My ears!!

[chien]

Hello

This might seem a silly question but when my girl plays other dogs they always tend to go for her ears. The other dogs usually just tug at her ears with no injury (well none that's ever been visible to me) Why is that?
If she is keen on playing she will try and hide her ears by keeping her head down low or otherwise try and retaliate and it all looks in good spirits.

Just wondering why it's always something other canines do to her?

However unfortunately she met two springer spaniels the other day and they were quite boisterous... the male played chasing with her  and stealing her ball.... But the female with him eventually came over and went straight for my cocker I didn't see it nor did the owner as they were both behind him at the time. My cocker yelped and then bared her teeth and went to snap at the ears of the springer that injured her. She springer was still approaching mine and that's while she snarled and bared her teeth (never see her do this unless she has been hurt by another dog - once a lab had jumped on her and hurt her). When this happened the male springer that was initially playing with her turned from being friendly to slightly aggressive barking and with both surrounding her. I took her away from the situation before it escalated.

I checked her over and later that night I could see that whatever the springer bitch had done she now had a small cut on the top of her ear. It's scabbed over but why do dogs do this? was it unintentional play? or was it jealously between two bitches and the fact mine was playing with the male springer?
Surely a dog would know  if the play was intentional not to nip at the ears so much to make them bleed?

[sodpot2000]

Sounds like a 'Hands off my bloke' incident

Glad no serious harm done. Perhaps find a different venue for exercise? This one sounds to be getting overcrowded

[bizzylizzy]

Humphrey had exactly the same problem with a young dog in the neighbourhood. We had hoped we could walk the dogs together and met up a couple of times but the other dog just wouldn't leave Humphrey's ears alone, he was literally hanging off them, and in the end I had to intervene, it was getting on my nerves, Humphrey clearly had difficulty manouvering and defending himself while the other dog was attached and although my neighbour seem to think they were just playing, I suspected it was more bullying.
The last time we tried to meet up afew months ago, Humphrey started to snarl and growl at thenother dog as soon as he saw him, so I was clearly right in thinking he'd not been happy either.
None of the other dogs that he plays well with have ever attempted to go for his ears so I do suspect that its not part of well mannered play but is probably a bit more aggresive. We sometimes meet the neighbour when we're out but all attempts to get them to accept each other has failed and we now have no option but to give them a wide berth.

[chien]

Humphrey started to snarl and growl at thenother dog as soon as he saw him, so I was clearly right in thinking he'd not been happy either.

Yeah its a shame i had generally thought it was only the dogs that had the pointy up ears that played/bullied her by pulling her ears.... she is such a small cocker aswell! but she quite rightly snarled at the other dog and i was hoping that was enough to disfuse the situation but think from now on i'll avoid these two!! Might start putting her ears in a hair clip!