My puppy is rubbing and pawing my older dog. Is this normal?

Congratulations on your new puppy! This behavior is pretty normal for puppies. There are some theories regarding what causes it, but it does take puppies a little while to be self aware and determine which body parts belong to them. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Biting and mouthing during play and at other times including when you pet her, when you are walking, etc. is completely normal behavior for a puppy this age - this is how puppies explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. I do not recommend scolding her for this or telling her "no!", as this often makes dogs more frustrated and worked up, and tends to make the problem worse. Instead, redirect her to one of her toys and encourage her to bite the toy instead. Make sure that she has a variety of different toys available to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. She also needs lots of different things to chew on - bully sticks, rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter are all good options you can try. This behavior normally resolves on its own as puppies get older, so there is no need to attempt to punish her for it - just redirect her to something more appropriate, and be patient while she learns :)

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! It is very normal for puppies to be mouthy: want to chew on your fingers, play with your fingers like they are toys, jump up and try to grab your fingers, nip, etc. It isn't normal to do it aggressively. They tend to grow out of this behavior by 6 months. https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/ Have a great day!

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.

If they are just playing (loose, wiggly bodies, high pitched growls and barks, lots of hopping around, etc) it could just be normal play and wrestling behavior together. If Gypsy is low growling, baring teeth, having a stiff, tense body, or is otherwise seeming upset by the puppy, it could be that she is trying to tell the puppy "enough" and get it to back off. If she seems uncomfortable, separating the two for a bit to let both dogs calm down some is best. If they're just playing, then just monitoring their play and making sure to give both dogs breaks to rest and relax in between can help.

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.

Hello. Well, it looks like your pup is having a good back rub? Is any of this behavior concerning you? Are you seeing any lesions, or is the puppy acting out in any distress? If you could supply additional information, perhaps we can be a little more specific. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.