to stand there if she doesn't want to be booted outside, especially when the weather gets colder huh?

Penny doesn't like the heat either, we've recently experienced a heatwave (temps in the 106s and 107s), Penny spent most of the day sleeping on the AC vents, she loves those. Then when I'd let her out to pee, she'd saunter down the steps off the deck, then pee on the first bit of grass she hit, and then come inside immediately. We got her from a breeder in Oregon, she was one of a litter of nine, and we had first pick. Turns out she was the breeder's favorite too...hee hee!

[Barbara Tobin]

thanks for your insight, it isn't an exact science and this isn't my first puppy, but I'm still baffled by things that I swear my other dogs never did! but good luck and I appreciate your comments... It gets very discouraging at times but we will get through this too!

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Yeah that's it, we all think because we've had puppies before, there's nothing that can catch us out don't we? And I think because of that, it's why we get discouraged when something doesn't go according to plan. But how often have you heard someone with their second baby saying "I can't understand it, my first child never did that?" or something similar. From what I've read on this site, there's a vast difference between one dog and another when it comes to house-breaking, I'm so pleased we've been so lucky so far, our 3 cats were getting disgusted...ha ha!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Kevin, how is Penny today? Maybe the biscuits are hard on her teeth. Peri has not started losing any yet. I think she lost 2 a few weeks ago, but nothing else....

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Yes thanks Allyson, Penny's full of piss and vinegar this morning, harassing the cats etc. Situation normal!

[Michele Barton]

Hi Kevin, just popped on for a few minutes. I'm glad to see that Penny is back to her old self! Gus and Molly didn't even seem to notice their first 4 lost teeth, but now that those giant back ones are trying to come in they are definitely a bit out of sorts. They don't even seem anxious to eat, and that's really saying something. It is taking them twice as long to eat their meals. I also don't remember any of my other dogs having teething issues. Maybe it's a doodle thing?

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Yeah, Penny's gums at the back of her mouth are 'hot pink' and I'm pretty sure that is the problem, she's back to being full of life, but is definitely off her food, which I can understand. Jeri mixed an egg into her kibble yesterday to soften it up a bit and she ate that eventually, nothing today though. It's funny I was just studying as she's laid full stretch on her side on the carpet, she looks so long and thin, tiny waist etc. But when she's walking about, she looks like a beer barrel, must be all that fluff! The fluff that's a garden debris magnet, she comes in from the yard just covered with bits of dried grass, seed pods etc, such a girly girl...NOT!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Ha! I can picture her covered with grass...Peri is the same!
Try adding a bit of water to the food - that will soften it up too....give it a bit to soften before serving.
Why isn't Peri (4 months old tomorrow...wow!) losing more teeth???

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Maybe she's a hoarder!

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Hi Allyson, tried adding water to Penny's kibble, worked like a charm...don't know why I didn't think of that earlier, doh! It's not only a no-brainer, but I've done it before with my dogs in the past...how soon we forget huh?....doh again!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Great news, Kevin! My vet told me that trick in preparation for losing teeth (still no teeth lost! HA!). Keep us posted on the teething. I will probably post something soon about Lady P bleeding all over my cream couch (yes, I have a cream couch...bad idea!).