Dog gear
Best Puppy Teething Toys
By PawPicks Research ยท Updated
Quick answer
The KONG Puppy is the best teething toy for most puppies. It's made of a softer rubber than the adult KONG, so it flexes without risking a puppy's baby teeth, and you can stuff it and freeze it to soothe sore gums while keeping your puppy busy for an hour. Between roughly 3 and 6 months a puppy needs to chew, and a frozen KONG gives them a safe outlet instead of your furniture.
Teething puppies chew because they have to, not to be difficult. Somewhere around 3 to 6 months, the baby teeth fall out and the adult set pushes through, and the sore, itchy gums that come with it drive a puppy to chew on anything they can reach. Give them the right toys and the chewing goes into the toys. Skip it and it goes into your shoes, table legs, and skirting boards.
The trick is picking toys made for puppy mouths. A puppy's teeth are small and fragile, so the hard nylon and dense rubber built for adult power chewers can crack them. Teething toys use softer materials, and the best of them can be chilled or frozen, because cold numbs sore gums the same way a teething ring does for a baby. The six below cover the range: a stuffable freezer toy, softer chews, a cooling teether, and gentle options for soft-mouthed pups.
One safety rule runs through all of it: supervise, size up, and retire worn toys. A puppy left alone with a chew can gnaw off and swallow a piece, so watch them, buy the size up from what looks right to avoid a swallowing hazard, and throw any toy out once it's chewed down or coming apart. A good rule for hardness: don't give a puppy anything harder than you'd want to tap your own kneecap with.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Product | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | KONG Puppy Toy | about $11 for a medium | The first teething toy to buy, especially for crate and alone-time chewing |
| Best long-lasting chew | Nylabone Puppy Chew Toy | about $8 | Puppies that like to settle in and gnaw for long stretches |
| Fan favorite | Benebone Puppy 2-Pack Chew Toys | about $15 for the pair | Picky puppies that turn their nose up at unflavored chews |
| Best for sore gums | Nylabone Puppy Teething Rings | about $7 | Puppies in the sorest, gnaw-everything stretch of teething |
| Best for gentle chewers | Frisco Puppy Plush & Rope Toy | about $8 | Soft-mouthed puppies that carry and mouth toys rather than destroy them |
| Best scented pick | Playology Puppy Teething Chew | about $11 | Distractible puppies that lose interest in unscented toys |
KONG Puppy Toy
about $11 for a medium
- Material
- Soft puppy rubber
- Stuffable
- Yes
- Freezable
- Yes
- Sizes
- Extra small to large
The KONG Puppy is the same idea as the classic KONG but in a softer rubber made for baby teeth, and that combination is what makes it the best teething toy going. Stuff it with a little wet food or puppy-safe peanut butter, freeze it overnight, and you've got a toy that soothes sore gums with cold while keeping a puppy licking and working for an hour instead of chewing the couch. That redirection is the whole point: a puppy busy with a frozen KONG isn't destroying anything, and trainers hand these out for crate time and alone-time for exactly that reason. It cleans up in the dishwasher and comes in sizes down to tiny breeds.
Pros
- Softer rubber that's safe for fragile puppy teeth
- Stuff it and freeze it to numb sore gums and last for an hour
- Redirects chewing into licking and problem-solving
- Dishwasher safe and sized down to the smallest breeds
Cons
- Puppies graduate to the tougher adult KONG once their adult teeth are in
- Left plain and unstuffed, some puppies lose interest fast
Best for: The first teething toy to buy, especially for crate and alone-time chewing
Check price on ChewyNylabone Puppy Chew Toy
about $8
- Material
- Soft puppy nylon
- Flavor
- Runs through the toy
- Texture
- Nubs to massage gums
- Edible
- No
For a puppy that wants to gnaw for a long stretch, the Nylabone Puppy is the pick, as long as you buy the puppy version and not an adult one. It's a much softer nylon than the brand's power-chew line, made to give a little against baby teeth rather than crack them, with raised nubs that massage sore gums and flavor mixed all the way through so interest lasts. It's not edible, so a puppy shaves off tiny bits as they chew, and the rule is the same as with any nylon: those shavings should be rice-grain sized, and the chew gets tossed once the ends wear down. Match the size to the puppy and never hand a teething pup an adult-hardness Nylabone.
Pros
- Much softer than adult nylon chews, made for puppy teeth
- Flavor through the whole toy keeps a puppy coming back
- Textured nubs massage sore, itchy gums
- Lasts far longer than a plush or rope toy
Cons
- Not edible, so shavings need watching and the toy needs retiring as it wears
- You must buy the puppy version; adult nylon can crack baby teeth
Best for: Puppies that like to settle in and gnaw for long stretches
Check price on ChewyBenebone Puppy 2-Pack Chew Toys
about $15 for the pair
- Material
- Softer puppy nylon
- Flavor
- Real bacon or chicken
- Shape
- Curved for paw grip
- Made in
- USA
The Benebone Puppy pack takes the brand's clever curved shape and softens the nylon for teething mouths. The curve is the smart bit: it lifts one end off the floor so a puppy can pin it with a paw and get a proper chew without you holding it. Real bacon or chicken flavor runs through the nylon, which wins over puppies that ignore plainer toys, and the two-pack lets you rotate one while the other's in the wash or the freezer. Same nylon rules apply, it's not edible, watch for shavings bigger than a grain of rice, and retire it as it wears, but as a flavored chew puppies actually choose, it's a favorite for good reason.
Pros
- Curved shape lets a puppy grip and chew without help
- Real-ingredient flavor wins over picky puppies
- Two-pack lets you rotate toys and always have a clean one
- Softer puppy-specific nylon, made in the USA
Cons
- Not edible, so swallowed chunks are a risk if you skip inspections
- Buy only the puppy version, since adult Benebones are too hard for baby teeth
Best for: Picky puppies that turn their nose up at unflavored chews
Check price on ChewyNylabone Puppy Teething Rings
about $7
- Material
- Soft flexible rubber
- Chillable
- Yes, in the fridge
- Texture
- Ridged for gum relief
- Best for
- Peak teething soreness
When a puppy is at the worst of teething, gnawing everything and clearly uncomfortable, a cooling teether gives the most direct relief. These flexible rubber rings are soft enough to give against sore gums, ridged to massage them, and you can pop them in the fridge so the cold numbs the ache the way a teething ring does for a baby. The soft rubber is gentle on wobbly baby teeth, and the ring shape is easy for small mouths and paws to hold. They wear faster than a nylon chew, so they're less about lasting for hours and more about soothing a puppy through the sorest stretch, which is exactly the job here.
Pros
- Soft, flexible rubber that's kind to fragile baby teeth
- Chill them for direct cold relief on aching gums
- Ridged texture massages sore gums as the puppy chews
- Ring shape is easy for small mouths and paws to hold
Cons
- Wears faster than nylon, so it's not a long-lasting chew
- A determined puppy can chew pieces off, so supervise and retire early
Best for: Puppies in the sorest, gnaw-everything stretch of teething
Check price on ChewyFrisco Puppy Plush & Rope Toy
about $8
- Material
- Soft plush with rope
- Brand
- Chewy house brand
- Feel
- Gentle on new teeth
- Use
- Supervised chewing and play
Not every puppy is a power chewer, and a soft-mouthed pup often prefers something plush they can carry, mouth, and gently gnaw. This Frisco combo pairs a soft plush toy with a rope section, giving a gentle chewer comfort plus a bit of texture on the gums, at Chewy's house-brand price. Two honest cautions: plush toys aren't chew-proof, so this is for gentle chewers, not shredders, and rope needs real supervision, because a puppy that pulls strands off and swallows them can end up with a dangerous gut blockage. Kept for supervised play and taken away once it starts to fray, it's a nice soft option for a mellow puppy.
Pros
- Soft feel that gentle-mouthed puppies like to carry and mouth
- Rope section adds light texture for the gums
- Cheap Chewy house-brand price
- Doubles as a comfort and play toy, not just a chew
Cons
- Not for strong chewers, who will shred plush quickly
- Rope must be supervised, since swallowed strands can cause a gut blockage
Best for: Soft-mouthed puppies that carry and mouth toys rather than destroy them
Check price on ChewyPlayology Puppy Teething Chew
about $11
- Material
- Soft puppy rubber
- Scent
- Built into the toy
- Feel
- Flexes on baby teeth
- Use
- Supervised chewing
Playology's angle is scent. Its toys are made with a smell built right into the material, chicken or peanut butter, which keeps a puppy interested longer without adding anything to swallow. The puppy line pairs that with a soft rubber that flexes on baby teeth instead of stressing them. The scent draw is genuinely useful for a puppy that gets bored of a plain toy and drifts back to the furniture, and it works well chilled for extra gum relief. It's a newer name than KONG or Nylabone with less of a track record, so supervise as you would any chew and retire it as it wears, but as a way to hold a distractible puppy's attention, the scent is a real edge.
Pros
- Built-in scent holds a puppy's attention with nothing to swallow
- Soft rubber that flexes on fragile baby teeth
- Works chilled for extra gum relief
- Good for puppies that get bored of plain toys
Cons
- Newer brand with a shorter track record than KONG or Nylabone
- The scent fades over time as the toy is chewed and washed
Best for: Distractible puppies that lose interest in unscented toys
Check price on ChewyWhy puppies chew, and how long it lasts
Teething isn't a behavior problem, it's a physical need. From about 3 to 6 months, a puppy loses 28 baby teeth and grows in 42 adult ones, and the sore, itchy gums that come with it make chewing feel good, the way a person rubs a sore spot. A puppy with no safe outlet will find their own, which is how shoes, table legs, and skirting boards get destroyed. Giving them the right toys isn't spoiling them; it's the fix for the whole problem.
Most puppies are through the worst of it by six or seven months, once the adult teeth are fully in. The chewing drive doesn't vanish overnight, and many dogs chew happily for life, but the frantic, everything-in-the-mouth phase eases as the gums stop hurting. Stock a few good chews, keep them in rotation so none goes stale, and you'll ride out teething with your furniture mostly intact.
Choosing safe materials and sizes
The single biggest mistake is giving a puppy an adult chew. Baby teeth are small and fragile, and the hard nylon, dense rubber, antlers, and bones made for adult power chewers can crack them. A good hardness test: don't give a puppy anything harder than you'd be willing to tap your own kneecap with, and if you can't dent it with a thumbnail, it's too hard. Teething toys are made softer on purpose, so buy the puppy version of a chew every time, never the adult one.
Size up, too. A toy that fits entirely in a puppy's mouth is a choking risk, so pick the size up from what looks right, especially since your puppy is growing fast. And know the material's rules: rubber toys like the KONG are the safest all-round choice, nylon chews are fine in the puppy grade but shed shavings you need to watch, and rope carries a real blockage risk if a puppy swallows the strands, so it stays a supervised-only toy.
Cooling, supervision, and when to retire a toy
Cold is a puppy's best friend during teething, because it numbs sore gums the same way a chilled teething ring does for a baby. Freeze a stuffed KONG, chill a rubber teether in the fridge, or even freeze a wet washcloth for a few minutes of relief. It calms the ache and holds a puppy's attention longer, which is a double win on a rough teething day. Just don't freeze hard toys solid to the point they become as hard as the adult chews you're avoiding.
Supervision and retirement are non-negotiable. A puppy left alone with a chew can gnaw off and swallow a piece, so watch chewing sessions, especially with nylon and rope. Check toys often and throw any of them out once they're chewed down small enough to swallow, cracked, fraying, or missing pieces. Replacing a worn $10 toy is nothing next to the vet bill for a swallowed chunk, so retire early and don't wait for it to become a hazard.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best toys for a teething puppy?
The KONG Puppy is the best all-round teething toy: soft rubber that's safe for baby teeth, and stuffable and freezable so it soothes sore gums while keeping a puppy busy. Pair it with a softer chew like the puppy-grade Nylabone or Benebone for longer gnawing sessions, and a chillable rubber teether for the sorest days. The key is to buy puppy-specific versions, since adult chews are too hard for a teething puppy's teeth.
How long do puppies teethe?
Teething runs from about 3 to 6 months, when a puppy loses its 28 baby teeth and grows in 42 adult ones. The frantic, chew-everything phase usually eases by six or seven months once the adult teeth are fully in. The chewing drive doesn't disappear completely, but the sore-gum urgency behind teething does, so the worst of the furniture-destroying phase is temporary.
Are frozen toys good for teething puppies?
Yes. Cold numbs sore, inflamed gums the same way a chilled teething ring soothes a baby, so it gives real relief during the worst of teething. Freeze a stuffed KONG, chill a rubber teether in the fridge, or freeze a wet washcloth for a quick fix. Just don't freeze hard toys until they're rock solid, since a toy that hard can stress fragile baby teeth.
What can I give my puppy to chew while teething?
Give puppy-specific chew toys made of softer materials: a stuffable KONG Puppy you can freeze, a puppy-grade Nylabone or Benebone for longer gnawing, and a chillable rubber teether for sore gums. Avoid anything made for adult power chewers, plus antlers, hooves, and hard bones, all of which can crack baby teeth. A simple test is to skip anything harder than you'd be happy tapping your own kneecap with.
Can I give my teething puppy adult dog chew toys?
No. Adult chews, hard nylon, dense rubber, antlers, and bones, are made for full-grown teeth and can crack a puppy's fragile baby teeth. Always buy the puppy version of a chew, which uses softer materials designed to flex against new teeth. Once your puppy's adult teeth are fully in, around six or seven months, you can move up to the tougher adult toys.
How do I stop my puppy chewing everything in the house?
You can't switch off the urge, since teething puppies need to chew, but you can redirect it. Keep several safe puppy chews within reach, rotate them so none goes stale, and the moment your puppy grabs something they shouldn't, calmly swap it for an approved toy. A frozen stuffed KONG is especially good for keeping a puppy busy, and puppy-proofing, moving shoes and cords out of reach, handles the rest while they learn.
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Ready to try our top pick?
KONG Puppy Toy - the first teething toy to buy, especially for crate and alone-time chewing
See it on Chewy