If you've ever seen a dog sucking on a pacifier, you know that it's an extremely cute scene (especially when they're puppies). But is it really necessary to use the accessory? How can the pacifier interfere with the animal's development? Many people treat dogs as if they were babies, but it's important to set certain limits and understand that,although dogs are part of our family, they have different needs and instincts than humans.

Wondering whether or not it's healthy to offer your dog a pacifier? Paws of the House went looking for answers, look what we found!

Can you give a dog a pacifier?

It is common for many families to offer dog pacifiers because they see their puppies as their own children. The problem is that this exaggerated "humanization" of animals can be harmful to dogs. Pacifiers were developed exclusively to meet the needs of a human baby, not a dog (whether puppy or adult). As canine anatomy is totally differentThe pacifier does not fit properly in the mouth of the puppies and can compromise the development of their dental arch. Therefore, even if many guardians insist on this practice, most experts do not usually recommend the use of the accessory and therefore it is good to avoid the pacifiers for dogs.

What are the risks of offering a pacifier to a dog?

In addition to seriously damaging the dog's teeth, the pacifier can also cause physical and psychological damage to the animal's health. One of the main risks of this accessory is that the dog can chew and swallow pieces of the pacifier (or even the entire pacifier), causing an intestinal obstruction. One must think that this item was designed to adapt to the mouth of a human child, who does not havea bite so strong as to destroy.

In addition, it is also necessary to think about the psychological side, since some dogs end up becoming dependent on the accessory - which is not beneficial for them - and this can result in a series of behavioral problems. The dog starts to refuse interaction with any other toy and only wants the dog pacifier. If he doesn't get what he wants, he takes it out on other objects in the house or develops a problem with the toy.So, as cute as a puppy sucking on a pacifier is, it's best not to encourage it.

Instead of a pacifier, dogs can play with teethers

The puppy with a beak may be the height of cuteness, but it's important not to encourage this habit and to direct your puppy's attention to the right accessories. Puppies' first teeth are born around the second or third week, but between 4 and 7 months the milk teeth fall out and make way for the 42 permanent teeth. This phase of teething is marked mainly byby the need to bite everything that the puppy finds in front of him, and it is at this moment that the owners usually offer the dog pacifier.

However, there are more suitable accessories for this, such as teething toys. There are several models with different shapes, sizes and materials. This type of toy softens the impacts of teething and helps strengthen the animal's jaw muscles. It is also a great option for adult dogs who like to destroy everything.

Here's a list of dog toys that are a good alternative to the pet pacifier:

• Dog biter;
• Bones (check which ones are indicated);
• Rope toys.

In addition to being more appropriate accessories, they do not bring any risk to the health of the animal, as the pacifier for dogs does. They also usually bring a number of benefits to the dog, such as strengthening the jaw, superficial cleaning of the teeth, entertainment and much more.