The experience of bringing home a new puppy can be very similar to bringing home a new baby. Puppies are adorable and love to play. Unfortunately, puppies can also be very destructive, especially when they're teething. Thankfully, with the best toys and treats for puppies, pet parents can help prevent their puppies from becoming destructive. 

Common Puppy Issues and the Toys To Help

Puppy Teething

Dogs have two sets of teeth and will go through the teething process twice in their lifetime. The first set is their puppy teeth or deciduous teeth. These teeth erupt from the puppy's gumline between three to six weeks of age. 

Puppies will begin teething again when their adult teeth break through the gumline at about 12 weeks. They typically have all of their adult teeth by around six months of age. 

During the teething process, puppies tend to chew on everything. Teething can be painful and the act of chewing on things helps with the pain. Also, chewing helps loosen the puppy teeth so the adult teeth can more easily break through. 

Pet parents can become frustrated with their puppies constantly chewing and biting things such as furniture, shoes, and people. To make the teething process go smoothly, pet parents can implement a training plan and invest in toys and treats. 

Best Teething Toys for Puppies

A puppy’s deciduous teeth are small but very sharp and can easily cut through most dog toys. Pet parents should look for durable teething toys that aren’t a choking hazard. Also, the toys shouldn’t be too hard, or they could damage the puppy’s mouth. 

Kong brand makes safe and durable puppy chew toys. Some of the toys can be filled with treats and frozen. The frozen toy and treat are excellent for soothing a puppy’s sore mouth. Kong toys are a safe option for puppies of all ages. 

When the puppy is a little older, rope toys and plush toys are great options for light chewers. However, for heavy chewers, these toys should be avoided. A shredded plush toy or rope can cause many problems if the puppy ingests it. 

Best Interactive Toys for Puppies

Dogs and puppies also chew on things just for fun. Interactive toys can keep a puppy mentally stimulated and entertained. By using interactive toys, a puppy is less likely to chew none toys.

Examples of excellent interactive puppy toys are:

• Feeder toys

• Puzzles

• Fetch toys

A lot of playtime and walks with their pet parents will also help prevent the puppy from chewing on things that aren’t their toys. 

Best Treats for Puppies

Not all treats for puppies are safe or healthy. Creative marketing strategies are used to make puppy foods and treats all seem great. However, pet parents should always read the label of anything they plan to feed their puppy. 

Fuzzy vets recommend the following treats:

• Shameless Pets A Cluck A Day Dental Sticks

• Nature Gnaws Beef Bully Stick

• Ecokind Pet Treats

• Kong Ziggies Puppy Treats

• Earth Animal No-Hide Salmon and Brown Rice Chews

• Greenies Fresh Dental Treats

• Whimzees All Natural Stix

Best Training Treats for Puppies

Training a puppy should begin the first day a pet parent brings their new puppy home. One of the many benefits of quickly implementing a training plan is the puppy learns what they are and aren’t allowed to chew. 

Puppies are usually highly motivated by treats. When choosing a treat for training, pet parents should avoid dental chews and sticks. Larger treats take too long for the puppy to consume during a training session. Smaller treats work better for training because the puppy can eat them quickly. 

A few brands that offer great training size treats are Wild One and Pet Greens. Pet parents also have the option of breaking a large treat into smaller pieces. 

Toys and Treats to Avoid

Some of the most common and popular chews are actually not recommended by vets. These chews include mostly animals parts such as:

• Antlers

• Animal bones

• Rawhides

• Pig ears

Antlers and bones are too hard and can break the puppy’s teeth. They can also splinter and cause intestinal problems. Rawhides and pig ears usually undergo a chemical process that makes them toxic to dogs and puppies.

Additional Puppy Advice from Fuzzy

Pet parents can help keep their puppy out of trouble by making sure their home is clean and picked up. Keeping doors to closets and using puppy gates will also help prevent the puppy from chewing on valuable items. 

Pet parents can contact Fuzzy 24/7 and speak to a highly trained professional for more information about caring for puppies.