Puppies Fighting

[Jax and Izzy]

I am a first time Yorkie owner. I have two puppies (brother and sister). They are 12 weeks old. They just started playing very rough together. It's escalated a few times when she bit his tail and I had to separate them. Most of the time they cuddle together and love each other. What can I do?

[matese]

Puppies play hard, real hard, do just as you did, step in and separate them, at 12 weeks old you think this is rough play lol, wait until they are 5 / 6 months old lol.

[Wylie's Mom]

Puppies can play very hard at times...it's all part of their learning their limitations and boundaries. When separating - use a loud hiss noise or shriek noise and say "no". Redirect them by putting their attention onto a toy.

[JadeD]

They are playing! Let them play. Believe me, they will yelp if they are hurt and the other will stop.

My puppies are litter mates and are now 8 months old. I got them at 10 weeks. She would grab him by his tail and drag him to the ground and then he would grab her ear and yank her to the ground. If one yelps, the other will stop. That is how they learn how hard they can play.

Let them go at it. They will growl, snarl and play hard, very hard. Because of them playing with each other though they know how hard they can play with me. I rarely have to tell them to be gentle and they will bite at my hands and arms. My boy puppy likes to chew on my husband's hands and he has to tell him more often to be gentle, I think Rowan thinks that daddy is tougher than momma or something.

I never have to separate my puppies from each other. They never actually fight. They do play hard and loud though. They really should let each other know if they are biting too hard. Pulling each other down by the tail is normal and mine never yelped from that, only biting. Mine would be running full speed outside and the other would grab them by the tail and drag them down and they never yelped. Only if one yelps and the other doesn't stop (mine have never not let up) should you need to intervene.

They will calm down a little in a few months, but they will still have their moments where they play rough. I love it and totally enjoy mine.

Mine have times where they start chasing each other and it is jump onto one couch jump off, onto the other couch, across the middle divider and onto the floor, around the coffee table and into the kitchen, back to the living room to jump on the couch again and they will chase each other like this for a while.

Enjoy them and let them just figure it out on their own. If they can learn to work this out then if you have to leave them home alone you won't have to worry about them fighting while you are gone.

Are yours boys/girls? I have one of each and I love this combination.

[Jax and Izzy]

Wow! Thank you so much! You made me feel so much better. I was so afraid that they were hurting each other. They have never made anything other than a small noise and their tales wag the entire time indicating they are having fun. I just want them to be safe. They are brother and sister and they are 12 weeks tomorrow. They get a ton of attention and action running with my kids who are old enough to be sensible and responsible and care for them. I was worried that I would have to keep them apart. I don't want to do that. I love that they have each other to cuddle with when we are out. I can't thank you enough!!!

[JadeD]

I remember 12 weeks! We brought ours home at 10 weeks and 12 weeks we had wild puppies!

Mine do not have docked tails and so that gives the other something to really grab. Raksha learned to run with her tail tucked under her legs, but Rowan would run with his tail out and give her something to grab and she would make him comes to a dead stop from a full run by grabbing his tail! It was the funniest thing.

Listen for yelping, as that would indicate actual hurting each other. Mine rarely yelp any more as they learn. Them playing hard will be good because it will help them learn how hard they can bite with your children. I am not sure how old your children are, I have 2 high schoolers. Have your children yelp or say OUCH in a high pitched voice if the puppies bite them too hard. They will be teething so will like to chew. Mine left an indent on my hand one time, but otherwise have not actually left a mark on me. I just say ouch in a high pitched voice and mine let up immediately. My Rowan loves to have my hands in his mouth, almost like a pacifier at times and it doesn't bother me so I allow it. Raksha is not like that as much anymore, she belongs to my teenage daughter.

The puppies are going to run and play and play rough and I would let them go at it. If they can get learn to work out any issues you won't worry about leaving them home alone later on because they will know how to work out their own problems. I would just let them play. I love it! I have a video somewhere of my puppies running around the yard shortly after I brought them home.

This past weekend we were visiting relatives and they have 70 acres so we can actually let the puppies run there and oh my did they run! They just ran and chased each other around the yard with my daughter and husband watching them. They had a blast for sure.

Enjoy your new babies. They will calm down in a few months. I know I was almost overwhelmed at times with the 2 of them for about the first month, but after that everything got easier, so about 15 weeks I would say it got easier. They are such a joy now. Do separate the puppies if you can so they learn to get by without the other one there. My daughter house sat for about half the summer and took her puppy with her and I went on a 10 day vacation with my puppy and my older Yorkie. They spent a fair amount of time apart and I think that was good for them. Her puppy is happy being just with my daughter as they are tightly bonded. My puppy likes to be with his sister, or my older Yorkie or me, or even with my husband's English Setter. He is happy as long as someone (person or dog) is there. My older Yorkie is happy alone or with others, as long as I am there. He is very close to me.

Feel free to message me anytime as I have just gone through the sibling thing with mine only being a few months older than yours.

Are you getting yours fixed? I had mine fixed right at 6 months on the same day and it went very well. Keeping them from playing was the hardest part of their healing.

Good luck and enjoy them!

[yavenay]

I remember I foster a kitten who couldn't be more than 2 months old. Well Duchess and this kitten were non stop playing. I had to separate them because at night I wasn't getting any sleep!!!!. They would run across the bed chasing each other and I swear Duchess me some really strange noises. She was growling like she was a rabid dog but it was all in fun.

At one point I called myself rescuing the kitty from Duchess only to notice that it was kitty who was starting the rough housing. Poor Duchess would be sleeping and the kitty would run up to her and start attacking Duchess (all in fun) and of course this would get Duchess going and the next thing you know all hell has broke loose. Then after chasing each other all over the house, they would cuddle up together for a nap before it started up again. Like you I was concerned but it was really nothing to be concerned about. it was mostly the growling and hissing that had me thinking they were actually fighting but they were just playing.

[yavenay]

I remember I foster a kitten who couldn't be more than 2 months old. Well Duchess and this kitten were non stop playing. I had to separate them because at night I wasn't getting any sleep!!!!. They would run across the bed chasing each other and I swear Duchess me some really strange noises. She was growling and barking like she was a rabid dog but it was all in fun.

At one point I called myself rescuing the kitty from Duchess only to notice that it was kitty who was starting the rough housing. Poor Duchess would be sleeping and the kitty would run up to her and start attacking Duchess (all in fun) and of course this would get Duchess going and the next thing you know all hell has broke loose. Then after chasing each other all over the house, they would cuddle up together for a nap before it started up again. Like you I was concerned but it was really nothing to be concerned about. it was mostly the growling and hissing that had me thinking they were actually fighting but they were just playing.

[Parti Peanut]

I was worried when we got Bizzie. She was so little and I was afraid Peanut would be too rough with her. Turns out she can hold her own. They play like crazy and are best buds. My DH calls her the little land shark. If Peanut has something she wants, Bizzie just grabs Peanuts leg hair and holds on until he drops whatever is in his mouth. Then she grabs it and takes off running. THE CHASE IS ON

[JadeD]

Sounds like mine. They will pick up trash that is on the sidewalk while on our walk and then grab it from each other and play keep away the entire walk. It is so funny to watch. My older Yorkie could care less about what they picked up and he just keeps on going as they are grabbing this piece of trash from each other and fighting over it.

If one has a toy the other one wants it. We have 2 of most toys, but they only want the exact one the other has. They are so funny!

[Parti Peanut]

Originally Posted by JadeD

Sounds like mine. They will pick up trash that is on the sidewalk while on our walk and then grab it from each other and play keep away the entire walk. It is so funny to watch. My older Yorkie could care less about what they picked up and he just keeps on going as they are grabbing this piece of trash from each other and fighting over it.

If one has a toy the other one wants it. We have 2 of most toys, but they only want the exact one the other has. They are so funny!

We have 4 of the same chew bones but they always fight over 1. You just have to love the little stinkers.