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Is my puppies' rough play normal, or should I be concerned?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | 3 months and 8 days old | 2.7 lbs

Both my puppies play fight s lot is this ok

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 31st, 2017

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.

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 22nd, 2019

    Hello. Play fighting is normal behavior, especially for puppies. Part of this is to teach how hard & how much you can get away with from your companion. This is actually good for you because in single puppy households, it is usually the owner who becomes the test toy. If the fighting becomes too rough or loud, give a good yell or make a sharp noise to distract them, & then give both pups either a treat or a toy to play with. Most of this is just learning & maturing. They will hopefully always look to each other for play, & may even get a little rough at times, but rarely escalates into anything serious. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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