My 2-month-old puppy is aggressive and bites. Is this normal behavior?

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.

Actual aggression in a two month old dog is highly unusual, and a definite sign of bad things to come unless it is nipped in the butt immediately. I would highly recommend obtaining professional help from a behaviorist or dog trainer before Blue turns in a large adult dog with behavioral issues. In the mean times, do not interact with Blue if he shows any signs of aggression what so ever. You do not want him to mistake attention given to him as a reward. Typically I never recommend punishment since it is not as valuable a tool as positive reinforcement. However, in extremely young puppies such as these sometimes punishment can be effective. Once again, professional assistance is highly recommended in this instance. Hope this makes sense.

It can always be tough with a new puppy. Some chewing is normal with a young puppy however it is important to start trying to control the behavior now. I would recommend when Blue starts to bite to replace it with something he can chew on. Also, I would recommend starting with some basic training. This would be sit, stay and come. That way when Blue starts to bite you he can be re-directed with the commands. I hope that helps

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.

At ten weeks of age this is still very normal behavior. If Safiro is getting too excited, taking a time out and stopping all play/walking away until he's calm again can help to teach him that getting too excited results in the fun ending, and that calm behavior is rewarded with more play time. Working on some impulse control training (such as airplaning treats, taking and dropping toys, taking treats nicely, sitting politely -- YouTube has great tutorials for all of this) can also help with over excitement and biting behavior.

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/

I would recommend discussing his behavior with a trainer. My concern is if he is already aggressive at 4 months of age it can just get worse. Working with a trainer now is very important. I would bring him to a veterinarian tomorrow to discuss this with them. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.