Malamute teething is a crucial part of a young Mal’s life and takes them from growing their puppy teeth all the way through to 42 adult teeth.
It’s super important to know what to expect and how to handle it during this period. This guide will take you through everything you need to know, as well as some tips for helping your pup feel comfortable.
Let’s get straight into it.
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Contents
When Does Teething Start?
Your Mal will start to grow their puppy teeth, also known as deciduous teeth, at 2 to 3 weeks old.
You will notice that their incisors grow out first, which are the sharp teeth used for cutting.
How Long Does Teething Last?
A Malamute will go through teething until they are around eight months old.
Here’s a quick outline of the entire process:
- 2-3 Weeks Old – Puppy, or deciduous, teeth start to grow in.
- 6-8 Weeks Old – All deciduous teeth will have grown in by this stage.
- 3 Months Old – Deciduous teeth start to fall out to make space for the adult teeth, with the incisors falling out first.
- 4 Months Old – The adult teeth will start to grow in at four months. This starts with the incisors, followed by the premolars and canines.
- 6 Months Old -By half a year, all of the puppy teeth should have fallen out. Most of these teeth get swallowed but don’t be surprised if you find some on the floor or stuck in chew toys.
- 8 Months Old – The complete set of 42 adult teeth should be grown in by eight months.
This can vary between individuals, but this is the rough timeline you are looking at.
Eight months might not seem like a long time in the grand scheme of things, but it certainly can feel like a long time for teething, trust me!
Signs Your Malamute Is Teething
When your Mal starts teething, they will develop behaviors that seem out of the ordinary.
Here are some signs to look out for.
Chewing
Chewing is by far the most common symptom of teething in Malamutes and every other dog breed as well.
Chewing is a natural response to the pain that comes with teething and helps alleviate the pain and help their adult teeth come through faster.
This is why providing chew toys is important during this time, but more on that later.
Drool And Blood Coming From Their Mouth
Another key sign that your Malamute is teething is drool and blood coming out of their mouths.
This shouldn’t be excessive, but if you notice saliva with specks of blood on their toys or anything else they have been chewing, don’t be alarmed – it is entirely normal.
Inflamed Gums
As new teeth emerge through their gums, it’s normal for the area to become red and swollen.
Restlessness
Restlessness and irritability are very common to see in Malamutes that are teething.
Teething is a painful process and causes a lot of discomfort. As a result, it’s pretty normal for Mals to become restless to try and distract themselves from the pain.
Don’t be surprised if your pup wants to play more often or starts nipping or biting at you when they are teething.
Biting Or Nipping More Often
Biting or nipping is also part of the teething process, as your Mal will try to bite the closest thing to them to relieve their pain; so if you are playing with them, expect to get bitten a few times.
Teaching bite inhibition and reacting to the bite properly are crucial here to ensure they understand what behavior is expected of them.
Not Eating As Much Food
If your Mal isn’t as interested in eating their food while teething, it’s also completely normal.
It can become much more difficult for them to eat food while their teeth are hurting, and there are several things you can do to make this easier for them, which we will explore shortly.
If any of the symptoms above become exaggerated, don’t hesitate to contact your vet.
How To Your Malamute Is Teething
If you still aren’t sure whether your Mal is teething, you can check their gums.
To do this, you only need to gently open their mouth and run your finger along their gums. Do this with clean hands to prevent any germs from spreading.
If you can feel teeth poking up through the gums, they have started to teeth.
You can also check with your eyes if the teeth have already started to come through, as you can see them by gently opening their mouths and tilting their heads on an angle so you can see inside.
Tips For Helping Your Malamute Get Through Teething
Here are some top tips for helping your Malamute get through the teething process.
Give Them Lots Of Love
No matter how cheeky or restless your Malamute is, you need to give them lots of love and affection while teething.
Although they might seem to become much more challenging to deal with, it is only a response to the pain that they are going through.
Treating them with negative reinforcement, like shouting, will cause long-term damage to their personalities as they grow up.
Chew Toys
Chew toys are absolutely crucial during the teething period, as they give your Mal something else to chew on rather than furniture, shoes, or any other item they can find.
Give them toys with different textures, and don’t just settle for one toy, either. We all know how stubborn Malamutes can get, so providing a range of toys is the best idea.
Our guide to the best toys for Alaskan Malamutes includes chew toys if you are unsure which ones are best.
Use Ice Cubes/Frozen Toys
Ice cubes and frozen chew toys are great ways to help soothe your Malamute’s gums and teeth while they are teething.
Soften Their Food/Offer More Wet Food
Your Malamute will grow lots during the teething period and have an appetite to match.
If their teeth are hurting them, it can be hard to get to eat, even though they need to eat lots of food during this time.
The secret here is to soften their dry food with water or to offer more wet food as an alternative.
All you need to do is soak their dry food in water for 5 to 10 minutes and then feed them like normal. The kibble will absorb the water and become soft and easier for them to eat.
You can also use wet food; the choice is yours.
Teach Bite Inhibition
It’s normal to get bitten a few times when your Mal is teething, but it’s important to address this behavior to ensure they don’t learn it is acceptable.
The first part of this is bite inhibition, which is essentially where they learn to bite gently so that it doesn’t hurt. Most dogs learn this from playing with other dogs, but you can teach it by reacting to a powerful bite with a high pitch ‘yelp’ and letting your hand go limp.
This can be repeated until they learn to bite very gently, and then from there, you can start ignoring them after they bite and then divert their attention to a chew toy instead.
This will teach them that biting is unacceptable and that they must be gentle if they decide to bite.
In Summary
Teething can be a very difficult time for your pup, so it’s important to help them through it where possible.
Teething treats and toys are absolutely necessary during this time, and make sure to give your Mal plenty of love and affection as well to help them through it.
Stay patient and expect one or two things to get chewed; before you know it, they will have adult teeth!
