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Are my 2-month-old puppies fighting or just playing too rough?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

We had a litter of standard poodles around 2 1/2 months ago (still have 4 males). The last 2 days 2 pups have fought at least two different times and bite each other hard (level 3 probably 4) - no inhibition; latching on ears, necks, shoulders. Takes two of us a long time to distract and separate them without causing further injury. It gets bad- I try to unclench ones jaw and they latch on biting past the length of a canine. can't tell which one is the aggessor; both are uninhibited. Please help

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on July 30th, 2017

This sounds like puppy play to me. When they bite, is there any blood or wounds visible after play? If so, it may be best the separate them. If not, let them work it out!

I would be more concerned if the biting was occurring on the hind or along the legs. I would also be concerned if there were other signs of aggression, such as during feeding time or potty time.

If you are uncomfortable with the puppies play biting each other, try to throw some puppy toys in the mix, maybe even some that have treats inside to distract them.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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