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Why does my 2-month-old puppy nip fingers despite chew toys?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My puppy is 2 1/2 months old and weighs less than 2 lbs she is a sweetie but she nips at fingers and toes even tho she has lots of chew toys will she

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on November 20th, 2016

This is very normal behavior for a puppy this age - all young puppies bite and mouth because this is how they explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. This behavior will go away on its own as she grows up, but in the meantime there are a few things you can do to help. Make sure that she has a variety of different toys 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. Providing lots of things to chew on will also help - things like bully sticks, cow or pig ears, rawhide chews, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. If you are playing with her and she bites you, just redirect her to one of her toys and use that to play with her instead. If she bites your hands when you pet her, calmly stop petting and wait for her to calm down. Be patient and consistent, just like you would with a human toddler - she will stop the mouthing as she grows and develops into an adult :)

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jennifer Ladd, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 27th, 2017

    This is normal behavior for a puppy of this age. Remember that she has a mouth full of puppy teeth that she is losing up to about 6 months. This can be painful and irritating. You are doing the right thing in verbally correcting her, only I would add to offer an alternative toy that is acceptable to chew on. If she ever gets too excitable, a crate is a great option for a brief time out to calm down.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on December 23rd, 2016

    Biting and mouthing constantly is very normal in a 2 month old puppy, unfortunately - this is how they explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. This is a normal developmental stage that will resolve on its own as he gets older, but for now, there are a few things you can do to help. Make sure that he has a variety of different toys 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. Chew items like bully sticks, cow or pig ears, large rawhide chews, or puzzle toys such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter can also be helpful. Always use a toy if you want to play with your puppy - never your hands or clothing. If he gets excited and bites at your hands, redirect him to one of his toys and get him interested in that instead, by dragging it along the ground or tossing it for him to chase. If you're petting him and he bites you, calmly stop petting and ignore him until he calms down. At this age, you may only be able to pet him when he's tired and sleepy - this is okay, his impulse control with improve as he gets older :)

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