My 9-week-old puppy burps and bites. What's the best advice?

One recommendation I have for all new puppy owners is to go to a puppy training class. Even if you've raised puppies before it's always a great refresher course for you and Olie has never been to school before. Right now she's probably a little bit too young, you do want to make sure she's had several set of vaccinations and your veterinarian says she is healthy enough to go to class. Another great resource is how to raise a perfect puppy by Dr. Sophia Yin. https://drsophiayin.com/product/perfect-puppy-in-7-days-how-to-start-your-puppy-off-right/ Barking and biting our normal puppy behaviors but they do need to be addressed so that they do not interfere with being a good companion. When she is biting tried to redirect her to a toy or other objects she is allowed to bite. Www.veterinarypartner.com also has some good articles on puppy training. Good luck and thank you for using PetCoach

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Nova is adorable! Play biting is very normal in puppy-hood, though at 6 months this should be significantly improved or resolved. Never use your hands to play with her or rile her up. Only offer toys. The minute she gets crazy and starts lunging for your hands, etc you need to make her sit or lay down. Always have treats on you to reward her when she listens. If she is too worked up and not listening, put her in a 5 minute time out. Try to have a leash on her at all times, I really like the muzzle gentle leader harnesses as it allows great head control. That way you can easily pull her off you. She should know how to look and leave it on command. If you are reaching a plateau with training I recommend hiring a trainer to focus on your areas of concern. Professionals can really help when we have exhausted what we can do alone. Exercise is also important: frequent walks and play time or consider doggie daycare a few times per week. I hope this helps and I think Nova will outgrow this stage very soon! https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You are likely describing teething which is basically a normal type of behavior when puppies are growing up and it is secondary to mouth discomfort as teeth are growing. I recommend that you get her teething type toys which you can get at your local pet store or online. Anytime that she tries to nibble at you, you say no and give her the toy. This is likely going to resolve the issue. Good luck and have a great day!

Hiccups are very normal in puppies, so I wouldn't be concerned about this :) If you think he is eating too fast, you can try putting his food in a puzzle toy like a Kong or a Kibble Nibble so that he has to eat more slowly - this is also a great way to keep puppies busy and give them something fun to do. Puppy training should be very positive with lots of rewards and short training sessions - Yogi is just a baby, so his attention span is going to be very short at this age. Use treats to show him what you want him to do, then praise and reward when he gets it right. Puppy proof your home to keep things out of his reach that he shouldn't have, and make sure he has lots of appropriate items to chew on - things like bully sticks, cow or pig ears, or rawhide chews are great for this. Puppies don't understand the concept of "doing wrong" - they only know that you're angry, and they act scared and submissive because they're frightened. So focus on showing him what you want him to do, and prevent him from making mistakes by managing the environment. If you have specific questions about how to teach him to do certain things, feel free to post another question with more details - we would be happy to try and help.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! A lot of this is puppy behavior and jumping is the hardest bad habit to break. It sounds like you need more professional help if you have tried training her and this is where you are at. I recommend a private trainer than can work one on one with you and Bella. A group class setting will not get you where you need to be. I applaud you for trying to fix this now at such a young age. I can't tell you the countless numbers of animals I see where the owners think this behavior is okay. Once her vaccines are up to date consider doggie day care a few times a week as an outlet for her energy. https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/jumping-up-on-people/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-dog-puppy-training-rules/ I wish you the best!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lucky is a puppy and this behavior is typical in a dog his age. This behavior tends to subside or drastically lessen over time as a puppy ages. For the biting, I find that whenever a puppy bites my hand, I place my thumb under the tongue and hold it there until the puppy is annoyed and then release. I repeat this over and over until the puppy loses interest in biting. You can also use a spray bottle filled with water and every time Lucky jumps up or begins biting, you can lightly spritz him in the face and say "off!" to help deter the unwanted behavior. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. For the puppy biting, this is a normal behavior and many times will lessen as a puppy ages. I find that when a puppy bites, if you insert your thumb under the tongue and hold it there until the puppy is annoyed, they eventually start licking instead of biting. This can take multiple times for the puppy to get it but I find this works quite well. A spray bottle filled with water used to lightly spritz Trixie in the face will help as well while saying "off!". You can use the spray bottle technique as well to stop her from digging holes in the backyard. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.