Puppy teething with a senior dog at home

Teething is one of the most intense periods of puppyhood — a 10-week Miniature Dachshund is right in the thick of it, and those little jaws are surprisingly determined. Having the right chew toys available, ones that are firm enough to satisfy but safe for developing teeth and ideally chillable to soothe sore gums, makes a genuine difference to how much of your furniture survives. The multi-pet situation is worth thinking about too, since what works for a puppy doesn't always sit well alongside a senior dog in the same space. How old is your senior dog, and are they more likely to ignore the puppy's toys entirely or could there be any resource-guarding tension? And is your main worry the chewing itself, or are there specific things — furniture, cables, shoes — that the puppy is already targeting?

Three days in and already after cables — she's a classic. The good news on the senior dog front is that separate toy ownership makes everything much simpler; you don't have to worry about picking something that works for two very different dogs. For a 10-week Miniature Dachshund, the priority is a chew toy that's genuinely firm but not so hard it risks her baby teeth — rubber is the sweet spot, not nylon, not rope. I'd also want something small enough for a Mini Dachshund mouth, because a lot of puppy toys are sized for Labs. Can I ask — does she seem to prefer chewing things she can hold down with her paws, or is she more of a carry-it-around chewer? It helps narrow down the shape.

Perfect — that tells me a lot. A carry-and-chew dog wants something she can pick up, move around, and feel ownership over. For a 10-week Mini Dachshund, I'd go with the KONG Puppy Toy in the small size. It's made from a softer rubber formula specifically for puppy teeth, it's the right weight for a small breed to carry, and you can stuff it or freeze it with a bit of puppy-safe paste to make it extra soothing on sore gums — which at 10 weeks she will absolutely appreciate. It also redirects brilliantly from cables and chair legs because it's interesting enough to hold her attention. Your senior dog almost certainly won't bother with it, but even if they gave it a sniff, the puppy KONG is soft enough that it poses no dental risk to an older dog either. Get the pink or blue puppy version specifically — not the classic red one, which is a harder rubber meant for adult dogs.

Exactly right, and that's genuinely the best way to use them — two KONGs in rotation means one is always cold and ready when the other needs refilling. Freeze them with a little plain puppy mousse or just smear a tiny amount of dog-safe peanut butter (xylitol-free, always check the label) inside before freezing. At 10 weeks the cold rubber will help a lot as her teeth are actively pushing through right now. Pick up two small puppy KONGs, keep one in the freezer, and swap them out whenever she finishes. It'll do more for your chair legs and cables than anything else you could put in front of her.

You're welcome — you're approaching this exactly right, catching it at three days rather than three weeks when the chair legs are already past saving. Two small puppy KONGs, keep one frozen, and redirect every time she heads for a cable. She'll get through the worst of teething in a few weeks, and the KONG habit you build now will serve you well long past puppyhood.