Why does my 5-month-old puppy play with her back paws and growl?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pip. From the pictures, her behavior appears playful. Puppies will commonly nip and mouth around the necks and muzzles of adult dogs. As long as her tail is wagging and she is not forcefully growly, then I suspect this is normal play behavior. You can always enroll her in puppy classes as this will help her socialization and to learn how to appropriately play with other dogs. I hope this information helps!

Some puppies do this as a self-soothing behavior, similar to the way a human child might suck on his thumb or a pacifier. It's usually a harmless quirk that often goes away with age, although some dogs continue to do it as adults. It shouldn't be anything to worry about :)

Yes, it's very normal for a 5-month-old puppy to try and grab whatever he can with his mouth - this is how puppies explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. I would recommend getting some nice long, floppy rope or fleece toys that you can carry with you for him to grab when he gets excited, rather that biting your clothes. This is a better option than scolding him, which tends to just make the pup more excited and often makes things worse. If you need some hands-on guidance to help you with this, you can search for a qualified reward-based trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

Pets can do some really odd play behavior sometimes or she may have wanted her rump scratched. Growls can be used to indicate aggression, play or if she has learned that the sound gets her owner's attention (she will then use this sound when she wants the attention). You must look at the over all body language (head position, tail position, where is she looking, are the legs stiff...etc), to know the true meaning. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It's normal for puppies to have a lot of energy and want to run and bite things constantly - this is how they play. Just like human toddlers, they're usually very active and constantly into things! She will get calmer on her own as she gets older, but for now you need to provide her with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to meet her needs. You can take her for walks, enroll in a good puppy class, and play with her using toys. I would also recommend getting her several different things to lay down and chew on, such as bully sticks, pig or cow ears, rawhide chews, or puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. This will help encourage her to lay down and relax after she's already played and had plenty of exercise.

Oh dear! Growling when you pick her up is a major red flag for future problems in a puppy this age - this is not normal, and needs more help than just socialization. From your description, it's hard to say if her behavior with the other puppy is normal play or aggression. I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a plan to work on these issues - it's best to do this as soon as possible, since early intervention gives you a much better chance of being able to change this behavior before she grows up. I'm not sure what part of Canada you're in, but your regular veterinarian should be able to help you find out where your nearest board-certified veterinary behaviorist is so that you can make an appointment. In the meantime, I would try and avoid doing anything that tends to make her growl - instead of picking her up, for example, use treats to encourage her to come to you. I would also not

At that age, he's exploring and figuring things out and just having fun! With an older dog, I'd be worried about it being more of an obsessive compulsive disorder if it was very frequent or hard to distract him from, but it's normal behavior for a baby.

This can be very normal for a new toy as they can be very territorial over them. I would try to let him play with it on his own until the “new” wears off so you don’t get bit. Or if you need that toy for some reason, play with another toy to try to distract his attention. I hope this helps!

Mya has likely learned that this behavior gets your attention and that the feed back is positive (like she's playing a game she enjoys with you). Pets learn all sorts of ways to get their human's positive attention. She sounds like she's full of personality! I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Shaking is a general sign and can be seen with several things that go from just being cold or nervous to being an indication of pain or discomfort. If he is otherwise fine, then it would be ok to monitor him for now. However, if at any point he appears to be in discomfort or stops eating or showing any other concerning symptoms, it may be best to have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Hopefully it is not anything serious. Good luck and have a good night!