Puppy teething timeline
28 milk teeth in, 42 adult teeth to follow, on a timeline you can date from your own puppy's birthday. Plus what is normal chewing, and what is a vet visit.
This is general guidance, your vet sets the actual schedule. Teething is uncomfortable, not painful enough to stop a puppy eating. A puppy that will not eat, is pawing at its mouth, has a swollen face or has bad breath that arrives suddenly is not just teething. That is a vet call.
The full timeline
Puppies have 28 deciduous teeth, adults have 42 permanent ones. The gap exists because puppies grow no baby molars. USDA Animal Care spells out what gets added: four first premolars, four upper molars and six lower molars that were absent in the deciduous set. VCA Animal Hospitals and USDA APHIS Animal Care.
| Age | What happens | Phase | Detail and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 3 weeks | First baby incisors break through | Milk teeth coming in | The eight front incisors arrive first, at 2 to 3 weeks, while the litter is still with its mother. Source |
| 3 to 4 weeks | Baby canines arrive | Milk teeth coming in | The four needle sharp canines come in at 3 to 4 weeks, taking the running total to 12 teeth. Source |
| 4 to 6 weeks | First baby premolars | Milk teeth coming in | Premolars start at 4 to 6 weeks, bringing the total to about 20. Source |
| 5 to 6 weeks | Last baby incisors | Milk teeth coming in | The remaining incisors fill in at 5 to 6 weeks, total about 24. Source |
| 6 to 8 weeks | All 28 baby teeth in | Milk teeth coming in | The last premolars complete the set. USDA Animal Care states that all 28 deciduous teeth will erupt by about 8 weeks of age, which is roughly when most puppies go home. Source |
| 12 to 26 weeks | Baby teeth start falling out | Milk teeth falling out | VCA puts the start at around 12 weeks. Expect swallowed teeth, the odd tooth on the floor and a little red staining on a chew toy. By six to seven months every baby tooth should be gone. Source |
| 9 to 17 weeks | First adult incisors | Adult teeth coming in | The first permanent incisors come through at 2 to 4 months. Source |
| 17 to 22 weeks | Last adult incisors, first and fourth premolars | Adult teeth coming in | At 4 to 5 months the remaining incisors arrive alongside the first and fourth premolars. The fourth upper premolar is the big shearing tooth at the back of the cheek. Source |
| 21 to 23 weeks | Adult canines | Adult teeth coming in | The adult canines erupt at about 5 months. This is the moment to check the mouth carefully, because canines are the teeth most likely to have a baby version still stuck in place. Source |
| 22 to 26 weeks | First molars, lower jaw | Adult teeth coming in | At 5 to 6 months the first molars appear in the lower jaw. There was never a baby version of these. Source |
| 26 to 27 weeks | Middle adult premolars | Adult teeth coming in | The middle premolars fill in at about 6 months. Source |
| 26 to 35 weeks | Last molars, all 42 in | Adult teeth coming in | The rearmost molars finish the set at 6 to 8 months. USDA Animal Care puts the full adult set of 42 at 7 or 8 months, and Merck says all permanent teeth are present by 7 months. Source |
Normal teething signs
- Chewing on people, furniture and anything else in reach, which VCA calls normal puppy behaviour
- Mouthing hands, legs and children's legs
- A little blood, usually noticed only as mild red staining on a chew toy
- Tiny teeth on the floor, though most get swallowed harmlessly with food
- Chewing that seems to relieve discomfort, which is thought to be why teething puppies chew more
- Sore, slightly puffy gums where an adult tooth is pushing through
- Going off hard kibble for a few days around 4 to 6 months
See a vet about these
- A baby tooth still in place once the adult tooth beside it has come through. VCA calls this a persistent tooth and says retained deciduous teeth need to be removed
- Two canines side by side, the most common site of all, especially in small and flat faced breeds
- No adult teeth showing at all by 5 months, since Merck puts the start of permanent eruption at 4 to 5 months
- Gaps still there after 8 months, when the full set of 42 should be in
- A tooth that is broken, discoloured or bleeding beyond a trace of red on a toy
- A bite so misaligned that teeth hit the opposite jaw or the roof of the mouth
- Swelling, a bad smell or obvious pain when the mouth is touched
- Chewing that is excessive or aggressive, which VCA says warrants a behaviour conversation with your vet
What actually helps
- Do not let your dog chew anything that will not bend, the rule veterinary dentists use
- Skip nylon chews, bones and antlers, which are hard enough to break both baby and adult teeth
- Supervise every chew session. No toy is 100 percent safe
- Rotate toys and keep only a few out at a time so they stay interesting
- Redirect the energy with exercise, short training sessions and puzzle feeders instead of a bowl
- If teeth touch skin, yelp, take your hand away and go and play elsewhere
- Do not let children play rough games that reward biting, even gently
- Check the mouth weekly from about 4 months until 7 to 8 months so a retained tooth is caught early
- Start toothbrushing now, with a dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste. Human toothpaste can make a dog sick
- Expect the worst of the chewing to settle around 18 months, though some chewing lasts for life
Common questions
How many teeth does a puppy have?
28 baby teeth, then 42 adult ones. There are no baby molars, which is where the extra 14 come from: four first premolars, four upper molars and six lower molars, according to USDA Animal Care.
When do puppies start teething?
Baby teeth erupt from 2 to 3 weeks and are all in by about 8 weeks. The teething most owners mean, baby teeth falling out and adult teeth pushing through, starts at around 12 weeks and runs to about 6 months.
When do puppies lose their baby teeth?
VCA puts the start of shedding at around 12 weeks, with all deciduous teeth gone and all permanent teeth erupted by six months. USDA Animal Care allows a bit longer for the full adult set, 7 or 8 months, and Merck says all permanent teeth are present by 7 months.
What is a retained baby tooth?
A deciduous tooth still present when the permanent tooth erupts. VCA says the usual site is the canines and that smaller breeds and short nosed breeds are most affected. It can cause a poor bite, discomfort and food trapping between the crowded teeth, which leads to gum disease. These teeth need to be removed, and it is often done at the same time as neutering.
Is bleeding normal when a puppy is teething?
A trace is. VCA says it is not unusual for some bleeding to occur when teeth fall out, but the amount is minuscule and often noticeable only as mild red staining on a chew toy. Anything more than that is worth a call to your vet.
What can my puppy safely chew?
Something that flexes. Veterinary dentists use the line don't let your dog chew anything that won't bend, and advise against nylon, bones and antlers because hard objects break teeth. Supervise regardless: rawhide, pigs' ears, bully sticks, bones, synthetic toys and tennis balls have all caused blockages, punctures or choking.
When will the biting stop?
Excessive chewing tends to subside around 18 months, though chewing, licking and mouthing stay normal dog behaviours for life. Redirect rather than punish, and get advice if the chewing is excessive or aggressive.
Where the sources disagree
- Start of deciduous eruption. USDA Animal Care puts the first incisors at 2 to 3 weeks. Merck says the deciduous teeth begin to erupt at 3 to 5 weeks. VCA says around three weeks. Puplr uses the USDA per tooth schedule because it is the only one that breaks the timeline down by tooth type, and flags the one week spread.
- End of deciduous eruption. VCA says all baby teeth are in by approximately six weeks. USDA Animal Care says all 28 erupt by about 8 weeks. A two week gap on the same event.
- Start of permanent eruption. VCA says the deciduous teeth begin to fall out at around 12 weeks and the permanent teeth begin to erupt then. Merck says permanent teeth usually begin to appear at around 4 to 5 months. USDA sits between them with the first permanent incisors at 2 to 4 months. Puplr shows the USDA and VCA figures rather than picking one.
- End of the process. VCA says all permanent teeth have erupted by six months. Merck says all permanent teeth are present by seven months. USDA Animal Care says a dog usually has its full set of adult teeth by 7 or 8 months. Puplr uses 6 to 8 months and tells owners to have the mouth checked if teeth are still missing at 8 months.
- Merck's professional dental development chapter covers odontogenesis, calcification timings and gestational days, and does not publish an eruption table by tooth type at all, so the pet owner version had to be used for the summary ages.
Next
Sources
- USDA APHIS Animal Care, Aging Puppies by Teeth, APHIS-23-030, issued July 2023: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ac-aid-aging-puppies-by-teeth.pdf
- VCA Animal Hospitals, Teeth, Teething and Chewing in Puppies: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/teeth-teething-and-chewing-in-puppies
- VCA Animal Hospitals, Persistent Deciduous Teeth (Baby Teeth) in Dogs: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/retained-deciduous-teeth-baby-teeth-in-dogs
- MSD Veterinary Manual, Dental Development of Dogs: https://www.msdvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/dental-development-of-dogs
- MSD Veterinary Manual, Dental Development in Animals, professional chapter: https://www.msdvetmanual.com/digestive-system/dental-development-and-anatomy/dental-development-in-animals
Last reviewed 2026-09-06.