Teething puppy...

Question
I have a six month old female German Shepherd.   She is a wonderful girl.  She is currently teething and looks to be quite uncomfortable.  She is not chewing as much as I think she should to soothe her gums.  She actually likes me to rub her gums with my fingers.  Is there anything else that I can do to make this period of time a bit easier for her?  Thanks for any information.

Answer
At six months most of your girls teeth should be in, so I think she's been through the worst of it.  To be honest, I found 1 pup alone tends to chew way more than a number of pups together.  I have had to work hard to teach the one alone not to nip while teething which is very strongly ingrained in them not only for teething but also because its  the way a pup plays.  Nipping was very difficult to redirect in one pup than it was when I got 3 pups teething at the same time.

Some really good things to give pups when teething are Kong toys or Bully Sticks. Kongs are made of tough rubber that German Shepherd Jaws can't break and can be filled with goodies such as peanut butter or cheese or treats, I like putting rollover in them and so do my dogs.  They come in many shapes and sizes and some are made specifically for teething and carry through your puppies growth.  They are excellent chew toys and wonderful for the teething period.  When thrown, they bounce all over and make a good retrieve toy as well.   

Bully Sticks (my and my dogs favorite) are 100% natural and 100% digestible dog chews that are low in fat and great for your pup to chew on.  They are inexpensive and last a long time. And My Pups always have on in their mouth!

My Pups love the Roller Over Bones.  The large bones filled with rollover it keeps them busy for a long time.  When They finally get all the rollover out.  I keep the Bones, boil them and fill them with rollover again.

Other chew toys that could be used are Nylabones which are made out of solid hard plastic and have bumps on them to soothe teething gums or other toys made of hard rubber or plastic.  I have heard that cold carrots also help but I'm not sure how well the dogs like them.

Reinforce which toys are for your pup by giving her the chew toy and saying something like, "Here is your toy, good Girl!" If your girl chooses something that she is not to chew on, As her to Give, Praise her when she lets you have it, then take it away and replace it with one of her chew toys repeating, "This is your toy, good girl!"  or Go Get Your Toy... With persistence, she will learn what is hers to chew on and what she is not to chew on

You may also want to check out the help and info sections on my website

Sincerely
Gallant German Shepherds
http://www.gallantshepherds.com