My puppies bite and fight hard. Is this normal, or should I stop them?

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.

Yes, this is normal puppy play. Try not to get him riled up to the point where he is biting and growling. If he starts, stop play until he settles down. It is up to you to teach him what is appropriate behavior and what is not. If he bites hard, a stern "No!" Shouls stop/distract him. Offer an appropriate item to chew. Praise and reward rewatd him when he complies. If he doesn't, stop all interaction until he settles down. Be firm and be consistent.

A certain amount of rough play is normal in puppies. If they get too rough, simply separate them until they calm down. Praise and reward them when they behave. Correct any negative behavior immediately. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may also help to calm them down some.

Hello, rough play is ok as long as they are not showing teeth or biting each other. It is also ok, as long as both of them want to play and not one picking on the other. If you think they are showing some aggression or if it is getting too rough, you can separate them for some time. Also ensure they have enough toys, especially chew toys so that they can redirect their rough play to those chew toys in particular. Hope this helps.

This is indeed common in puppies (and some adult dogs). When Julius gets riled up or too excited, stop all play until he calms down. If he bites, a stern "No" or "No bite" should get him to stop. Praise and reward him when he complies. Be firm and be consistent.

Dogs are generally good about regulating their own play and not pushing it too far. Even large dogs and small dogs can play nicely together. Supervise the play and if things do get too rough, separate them for 30 minutes to allow them to calm down. Both dogs will benefit from additional exercise (a tired dog is generally better behaved) and the aggressor dog would benefit the most. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I recommend getting him into a puppy kindergarten obedience class. The trainer can help you guide his energy into less aggressive, destructive paths. Also, make sure he is getting lots and lots of exercise, going for long walks, take him for a jog, throw the ball for him, get a tug toy and let him play tug of war with you or another dog, get him out for play dates with other dogs (best left after his vaccination series is finished, at about four months of age). A tired dog is a happy dog, and one less likely to get himself into trouble with boredom. When you play with your puppy, let him mouth on your hands. Continue play until he bites especially hard. When he does, immediately give a high-pitched yelp, as if you’re hurt, and let your hand go limp. This should startle your puppy and cause him to stop mouthing you. (If yelping seems to have no effect, you can say “Too bad!” or “You blew it!” in a stern voice instead.) Praise your puppy for stopping. Resume whatever you were doing before. If your puppy bites you hard again, yelp again. Repeat these steps no more than three times within a 15-minute period. If you find that yelping alone doesn’t work, you can switch to a time-out procedure. When your puppy delivers a hard bite, yelp loudly. Then, when he startles and turns to look at you or looks around, remove your hand. Either ignore him for 10 to 20 seconds or, if he starts mouthing on you again, get up and move away for 10 to 20 seconds. After the short time-out, return to your puppy and encourage him to play with you again. It’s important to teach him that gentle play continues, but painful play stops. Play with your puppy until he bites hard again. When he does, repeat the sequence above. When your puppy isn’t delivering really hard bites anymore, you can tighten up your rules a little. Require your puppy to be even gentler. Yelp and stop play in response to moderately hard bites. Persist with this process of yelping and then ignoring your puppy or giving him a time-out for his hardest bites. As those disappear, do the same for his next-hardest bites, and so on, until your puppy can play with your hands very gently, controlling the force of his mouthing so that you feel little or no pressure at all.