Why do dogs bite ears? Is it just playful fun or something more serious you should address?

Alright, let's talk about something I spent a fair bit of time watching and figuring out with my own dogs over the years: why on earth do they bite each other's ears sometimes? It looked weird, sometimes a little rough, and I really wanted to get what was going on.

My Own Dogs Started It

It really kicked off when I got my second dog, Luna. My older boy, Max, was pretty chill, but Luna, she was a bundle of energy. And one of the first things I noticed was her constantly going for Max's ears during playtime. Not hard, usually, but definitely persistent mouthing and nibbling. Max, bless him, was mostly patient but sometimes he'd give a yelp or shake her off. So, I started watching them like a hawk whenever they played.

What I Saw Up Close:

• Lots of loose, wiggly bodies. Even when Luna was latched onto Max's ear flap, her tail would often be wagging, and Max wouldn't be stiff or tense most of the time.
• Play bows! One or both would do that 'butt-in-the-air' thing right before or after the ear-nibbling started. Big clue it was meant as play.
• Sometimes, Max would do it back! Not as often, but he'd gently mouth her ears too. Seemed like mutual playtime weirdness.
• If Luna got too rough (like if Max yelped), she'd usually back off for a second. She was learning how hard was too hard. Puppies do this a lot – ears are just convenient handles, I guess.

Figuring Out the "Why"

So, watching them helped me sort it out in my head. It wasn't just random chomping. I broke down what I thought was happening based purely on what I was seeing day in, day out.

Here’s what I landed on from just watching my dogs and others I knew:

First off, it's often pure play. Dogs use their mouths like we use our hands. Grabbing an ear is just part of wrestling and tumbling. It’s usually pretty gentle, more mouthing than actual biting. You gotta watch the whole dog – are they relaxed? Wagging? Bouncing around? Then it’s likely just fun and games.

Sometimes, especially with dogs who know each other well, it looked like a weird form of affection or grooming. Like, really gentle nibbling. Reminded me of how mother dogs lick and clean their pups. Max would sometimes do this super gently to Luna's ears when they were just lying around together.

It can also be a way to get attention or initiate play. Luna definitely used ear nibbles to try and get sleepy Max to play with her sometimes. It was like her saying, "Hey! Pay attention to me! Let's go!"

And yeah, with puppies, teething is a big factor. Their gums hurt, and they want to chew on everything. Ears are soft, floppy, and attached to a fun playmate. Makes sense they'd end up in a puppy's mouth.

Now, could it be aggression? I guess, but it looks totally different. I saw a couple of scuffles at the park (not involving my dogs, thankfully). Aggressive dogs are stiff, they stare hard, maybe growl low, their tails are often stiff too, maybe wagging in a short, tense way. The ear biting in those situations, if it happened, wasn't playful nibbling, it was part of a real fight. Very different vibe.

What I Do About It

Honestly, most of the time, I just let them sort it out, especially when they were clearly playing. Supervised, of course. If the 'bitee' seemed annoyed or yelped, and the 'biter' didn't back off, I'd step in. Usually just making a noise ("Hey!") or gently separating them for a minute to calm down was enough.

I also made sure they had plenty of other things to chew on, especially when Luna was a pup. Toys, chew sticks, you name it. Gave her mouth something else to do.

One thing I started doing, based on something I read ages ago and tried out, was gently massaging their ears myself. Just the outside flap and around the base. They seemed to love it, and it felt like a positive way to interact with that area, reinforcing that ears are for nice touches, not just grabbing during rough play. Don't go sticking your fingers inside the canal, obviously, just the floppy bits and the base.

So yeah, that’s my experience. Mostly, it’s normal dog stuff, especially play. You just gotta watch your own dog, see what their body language is telling you, and step in if playtime turns into genuine annoyance or pain. Every dog's a bit different, but watching them tells you a lot.