Have you ever noticed two dogs playing, and then one of them bites the ear of the other dog? Well, this is a common behavior among dogs of all ages. In fact, if you’re a multi-dog household, you can witness your dogs go at each other with the main focus of their play attacks being to bite each other’s ears.
But why do dogs bite other dogs’ ears?
Keep reading to find out.
Why Do Dogs Bite Other Dogs’ Ears?
Why do dogs bite and chew other dogs’ ears? What does it mean when a dog bites another dog’s ear? Dog owners worldwide love their furry friends, but on certain occasions, they see their dog biting another dog’s ears and wonder why. There are several reasons why dogs will bite other dogs’ ears even puppies.
Playing
The majority of dogs will bite other dogs’ ears because they find the move to be fun. This is common when dogs are playing with each other. Dogs are usually attracted to the ears of other dogs because it’s fun to grasp and chew a little bit. In fact, if the other dog has pendulous or floppy ears, the higher the chance another dog will bite their ears when playing.
When dogs are playing, they have relaxed bodies. In fact, if you watch their body language, you’ll notice the dogs chasing each other with relaxed mouths and lolling tongues. When they are playing together, they mimic fighting or chasing prey.
In the case of chasing prey, they will grab the neck area in their jaws and pretend they have grabbed a vulnerable spot. They also do so to show that they won the chase and got the prize. This is just a game. However, if the other dog draws blood and the other dog seems hurt, then the situation is beyond play biting. Instead, it’s turned into full-blown aggression. Here is what you need to do:
Immediately assess the wound
Apply pressure to the wound
Take the injured dog to your vet
The vet will have the wound cleaned and stitched. In addition, the vet will provide pain medication and antibiotics to prevent infections.
Discipline
People discipline their kids by teaching them self-control and responsible behavior. When it comes to dogs, you’ll notice the adult female biting a puppy’s ears. In this case, the adult female dog is annoyed with the overexuberant young pup.
To discipline the young pup, the adult female dog will nip at the young pup around the neck area and ears. What follows is much heartbroken wailing from the pup. However, you notice that no harm done to the pup.
When an older dog bites the ear of a young pup, it’s a way of telling the pup to stop and settle down. As a dog owner, you should only intervene if the older dog becomes intimidating or aggressive. Meanwhile, just watch.
If the older dog becomes aggressive toward the young pup, remove the pup immediately. Then get help from a professional. The reason for doing so is to prevent permanent psychological damage to the puppy.
If the “bite” is a way for the older dog to discipline or correct the puppy, do not intervene. This is a way for the older dog to set boundaries for the puppy.
Affection and Grooming
Dogs will lick or bite the ears of another dog as a way of showing affection and as part of grooming. This is common with older female dogs especially when they are with their pups. This is thanks to their strong maternal instinct.
That is why it’s common to see dogs sniffing each other ears. The reason for this is that a dog’s ears says a lot about its health. Healthy dog ears have no bacterial or yeast infections. They are also not infested by mites. Because of this, no brown or yellow discharge will be present. Also, there will be no odor.
When you find your dog sniffing and then licking or slightly biting another dog’s ears, it could be cleaning the other dog’s ears. During cleaning, the other dog will get rid of parasites such as ticks and even infections.
When it comes to grooming, it’s often seen dogs using their teeth as combs. They do so to remove matts and burrs from the other dog’s fur. Even when among friends, a dog will take advantage and engage in social grooming.
Ear Chewing Between Pups
It’s common for pups to chew on their sibling’s ear. They do so as a way of exploring the world with their mouths or during teething. Besides chewing on their sibling’s ears, they will also chew on your hands and even gnaw on other body parts of their siblings.
With excited puppies, they can become tenacious. In the end, chewing turns into nipping and biting. Behaviorists refer to puppies chewing or nipping on each other’s ears, tails, or navels as social vices. This is a developmental phase, and every puppy goes through this stage.
Another explanation is that your dog likes the taste of another dog’s ears. Probably the other dog’s ears might be smelly or salty. As a result, it draws the attention of the pup.
Aggression
Biting another dog’s ear could be a sign of outright aggression. This means your dog wants to assert its territory and prepared to defend it. Several things may trigger the aggression.
Fear
Frustration
Pain
Pre drive
Guarding territory
Injury
Illness causing stress and discomfort
Other things that may trigger the aggression include the other dog getting near your dog’s bed, toys, or food. Even when another dog tries to get near you, your dog can go into protective mode and become aggressive.
Aggressive dog behavior is usually accompanied by bared gums and teeth. Others include deep growling, raised hackles, and flattened ears. If your dog becomes aggressive toward another dog, you need to intervene and stop the brewing dog fight.
One of the most successful methods that you can use to break up fighting dogs is the wheelbarrow method. This method requires two people. Each will grab the back legs of their respective dogs and pull them away from one another. This makes fighting impossible and keeps the dogs separated.
They can also turn in a circle as they continue to back the dogs from each other. By doing so, they prevent the dogs from returning to the fight and even biting the person holding their back legs.
Dominance
A dog may bite another dog’s ear to show dominance. While it seems silly for your dog to do this, there is some truth. Dogs will bite another dog’s ear as a way of showing he is the alpha. Like other animals, dogs have a social hierarchy. In the hierarchy, you’ll find the top male and female who are the alphas.
Below them are the omegas who are subservient to the alphas. At the bottom of the social hierarchy are the betas. This group is subservient to the alphas and omegas. It’s common to find this social hierarchy among dogs living together.
However, it depends on the number of dogs you have. If you have one or two dogs, then the full structure of the social hierarchy will not be present. But in a multi-dog household, you’ll always find one dog to be the alpha.
How to Stop Dogs From Biting Each Other Ear
The following are ways to stop dogs from biting each other’s ears.
Use Chew Toys
If you have pups and you notice they are biting the ear of another pup, divert the biting using chew toys. The reason why your pup could be biting the ear of another pup is because of teething. By giving your pups chew toys, it helps to soothe their sore gums instead of seeking the chewy ears of another pup.
We recommend that you get safe chew toys for your pups. Make sure they are appropriate for your pup’s age and size. Look for softer chews as they help to prevent damage to young gums and sprouting teeth.
When correcting your pup’s chewing behavior, avoid violent punishments. If you want to reinforce the idea of consequence, seclude the dog in an enclosed room for three to five minutes.
Apply the Anti Chew Spray
Apply the bitter Anti Chew Spray. Fast and easy, the anti-chew spray gives you peace of mind when you’re not close to your dogs or out the door. The anti-chew spray uses a strong bittering agent that’s safe and natural. Dogs do not like the smell of the anti-chew spray and so they stay away.
To apply the spray, spritz it on a clean cloth and then wipe the dog’s ears. Your dog and other dogs will pick the strong sense of smell as well as its bitter flavor. Once they do, the dogs will quickly forget the temptation of chewing the other dogs’ ears.
A good example is the Pawsafe Anti Chew Spray which has a natural bitter agent used to repel dogs. The spray is safe for use for all pets including cats that like to scratch your furniture. Just spray it onto your furniture or other objects of your choice and enjoy peace of mind.
Distract Your Dogs
One of the best ways of stopping your dogs from biting each other’s ears is to distract them. Experts recommend distracting your dogs with a loud noise. You can clap your hands or even play loud music. Alternatively, if you’re close to your vacuum cleaner, turn it on. The noise will distract the dogs from biting each other’s ears.
You need to use sounds that your dogs are not used to hearing in everyday activities. If you’re outdoors and your dog or dogs start biting each other’s ear, you can use a whistle or simply sound your car horn if you’re watching them from your car.
Avoid shouting or yelling at your dogs. If you do so, you can inflame the behavior. Worse, you increase their aggression towards each other.
Carry a Spray Bottle
Whether at home or outdoors, we recommend carrying a spray bottle with water. Anytime your dog or dogs start biting each other’s ear, simply spray them with water. You don’t have to add citronella or vinegar to the water. Plain old water will do fine.
If your dogs are playing in the yard and one of them starts to bite the ear of the other, use the good old-fashioned garden hose. If your dogs start fighting, never put your hands or body in-between the two fighting dogs.
Do not put your face close to the fighting dogs or attempt to grab their tails and pull them apart. What you need to do is grab the back legs of one dog, and another person does the same for the other dog. Then pull them away.
Is a Dog Owner Biting a Dog’s Ear a Good Way to Discipline a Dog?
Biting your dog’s ear to show dominance or to discipline him is a bad idea. First, your dog’s ears carry all manner of debris and parasites. By putting your dog’s ears in your mouth, you expose yourself to germs.
If you were to break the skin of your dog’s ear, you can infect your dog. This is because the human mouth is much dirtier and contains lots of bacteria. No pet ever becomes obedient or sees you as the alpha through biting the ear.
Instead, you can achieve discipline through training and plenty of structured activities. Many people believe that for a dog to be obedient or disciplined, you’ve to dominate them. Well, this is misleading.
Yes, dogs are pack animals and benefit a lot from leadership and social hierarchies. However, using force, intimidation, bullying, and other aggressive actions, such as biting a dog’s ear will not foster dominance.
If you want your dog(s) to recognize you as the pack leader, act calmly, and create a foundation of trust with your dog. You should also show self-control, establish clear rules and reinforce training.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, reasons why dogs bite other dogs’ ears and how to stop the behavior. As your dogs grow older, biting the ear of another dog can turn into a dog fight. To ensure this does not happen, train your dog, use a spray bottle to separate them, or simply apply the anti-chew spray. If fighting has already started, use the wheelbarrow technique to separate them.
Best of luck!