Hello you lovely lot!
my pups are now just over 5 weeks old. Weaning is going well, still having some of mum's milk though. Mum has become a v attentive mother :-)
Three of the pups are v vocal in their play and seem to  og head to head with what looks and sounds like fighting to me. Mum doesn't intervene, should I?
Mum has been good at having little 1:1 sessions with some of pups, playing / mouthing etc.
I'd really appreciate your thoughts from your experience. thanks. x

Leave them.... They are learning. Puppies learn bite inhibition form each other ,it's very important.

Come eight weeks mine have war wounds on the noses and ears from rough play and it can look quite full on sometimes!

I think it depends on the breed and on the type of play fighting going on. 

I would definitely intervene if it looked like one puppy was being picked on and wasn't enjoying it. 

If they were terriers, I'd be more inclined to intervene than if they were, say, gundogs - and so on... It's the sort of thing you'd need to watch a video clip of, to be able to advise you better.

I'm new to toy dogs but I do think they play very noisily. I think it was JeanSW who said that.  My little Pap pup is very very noisy when playing with my bigger X breed - it sounds like he's killing him (despite being 1/3 of the size).  I watch carefully and the Pap's not even touching him half the time; it just sounds awful.

In my 25-year history of breeding my cotons, I have only once experienced a "real" fight among the puppies.  This was last summer.  They were around 9 weeks old.  It was early morning, and I was just getting up when Mum (downstairs with the puppies in their nighttime enclosure) called me URGENTLY and repeatedly:  hurry!  I rushed downstairs to find that one puppy had been bullied into a corner and the others were mobbing him.  Seriously.  There was a bit of blood from someone.  I was horrified.  I had to be careful after that, and I even let the puppy who had been the victim go to his new home a few days early.  All turned out fine, but I did experience the difference between play fighting and real fighting.  I know a poodle breeder who has a lot of trouble with her litters in this way.

I forgot to add that I believe it is important not to crowd the puppies.  This can encourage fighting.  Be sure they have plenty of room, even when confined.

I once had to let the biggest Pap pup in a litter go to his new home at ten weeks instead of 12, as he and his sister was fighting so badly they were drawing blood quite frequently. Only time it's happened though.

Goldmali am I right in thinking they're noisy play-fighters? They really do seem the best of friends and no blood drawn- he does ingest quite a bit of hair (it's a good natural wormer) They take toys out of each other's mouths- to get chased. They do cuddle, groom and kiss each other.

Hope I'm not hijacking the post - hope it's relevant to the OP too.

Oh yes they are.

Thanks for the reassurance Goldmali

It does seem breeds vary, I know when I bred my first litter of GSD's  25 years ago I was horrified to find they were fighting, so worried that I was turning out nasty dogs, they all went on to be family pets with wonderful temperaments.  My other breeds in the following years have varied from terriers who drew blood at 6 weeks to the hounds who were very agreeable although noisy so don't worry too much.

debbo - Worry not! 

I have a 5 year old bitch, homebred, with her 7 year old mother.  Long Coat Chihuahuas.  Play fighting is something that I'm told dogs grow out of.  Not this pair though, they thoroughly enjoy "killing" each other.  They don't draw blood and I can only feel wet fur where they've tried to get each others' heads in their mouths.  From the noise you would have them down as Dangerous Dogs.

I also have 2 home bred sisters, 6 years old.  I had intended keeping the gobby little sod that people found off putting.  I love a dog with a bit of spunk.  The quiet little one always sat at the back was set to go as pet, there wasn't enough character for me.  Except all the wrong sort of people wanted her,, and I don't sell to the handbag brigade.  Now, the quiet little meek and mild bitch drags her sister round the kitchen, holding her by the throat.  Don't you just love dogs. 

  I love your attitude, humour and ?common sense? approach, Jean. 

I've got a bit over anxious reading about 'small dog syndrome' and littlies being blamed for all sorts.  I sooo much want this little guy to just be able to be a dog - and treated by others as such.
Thanks