Frozen teething toy for puppies made from a towel

Key points

• A small cotton towel, wet, knotted and frozen for 1-2 hours, soothes a puppy's gums.
• Always supervise: if your puppy pulls off threads or bits of fabric, take it away.
• Take it away once it's fully thawed or starts to come apart, and don't leave it in their bed.
• You can soak it in water or in homemade broth with no salt or onion.
• Between about 3-4 and 6-7 months, it's normal for puppies to chew a lot and for you to find the odd baby tooth around the house.

A frozen teething toy for puppies takes nothing more than a small cotton towel: you wet it, twist it, tie a knot and put it in the freezer. The cold gently numbs inflamed gums, and as it thaws the fabric turns soft and pleasant to chew. It's one of the simplest and cheapest ways to get through teething.

Between about 3-4 and 6-7 months, puppies swap their baby teeth for adult ones, and during those weeks they chew everything: hands, shoes, chair legs. You can't stop it, but you can redirect it toward something that soothes them and isn't dangerous. This toy does both, with one non-negotiable condition: it's used with you right there.

Puppy teething: what's normal

Puppies have 28 baby teeth that start falling out at around 3-4 months, first the incisors and then the canines and molars. By about 6-7 months they usually have all 42 adult teeth. During that time it's normal:

• For them to chew much more than usual, your hands included.
• To see slightly red gums and, sometimes, a little blood on their toys.
• To find the odd baby tooth around the house, although many puppies swallow them without any problem.
• For them to eat a little less well on some days.

See your vet if a baby tooth stays in next to the adult one (especially the canines, from 6-7 months on), if your puppy stops eating, has strong bad breath or bleeds a lot. At their checkup, the vet will tell you if anything needs doing. In the meantime, keep feeding their usual food; if they eat homemade, our puppy recipes include soft textures that are easy to eat with sensitive gums.

Safety: always supervise

• Don't leave them alone with it. Puppies pull off threads and bits of fabric that they can swallow, causing a blockage or a linear foreign body.
• A towel with no fringe, no embroidery and no loose threads. An old but intact cotton towel or a thick cotton muslin cloth is best. No microfiber, which sheds fibers.
• Bigger than their mouth, so they can't fit the whole knot in.
• Take it away after 10-15 minutes or once it thaws, and any time it starts to come apart.
• Throw it out when it has holes or the loops have been pulled out.
• Wash it after every use in the washing machine with hot water: damp, chewed fabric collects bacteria.
• Hard ice, like large ice cubes, can break teeth. A frozen towel is softer, but if your puppy bites down very hard on it straight from the freezer, let it sit for a couple of minutes first.

Water or broth?

Plain water works perfectly and adds nothing to their diet. If you want to make it more appealing, soak the towel in homemade broth made only with dog-safe meat and vegetables, with no salt, no onion, no garlic and no bouillon cubes, like our homemade bone broth (strained, skimmed of fat and with no bones at all). Never use store-bought boxed broth or broth from your own soup or stew, which contain salt and often onion. Another option is to freeze a little of their wet food on a lick mat.

What you need

• A small cotton towel (a washcloth or hand towel) with no fringe or embroidery, or a piece of old towel about 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 in)
• Water or homemade broth with no salt or onion
• A freezer bag

Step by step

1. Check the towel

   Make sure it has no loose threads, fringe, labels or embroidery. If you're using a piece of a large towel, cut a square of about 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 in) and remove any frayed edges.

2. Soak it

   Wet it thoroughly in cold water or homemade broth with no salt or onion, and wring it out a little so it doesn't drip.

3. Twist and knot it

   Roll it up on itself like a rope and tie one or two knots. For very small puppies, a single knot in the middle; for large breeds, two.

4. Freeze for 1-2 hours

   Put it in a freezer bag and leave it in the freezer for one to two hours, until firm. You can keep two or three ready to go.

5. Give it with you there

   Offer it when they're chewing more than usual. If they're biting your hand or a piece of furniture, swap it for the towel. Take it away after 10-15 minutes or once it thaws.

6. Wash it and start again

   Wash the towel in the washing machine with hot water after each use and check that it's still intact before freezing it again.

Frequently asked questions

How can I soothe my puppy's teething pain?

With cold and with the right things to chew: a wet, knotted and frozen cotton towel, rubber puppy teething toys of the right size, or toys you can chill in the fridge. Always offer them under supervision, and swap your hand or a shoe for the teething toy when they bite. If your puppy stops eating or bleeds a lot, check with your vet.

How long does teething last in puppies?

It usually starts at around 3-4 months, when the first baby teeth fall out, and ends at around 6-7 months with all 42 adult teeth. The most uncomfortable weeks are when the canines and molars come in. After that, many dogs keep chewing quite a bit until they're a year old purely to explore, so it's worth keeping suitable toys around.

Is it normal for my puppy's mouth to bleed?

A little blood on toys or on the towel during teething is normal, just like finding the odd baby tooth. It isn't normal if they bleed a lot, if blood shows up outside that period, or if they have strong bad breath, very swollen gums or stop eating. In those cases, or if you see a baby tooth that hasn't fallen out next to the adult one, see your vet.

Can puppies eat ice cubes?

Licking or chewing a small ice cube now and then doesn't usually cause problems, but hard ice can break teeth, especially if the dog bites down hard. For teething, a wet frozen towel is better because it softens quickly. And avoid ice for very small puppies that could choke on a whole cube.