When we welcome a puppy into our home, it's a bit like bringing home a newborn.  We think we're ready and the second that puppy pees on the floor, chews up a sock, gnaws on the edge of the ottoman leg, cries for three hours straight in the middle of the night, or thinks our kid is a chew toy, we immediately second guess our decision to bring a puppy into the fold. And then, we're in a back and forth moral struggle, debating whether we should give this puppy back, wondering if we can survive the puppy phase, thinking there's no way it could possibly get better. 

I've been there- three times with my own puppies and numerous times with foster puppies.  Our first family dog, Sadie, grew up with my boys.  She was like a little-big sister to them- a part of the fun, a part of the pack, but she also took on the role of watchdog with them- concerned for their safety when it wasn't time to romp or cuddle. My current two pups were more or less raised by my boys- the boys in a different phase of life, on the cusp of their teenage years while Maizy and Muddy were babies, figuring out where they fit in. It's such a different experience.  But for all three, I was the parent who needed to figure things out and to help our family blend with these four legged woofs who use their mouths to communicate at times, aren't able to communicate their needs in our way, or thought the kids' toys were also theirs. 

Oftentimes, our experience bringing home a new puppy is not the warm and fuzzy and cuddly experience we expect.  There are definitely moments of puppy snuggles, but the teething struggles, potty training struggles, sleeping struggles send us into a sleep-deprived, second guessing, zombified pet parent who begins to think that puppy would be soooo much better off with someone who expected the challenge or who is better equipped for the challenge or who doesn't have little kids who that puppy is trying to identify with and find a place in the pack with, or who is a night owl and doesn't need sleep, or who doesn't have carpets which must be so much easier with potty training.  The myriad of thoughts that go through our heads are never-ending.  Eh, I'll tell you, none of it is true. You decided to add four paws and puppy breath and furballs to your family and your home.  It's hard work- most things we truly want in life are.  My puppy advice- stick it out but educate yourself on tricks and things that will make the puppy phase a little easier and a little more rewarding for you, your family and your dog.  

When my girl, Maizy was a puppy, she liked to challenge my oldest son.  She would jump at him, bark at him and grab his clothes with her puppy, razor sharp teeth.  His Sixers hoodie took a beating and that's when I knew, I had no clue how to help him and Maizy figure things out.  So I reached out to a trainer for support thru Maizy's crazy puppy phase and it was the best thing I could have done.  Hiring a dog trainer will help you understand the puppy mind and how to manage it.  Finding a positive reinforcement dog trainer will teach you simple tips that will get you through the crazy.  This singular thing is your absolute best defense against those teeth HA!

But there are ways you can immediately redirect that puppy teething!

If you're dealing with puppy teething, the best possible way to survive is to redirect! Redirecting your puppy's energy and teeth will save your Sixers hoodie, furniture and skin! Frozen stuffed Kongs, bully sticks, snuffle mats, tease poles, carrot sticks, rope toys... there are so many ideas for enrichment activities you can do to help you and your kids play with the puppy and redirect those puppy teeth while wearing your pup out.  Our house was littered with all sorts of chew toys that I knew were safe for my puppies and close at hand so when any of the puppies who came through our home turned into a vampire-werewolf-piranha hybrid, we had chew toys at our fingertips to put in their mouths and to redirect the needle sharp teeth.  We praised the heck out of them when they chose to chew on the toys and not us. 

These were just a few of our best friends when there were puppies in the house- 

Chew King

Kong Company

Bionic

West Paw

If you want to go the route of DIY teething toys, these are some amazing options that we used on a regular basis!

• old t-shirts or flannels or towels. Cut them into strips and tie them into knots.  With anything you give your teething puppy, always keep an eye on them.  
• put a tennis ball in a sock, tie a know and you've got a fantastic tug toy or throw toy that your teething beast will love to wrestle. 
• washcloths, I can't count how many times I would soak a washcloth with water and pop it in the freezer to give my teething puppy (and babies!) to sooth their gums.  Take one of those knotted up strips of t-shirt, etc and do the same thing.  Puppies love gnawing on cold knots!
• back to the socks, put some ice cubes in a sock and tie it- another great tug and teether.  But again, you'll always want to keep an eye on your puppy to be sure they aren't ingesting any of it. And no, I really don't think giving your puppy a sock with ice cubes or a knotted t-shirt will teach him it's okay to eat these things as he grows.  A sock eater is a sock eater- it's definitely not taught LOL!
• grab a few ice cubes from the freezer and send them flying across the floor in front of your puppy!  

Wait, so tell me how I can ensure my kid isn't the puppy's teething toy?

Teach your kid to redirect! Keep those chew toys on hand wherever your kid and your puppy spend time together.  Teach your kid to praise your puppy when he chooses a toy over your kid's hand.  And if a time out is in order, that's okay!  Give your puppy a little crate or playpen time with something to chew on.  Keep it positive and let you kid know that puppy is learning and it's your child's job to help teach him! 

It is hard work raising a puppy and a true test of our patience.  But even the wildest piranha puppies will pause for a curious moment, your chance to redirect. Sticking it out and surviving the puppy phase means your kids will grow up with this puppy or you will have the joy of watching your puppy grow and mature and that puppy will be your best friend and if you ask me, there's nothing quite like that!