Puppy teething advice for Norfolk Terriers

Teething is one of the most intense periods of puppyhood — and with a Norfolk Terrier at 11 weeks, you're right at the start of it. These are tenacious little dogs bred to dig and gnaw, so the instinct to chew is strong. Having the right chew toys available — firm enough to satisfy but safe for developing teeth, and ideally chillable to soothe sore gums — genuinely changes how much destruction happens around the house. Tell me: is the main concern the chewing generally, or are you specifically worried about protecting things like skirting boards and woodwork?

That's completely understandable — original Victorian woodwork isn't replaceable, and a Norfolk Terrier going at a skirting board corner is a genuinely bad combination. The key at this age is redirection: she needs something that feels similar to wood — firm, with some resistance — so she gets the same satisfaction from it. What does she tend to do when she finds a corner? Does she gnaw persistently, or is it more opportunistic when she's bored or unsettled?

That pattern — overtired or briefly unsupervised — is very classic for this age and breed. She's not being naughty; she's self-soothing, and wood corners are perfect for that because they're firm and have an edge she can really get her teeth into. You need something that mimics that feeling closely enough that it becomes the preferred option. My recommendation is the Nylabone Puppy Chew, specifically the chicken-flavoured bone shape in the puppy size. It's designed for small breeds with developing teeth — firm enough to satisfy that gnawing urge but not so hard it damages milk teeth. The flavour makes it genuinely appealing rather than just something you've placed near her. Keep one near each area where she tends to stray, and when you catch her approaching a corner, redirect her to it calmly rather than making a fuss. Consistency over a week or two and she'll start choosing it herself. You can also pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes when her gums seem especially sore — at 11 weeks they're coming in fast.

Yes, it's worth doing both together. A bitter apple spray like Grannick's Bitter Apple on the corners she's already targeting can buy you some time while the Nylabone becomes established as her go-to. Just test it on a small hidden patch of wood first to make sure it doesn't mark the finish — most Victorian paint holds up fine, but it's worth checking. The spray alone won't solve it because she'll find new corners, but paired with the redirection it works well. The goal is to make the chew toy the most interesting thing in the room, not just to make the skirting boards unpleasant.

Honest answer: the worst of it — the intense, must-chew-everything phase — usually runs from about 8 weeks to 16 weeks as the milk teeth are most active. You'll get a brief lull, then a second wave around 4 to 6 months when the adult teeth come through, and that one can actually be more destructive because she'll be bigger and stronger. The good news is that if you establish the Nylabone as her chewing habit now, she'll carry that habit into the second phase rather than reverting to the furniture. Norfolk Terriers are smart — once they have a preferred outlet, they tend to stick with it. You're doing the right thing by tackling it at 11 weeks.