My puppy is biting aggressively. Is it teething or a behavior issue?

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/

Most puppies go through a stage where they become very mouthy and try and bite everything. This is a very different situation to an aggressive dog that is not being playful but is trying to inflict damage. I assume your dog is just being mouthy but if it is aggressive then you should contact a professional behaviourist asap. Mouthy puppies are best handled with consistency. When the pup bites firmly say no and put it on the floor and ignore it for a minute or 2. Resume play and repeat when the pup bites. Give the puppy plenty of toys which it can bite but never encourage it to see your hand as a toy.

Aggression is complicated because it can be playful aggression, dominance, possessive or anxiety. Unless you are very familiar with canine behavior, training and body language, this is a situation that requires a dog trainer. The trainer will watch Trevor’s behavior and then will teach you how to modify your behavior to change his. You should also get a few books about dog behavior and training so that you can learn how to recognize the body language as this will help. Neutering Trevor can also help to decrease unwanted behavior. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It is possible your puppy is still play biting, but getting a little too excited. I would continue with training to not bite by redirecting the behavior to appropriate toys, yelping when things get too rough, and getting up/stopping play when Luna is too excited. If Luna is acting aggressive (IE, low growls, baring teeth before biting, stiff body, trying to get away from you,) then I highly recommend seeking out a trainer in person immediately as this is a serious concern at such a young age. I'm attaching some articles on general puppy biting and play that may help: 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/how-to-choose-a-dog-trainer/

Hello, and thank you for your question. Puppies are teething around the ages of 3-6 months, which makes them interested in biting anything and everything at times! Ensure that he has appropriate, safe toys for him to chew on, such as rubber Kongs filled with treats or peanut butter, and rope toys. You can also try putting these toys in the freezer, which some puppies like as it helps soothe their irritated gums. When Shadow tries to bite you, give a firm "ow" or "no". Never hit him or use any other form of physical punishment. Instead, offer him his chew toy to play with on his own. Walk away, cross your arms and legs and do not give him any further attention. If this does not work, you may need to find a toy that is more rewarding for him, such as putting something even more tasty into the toy. The good news is that teething will finish by 6 months, so this should be a temporary behaviour. However, we want to teach Shadow what is appropriate to chew on, and what is not. Here is an article with some further tips to help prevent destructive chewing: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3701 I hope this helps!

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

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.