Your Cocker Spaniel is teething, and is on a chewing rampage. It doesn’t matter what it is, furniture, shoes, books, fingers, lamp cords, socks, remote controls; anything within reach works for the pup. How can you stop this behavior?
Truthfully, the cocker doesn’t know any better and is just looking to remedy a problem its own way. The problem is the discomfort during teething. In this article we are going to cover a variety of solutions to stop the pain and chewing rampage by channeling the pup’s behavior in a positive direction with solutions to ease the pain. What not do to is just as important as knowing what to do.
First we need to understand that chewing with the Cocker Spaniel teething is not a bad behavior but rather a means for your pup to deal with the discomfort. Teething is a natural process for all pups. To start with, when your dog gets the urge to chew its best to provide items that will help them. Rubber toys, frozen towels, chew rings are good fast fix. However, we will cover more solutions in greater details in just a minute. Let’s get an idea of the Cocker Spaniel teething cycle so we know what we are dealing with here.
The Teething Cycle
1) Between 2 and 6 weeks, the milk, also known as the deciduous teeth, will begin to surface. These are the small needle sharp teeth your pup will first expose through its gums; normally there are about 28 deciduous teeth.
2) Deciduous teeth can last anywhere between 4 months up to a year. During this time the adult teeth will emerge gradually replacing the deciduous teeth becoming the dog’s permanent teeth. Normally 42 permanent teeth by the time it’s over. Some minor discomfort can be experience by the pup for up to a year after the permanent teeth have been exposed.
3) Most Cocker Spaniels will experience the most discomfort between 2 and 7 months during the teething process.
4) You can expect the permanent incisors between 2 and 5 months (used for nibbling), fangs between 2 and 5 months (used for grabbing), premolars between 4 and 6 months (used for tearing), canine teeth and molars between 5 and 7 months (used for crushing).
5) Under nourished pups will teeth slower, large breeds teethe sooner than smaller breeds. Of course the breed, gender and date of birth all influence the teething process. But generally the cycle is pretty close for all.
What causes the pup to chew?
During the teething period the dog’s gums become itchy and are very tender. The Cocker will attempt to relieve the discomfort by chewing on anything it can clamp its mouth on. This has a soothing effect and relieves the pressure being applied to the gums.
Teething Solutions – Helping your Cocker Spaniel through process
Here are few effective solutions. It’s best to use several during the teething process to keep your pup from getting bored.
1) Ice Cubes – Rub the ice cubes on the pup’s gums. The cold will help num the area. Your dog may like licking and attempt to chew them as well.
2) Popsicle – Give the dog a fruit flavored popsicle as an occasional treat. Remove the stick.
3) Cold Towels – Take some old towels, soak them in water and place them in the freezer just long enough to make them cold. The dog will enjoy chewing on them and will help reduce the inflammation to the gums.
4) Cold Rope – Soak a rope and partially freeze it. You’ll want the rope big enough so the dog does not swallow it.
5) Hard Cold Chew Toys – also good for soothing the gums. Place the chew toys in freezer to chill prior to giving to the pup.
6) Marrow Bones – boil in chicken or beef stock for fifteen minutes. The dog will love these.
7) Aloe Vera – Freeze to a slush consistency and then rub on the gums. When rubbing the gums position yourself in back of the dog and reach forward to hold the dogs chin and then rub the Aloe Vera into the gums. A good upper and lower gum massage also helps.
8) PetAlive Pup Teeth Granules – very effective is relieving acute symptoms, soreness, and swollen gums. It will also reduce the urge to chew.
What not to do during Cocker Spaniel teething
1) Do not play any aggressive games with your dog like tug of war. It’s best not to engage in any activity your pup may associate with aggression and dominance.
2) Do not allow your Cocker to chew on old shoes or house items you no longer want. The dog does not know the difference and will assume it must be OK to chew same type items he may come across.
3) Do not yell or shout at your dog if it should destroy or chew on unforbidden items. It’s best to catch them in the action and rechannel their attention to one of the remedies listed above. This way you’ll be able to work toward breaking the unwanted behavior.
4) Do not let the dog play bite you. It may seem cute at first, but this behavior will only lead to bigger problem down the road.
5) Do not let a teething pup play with small unsupervised children.
The simple solutions will help get the chewing under control. You can expect for the total teething process to take 7 to 10 months. Making sure your pup is getting the correct nutrients and excise will with help promote the process. With proper care and supervision you can control and help your Cocker Spaniel get through the teething with ease.
