Why does my hyper puppy growl and bite? Is it aggression or play?

I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Ziggy. I am sure it is very upsetting for you. First of all rest assured that this is a very normal puppy behaviour. Puppies learn through play biting and it is part of our role as pet parents to help them learn limits. I would not attempt negative reinforcement such as striking Ziggy or speaking harshly as this will potentially create more serious behaviour issues such as anxiety and fear-aggression. Try some calm corrections and positive reinforcement. If Ziggy bites you, simply say in a calm voice "no" and stop interacting with him for a few moments. This over time will teach him that biting is not a desired form of play. Also try reinforcing him as he starts to play in a good way by not biting, and giver him a small training treat. If Ziggy does manage to bite hard enough to break the skin be careful of a possible infection. Monitor your wound for heat. Swelling, or discharge. Make an appointment with your doctor if this occurs. If you are struggling with the biting after a couple of weeks of the above suggested training methods, consider puppy socialisation classes or potentially a few sessions with a behaviourist. Other games which may be fun with Ziggy are hide and go seek either with you and another person, or you hide his toys and he has to find them. Or classic fetch. More stimulation and more exercise will help calm Ziggy and also help foster a strong bond between you two. I hope this was helpful!

This is a serious and potentially dangerous situation and I recommend you enroll in some behavioral/socialization classes in order to create some positive behavior patterns. I do not recommend any rough play at this stage and only use exercise and toys which do not create such heightened excitement - do not encourage any tug games or chasing of ropes/toys in hand or of your own hands/feet shoes under any circumstances as this blurs the lines of acceptable behavior and biting/chasing behavior. Ensure he is receiving adequate physical and mental stimulation daily in order to fully engage body and mind

Oh dear! Growling when you pick her up is a major red flag for future problems in a puppy this age - this is not normal, and needs more help than just socialization. From your description, it's hard to say if her behavior with the other puppy is normal play or aggression. I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a plan to work on these issues - it's best to do this as soon as possible, since early intervention gives you a much better chance of being able to change this behavior before she grows up. I'm not sure what part of Canada you're in, but your regular veterinarian should be able to help you find out where your nearest board-certified veterinary behaviorist is so that you can make an appointment. In the meantime, I would try and avoid doing anything that tends to make her growl - instead of picking her up, for example, use treats to encourage her to come to you. I would also not recommend any kind of punishment for this behavior, as this has a high risk of making things worse over time. The behaviorist can help you identify what kinds of situations tend to trigger the growling, and will put together a training plan to work on this issue.

Oh no, that's not good that Ziggy bit your friend's dog. I would immediately get him into a professional behavioral expert, which can be recommended by your vet. I never recommend that owners work with their dog's on their aggressive behavior due to safely issues. It's best left to the professionals. The behavioral expert can help identify what triggered your dog to be aggressive, and work with him on preventing it from occurring again. I would keep Ziggy separated from your friend's dog for now to be safe.

That is a lot going on and it sounds like Oggy would benefit from a visit with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in your area, especially if she is being aggressive to the point of bruising or drawing blood. Aggression usually looks very different from play/exploration biting and can include low growling, stiff bodies, showing the whites of the eyes, hair raising on the back, baring teeth, and then nipping or biting. This is unusual in a puppy of this age, so if it is happening, it is best to seek professional help in person ASAP since it is a complex issue that needs to be worked with. If the nipping is just puppy nipping, and she is also chewing on lots of things, it could just be normal puppy behavior and a puppy kindergarten/training classes is a great way to establish some ground rules and get used to interacting with each other in a positive manner. I'm also including some articles on general puppy nipping/chewing that may help as well. https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-when-does-it-stop/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-tips-to-help-prevent-destructive-chewing/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-choose-a-dog-trainer/

What you are describing may be normal puppy behavior for Bear because some puppies respond very poorly to dominance type of behavioral training. However, I would be concerned with the behaviors that you are describing. I would recommend contacting your veterinarian or the foster organization for a recommendation on a trainer to work with to have someone else observe Bear's behavior to help you decide where to go from here. The longer this behavior continues, the more serious it will be become, so this needs to be dealt with immediately. In the meantime, I would not reprimand or challenge Bear since that seems to escalate the situation. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Simba is a great age for starting puppy kindergarten! This is a beginner obedience class and can help the both of you learn how to speak each other's language, tire Simba out, and get some basic behaviors started. Looking for a positive reinforcement class specifically for puppies is best, and be sure to check how many vaccines Simba needs in order to enroll. At home, you can help stop nipping behavior by yelping "ouch!" as high pitched as you can to mimic a litter mate that was played with too roughly. You can also simply stand up and walk away, stopping the play session. Once Simba is calm, you can then start playtime again. This will help teach him that getting too excited and nippy is no fun because it stops play. Giving him a treat when he calmly plays or chews on his own toys can also help to teach him what you want him to chew on instead of your hands.