Week 6: Common puppy behaviour problems (and how to handle them)

This post is part of our Bringing Home Your New Puppy: What to Expect series.

Jump to any chapter:

• Week 1: First-time pet parent guide
• Week 2: Health & wellness essentials: Puppy vaccinations
• Week 3: Preparing for training
• Week 4: Puppy sleep troubles
• Week 5: Nutrition & growth
• Week 6: Behavioural challenges (you are here)
• Week 7: Socialisation checklist

Let’s say it plainly: puppies can be really, really hard work.

You love them to bits but when they’ve just chewed through your second phone charger this week, had an accident on the rug, and bitten your hand hard enough to draw blood, it’s okay to admit that this isn’t always as magical as the Instagram puppies make it look.

Here’s the thing: almost every puppy owner goes through exactly this. The behaviours that feel maddening right now are completely normal parts of puppy development. And most of them can be improved significantly with the right approach, consistent boundaries, and a bit of patience.

Let’s go through the big ones.

On this page:

• Potty training accidents
• Chewing
• Biting and mouthing
• Jumping up
• Separation anxiety
• Excessive barking
• When to get professional help
• A note for frustrated puppy parents
• What’s next?

1. Potty training accidents

Hands down the most common frustration for new puppy owners, and the one that usually gets better fastest with the right approach.

Why it happens

Puppies have tiny bladders and very limited control over them. A two-month-old puppy can hold on for roughly two hours at most. They’re also still learning to associate the urge to go with the concept of going outside, that link takes time and consistency to build.

What to do

• Take your puppy out after every meal, after every nap, after play, and every 1–2 hours otherwise.
• Always use the same spot outside, the familiar smell helps trigger the right behaviour.
• When they go in the right place, praise them immediately and enthusiastically (or give a small treat).
• When accidents happen indoors, clean them up without fuss using an enzymatic cleaner that removes the scent completely, otherwise your puppy will return to the same spot.
• Never punish your puppy after the fact. If you didn’t catch them in the act, they genuinely cannot connect the telling-off to the accident.

If your puppy was clean and then starts having accidents after a period of improvement, it’s worth a vet check. Urinary tract infections and other health issues can cause regression in toilet training.

Signs they need to go

Watch for sniffing the ground, circling, squatting, or suddenly leaving the room. These are your cues to move quickly and calmly outside.

2. Chewing

Chewing is not bad behaviour, it’s completely natural. Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and chewing also provides relief during teething (which typically runs from 3–6 months).

The goal isn’t to stop your puppy from chewing. It’s to redirect chewing onto appropriate things.

What to do

• Make sure your puppy has plenty of appropriate chew toys. Vary the textures and types to keep things interesting.
• When you catch them chewing something they shouldn’t, calmly redirect them to a toy and praise them when they take it.
• Don’t give old shoes or socks as toys. Your puppy can’t tell the difference between ‘old’ and ‘new’.
• Puppy-proof areas of the house where you can’t supervise (see Week 1 for a refresher on this).
• Frozen Kongs or chew treats can keep a puppy occupied for extended periods and are great for teething relief.

Chewing tends to reduce significantly once teething is complete and your puppy has enough mental and physical stimulation.

3. Biting and mouthing

Puppies bite. All of them. It’s how they’ve played with their littermates since they were born, and it’s going to take some time to teach them that human skin works differently.

This is sometimes called ‘play biting’ or ‘mouthing’, and while it’s not aggressive, it can still hurt, especially with sharp puppy teeth.

What to do

• When your puppy bites too hard, let out a short, sharp ‘ouch’ and immediately stop play. Turn away, cross your arms, and ignore them for 10–20 seconds. This mimics the way littermates communicate that biting was too rough.
• Resume play when your puppy has calmed down. If they bite again, repeat the process.
• Make sure your puppy has plenty of appropriate outlets for their energy. A puppy that bites a lot is often an under-stimulated one.
• Never encourage biting behaviour, even in play, don’t let puppies bite fingers and hands as a game.

Mouthing usually reduces significantly by 4–5 months as your puppy learns bite inhibition. If biting is very frequent or feels aggressive (growling, stiffening, intense staring), speak to a professional trainer.

4. Jumping up

Your puppy jumps up because it works. People react, give attention, and often say ‘oh, hello!’ in a very rewarding way. Even negative attention (pushing them down, saying ‘no’) can accidentally reinforce jumping if it means your puppy gets a reaction.

What to do

• When your puppy jumps up, turn your back and completely ignore them. No eye contact, no speech, no pushing away.
• The moment all four paws are on the floor, immediately reward them with attention, praise, or a treat.
• Ask visitors to do the same, consistency is everything here.
• Teach an alternative behaviour like ‘sit’ for greetings. When your puppy sits to greet you, they get the attention they’re looking for.

This one takes longer than it feels like it should, because jumping is so instinctively rewarding for puppies. Stay consistent and it will improve.

5. Separation anxiety

Some puppies struggle to be left alone  which is understandable when you consider that they’ve gone from a pile of warm littermates to suddenly being by themselves.

Signs to watch for

• Excessive barking, whining, or howling when left alone.
• Destructive behaviour that only happens when you’re not home.
• Toileting indoors only when alone.
• Frantic greeting behaviour when you return.

What to do

• Practise short departures from the very start. Leave for a few minutes, come back, and gradually build up the time.
• Don’t make a big deal of leaving or arriving home. Calm departures and arrivals help reduce the drama around your absence.
• Give your puppy something engaging to do when you leave, a stuffed Kong or chew toy can make alone time feel less stressful.
• Make sure your puppy has had exercise and a toilet break before you leave.

Mild separation anxiety often improves naturally as your puppy matures and becomes more confident. If it’s severe or not improving, a professional dog behaviourist can help, this is one area where it’s worth getting expert support early.

6. Excessive barking

Puppies bark to communicate. They’re not doing it to annoy you. Understanding why your puppy is barking helps you address the root cause rather than just the noise.

Alert barking (at noises, strangers, other dogs) is normal. Socialisation helps, the more familiar your puppy is with different sounds, sights, and situations, the less they’ll feel the need to raise the alarm.

Demand barking (barking to get attention, food, or play) should never be rewarded. If you respond to barking by giving your puppy what they want, you’ve taught them that barking works.

Boredom barking is usually solved by more exercise, mental stimulation, and enrichment activities.

When to get professional help

Most puppy behaviour challenges respond well to consistency and positive reinforcement, but sometimes it’s worth bringing in an expert. Consider speaking to a professional dog trainer or behaviourist if:

• Your puppy’s biting feels aggressive rather than playful.
• Separation anxiety is severe and not improving.
• You’re feeling overwhelmed and like nothing is working.
• Any behaviour is getting worse rather than better.

Look for trainers accredited by organisations such as the Pet Professional Guild Australia or the Delta Institute, who use force-free, positive reinforcement methods.

A note for frustrated puppy parents

If you’ve had a particularly hard week, or you’re reading this at the end of your tether, that’s okay. Puppy ownership is genuinely challenging, and the gap between what we expected and what the reality is can feel huge.

It gets easier. The puppy stage doesn’t last forever. Keep going.

What’s next?

The final chapter in our series looks at socialisation, one of the most important (and most enjoyable) parts of raising a confident, happy dog. Week 7 has a practical checklist to help you introduce your puppy to the big wide world at the right pace.