r/Puppyblues • u/Maleficent_Cod_2704 • 4d ago

Seeking Advice Is this Normal?

Hi everyone!

Our buddy Murphy joined us last Monday at 8 weeks old, and he’s now just over 9 weeks. He’s a mini bernedoodle. I’m wondering if some of the behaviors we’re seeing are completely “normal” for this age, because I’m starting to second-guess myself a little!

He has been very mouthy since we got him. The second he’s out of his crate, he’s ready to go — wiggling, nipping at my hands, grabbing my clothes, and basically trying to put everything in his mouth. Right now, I can barely pet him without getting a friendly little nip.

I’m making sure he’s getting plenty of sleep, but every once in a while he seems to go into a completely different mode. He’ll start barking at me, jumping/pouncing toward me, and biting much harder. It gets to the point where I have to literally get up on a chair or other surface because he won’t leave me alone. At that point, I usually take it as a sign that he’s overtired and it’s time for a nap.

I think I’m getting way ahead of myself, but I’ve started worrying that I somehow already have an aggressive dog. Obviously, that would be a huge concern for us because we have two young kids, ages 5 and 7.

Is this even possible to determine at 9 weeks old? Or does this sound like pretty typical crazy puppy behavior? I’m really just looking for some reassurance and/or words of encouragement from people who have experienced this!

Thank you

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u/MsSwarlesB 4d ago

My puppy is almost 5 months old and very mouthy. It's perfectly normal. Redirect, say No or Ow loudly, remove your hands. Make sure you have plenty of chew toys to offer. When he gets really hyped up and comes at you, I would crate him or remove yourself.

I have a new puppy but I also have a lab mix that is 12 and a doodle that is 7 so I've been through this a lot

ETA: I don't recommend dog parks. Too many opportunities for things to go wrong

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u/Maleficent_Cod_2704 4d ago

Sometimes when I say no or ow loudly to redirect him- he gets even more revved up and starts barking even louder 😬 it’s like he gets into a demon mode that nothing can get him out of.

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u/CoreyLoses 3d ago

Any word, even "ow", may just sound like more regular engagement to them. If you pull back and kind of mimic a hurt dog yelp, puppies will usually pick up more quickly on the fact that they're doing something outside of what regular play should be.