Why does my dog nip and bare teeth at other dogs getting too close?

Question

I have a 5 year old blue staffordshire bull terrier named Grace. She is not aggressive when meeting other dog and does not mind being around them. Although, she is one-on-one play time dog. She will not play with other dogs, only me. I often watch my friends dogs and she is okay with that. But, sometimes when other dogs get close to her, she will bare her teeth and try to nip at them, puppies and older dogs. I'm wondering how to break her from that and why she does it. Thank you so so much!!! Pet's info: Dog | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 5 years old | 55 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

It sounds like Grace simply doesn't have much interest in playing or interacting with other dogs, which is perfectly fine - some dogs are very outgoing and love to play with other dogs, while others are more "introverted" and don't have much interest in this. They are all individuals with their own personalities and preferences, just like people :) Dogs like this will often growl or nip at another dog who approaches them and gets in their space, especially if the other dog is somewhat pushy or overly friendly - this is her telling the other dog that she isn't interested in saying hi. This is part of normal canine communication, and is not a problem as long as no one is injured. I would recommend just respecting who she is, and not expecting her to play with other dogs - let her have her space, and keep other dogs from approaching and bothering her if they aren't reading her signals appropriately. She will thank you for it!

Why does my dog nip and bare teeth at other dogs getting too close?

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