My 5-month-old puppy is aggressive and biting. What can I do?

Saban is very cute! Biting and mouthing is very normal for puppies this age - and since it sounds like he was taken from his mom and littermates much too early, it's likely that his bite inhibition and general play skills aren't as good as they would be in most puppies. This doesn't mean that he can't learn, but it does mean that you'll need to be very patient with him, and you may need to enlist professional help to get things on the right track if you're having trouble. In general, we want to focus on redirecting puppies to something more appropriate when they start to bite our hands, feet, clothing, etc. - so when he does this, I would grab one of his toys and encourage him to bite it instead, then reward by tugging on the toy and engaging in play. I would also make sure that he has plenty of things to lay and chew on, such as bully sticks, rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. If he isn't already enrolled in a good puppy kindergarten class, I would also start this right away. You can search for a qualified trainer offering classes in your area here: www.ccpdt.org. If you are not seeing improvement in the next few weeks or if things are getting worse, then I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate him in person to help determine if what you are seeing is normal or not, and can also put together a detailed plan to help you address the issues he's having. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear that this has happened. This behavior is certainly concerning as you don't want Boston to cause serious harm to your wife or anyone else for that matter. I would recommend taking Boston to a behaviorist for training and other recommendations. There are trainers that will take Boston for several weeks for the training or trainers that will come to your house for in home training. At 4 months of age, this is easier to correct than when he is 4 years old. Now is the time to take action as it is much easier to train a puppy. I hope this helps and for now, please take the necessary precautions and keep Boston away from anyone until he is appropriately trained.

Because Milo is still so young there is definitely time to correct her aggressive behavior. You should start with basic training commands (sit/stay/come) to help establish the fact that you are the one in charge. It is also important to make sure she is getting plenty of exercise. You should take her on fast-paced walks for 20-30 minutes at least twice a day. I would also recommend that you seek the help of a veterinary behaviorist to help you identify and treat Milo's underlying problem. Good luck.

Yes it can be normal at this age, but you have to stop the behavior now or it will get worse as Capi gets older. Unfortunately, this is a serious problem - aggressive behavior like this (assuming it's true aggression and not rough play) is very abnormal in such a young puppy. To have the best chance of growing up to be relatively normal, puppies like this need early behavioral intervention from a professional. I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist as soon as possible for a in-person evaluation of your puppy. He/she can give you a much better idea of whether this issue is "fixable", in the sense of having a relatively normal dog when he grows up. They will also help you put together a step-by-step training plan to work on the problem, and give you very specific management instructions to make sure everyone stays safe. You can search for a behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Congratulations on your new puppy! It takes some time for puppies to learn to mind their manners. I recommend making sure that Percy has plenty of toys to chew on as his adult teeth are coming in. As you are playing with Percy and he starts biting, you should stop playing and tell Percy "no" and only begin paying attention to him again once he is calm. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have about Percy!

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/

Hi, thank you for using PetCoach. At 8 weeks old the puppy will still need to be vaccinated, as it has probably only had 1 or 2 distemper parvo vaccinations. He likely has not received a rabies vaccination this young. Please see a doctor about your bite wound. This book is great for puppy behavior. https://www.dogwise.com/perfect-puppy-in-7-days/ It is important to determine is Prince is truly being aggressive or just an overactive puppy with no manners. Puppies will normally bite while playing, but he needs to be redirected to biting a more appropriate toy. If he is truly aggressive at 8 weeks of age, he needs significant intervention with a reputable positive reinforcement dog trainer or veterinary behaviourist.