Is my puppy's biting and snarling with my dog normal play or fighting?

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.

It's true that play between two dogs can sometimes get out of hand and become a more serious fight. It can be hard for many owners to distinguish this from rough play, so feel free to request a one-on-one consultation if you wish - you can take a video of the behavior for me to look at, so that I can give you a better idea of whether this is normal play or something more serious. In the meantime, I would recommend distracting the dogs from their play session and redirecting them to something else if you are concerned that things are getting too intense. You can do this by shaking a treat bag, and asking both dogs to sit for a treat when they come to you. This helps to bring their arousal level down a bit, so that they are calmer when they go back to playing.

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 normal play behavior for a puppy. It is also normal for the older dog to allow the play for a period of time and then stop the behavior by barking/snapping at the pup. As long as the older dog is not harming the younger pup with his snaps I would let this behavior continue because it is helping the younger dog to learn boundaries which is a very important part of his development. Again, just monitor their behavior and make sure the younger dog is not getting hurt. If not, then I would allow them to play.

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.

It can take dogs awhile to get used to each other, and the best thing to do is to make sure hat they each have their own space to retreat to if they don’t feel like interacting. If either one is starting to act aggressive you should separate them. They should have separate water bowls and eat food separately for awhile as well. Even though there haven’t been any injuries yet it would be safest to keep them separate while unsupervised until they are getting along. That being said it can be very normal for dogs to growl during play and sometimes vigorous play can seem similar to fighting. If you’re not sure it might be helpful to talk to a trainer or behaviorist - your vet can make a recommendation.