Muzzle Grabs in Adult Dogs and Wolves
When adult dogs are playing, you may see them taking turns muzzle grabbing each other. Of course, this takes place after the dogs have expressed their playful intent through meta-communication.
Among wolves, gentle, inhibited muzzle grabs may be part of a ritual greeting. This behavior is also occasionally observed during low-key challenges, like disputes over who gets access to a particular resource. More rarely, wolves engage in agonistic muzzle grabs which, according to Wolf Ethogram (Wolf Park, Indiana), consists of “grabbing the muzzle and applying enough force to make the grabbed wolf whimper.”
Muzzle biting in wolves is often accompanied by other threat behaviors which may also elicit whimpering. Roger Abrantes, BA in Philosophy and PhD in Evolutionary Biology, notes that muzzle grabs are used mostly “to confirm a relationship rather than to settle a dispute.”
Some wolves use low-pressure, non-violent muzzle grabs to greet others of their species.
Muzzle Grabs in Puppies
You may see this behavior occur in different circumstances starting from an early age. During weaning, mother dogs may begin to resent nursing due to the emergence of their puppies sharp teeth. You may see mothers use muzzle grabs to discourage their pups from nursing.
Sometimes, an adult dog will engage in muzzle grabbing behavior to inform a rambunctious puppy that his behavior is rude or undesired. At times, pups even seem to solicit muzzle grabbing from adults. Unlike what was previously thought, mother dogs dont pin their pups down; rather, the pups submit voluntarily. For more on this, read about “alpha rolls.” Through experience, pups soon learn to use muzzle grabs in play, and this teaches them how to apply the basics of bite inhibition.
There are differences between play and greetings
Itâs true that many dogs do playfully use their mouths to interact with one another, and you do sometimes see dogs mouthing at each other and engaged in a sort of muzzle sparring. The thing is, though, dogs donât act this way when they are greeting, especially if they are strangers to one another. Using their mouths to interact is unusual unless they know each other well, and even then, it typically occurs during play, not during greetings.
Play behavior in dogs includes many types of interactions that would be considered inappropriate and could even be risky in any other context. For example, when playing, dogs will often growl, mouth at each other, pounce on one another, and bat at each other with their paws. All of these behaviors can be perfectly appropriate in play, but not one of them is a normal part of a greeting between dogs, especially if the greeting is with a dog they donât know.Related article
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Hereâs a simple analogy: Itâs common for parents playing with their children to say, âIâm going to get you!â Between parent and child, itâs appropriate and itâs understood that the phrase is all in good fun. But, for an adult to say, âIâm going to get you!â to a child they are greeting for the first time would be inappropriate, strange, and unlikely to be well received. Shaking the muzzle of an unknown dog with your hand is not only bizarre and socially unacceptable but possibly dangerous.
Why Dogs Bite Each Other’s Mouths in Play
When two dogs are playing with each other, it can be hard to figure out whether you need to step in and stop what looks to be aggressive behavior. This is especially true if you find that the two dogs are biting at each other’s faces and mouths when playing.
With the face being an extremely sensitive area, you might be worried that a dog’s eyes, mouth, and muzzle might come to harm – especially if you are worried that the face-biting is done as a form of aggression. The good news is, you probably don’t need to worry.
Why do dogs bite each other’s faces? Face-biting is a fairly normal behavior in dogs and is usually means a sign of play. However, you should also be aware that face and mouth-biting in dogs can, in some cases, be a mode of aggression so watch for tell-tale signs both before and during play.
The key in understanding why your dog might be biting another dog’s mouth or face (or vice versa) is being able to pick up on subtle behavioural cues and body language that might indicate how the dog is feeling.
Today I wanted to help shed some light on what it means when a dog puts its mouth around other dog’s face. It includes my view on whether you need to make a distinction between a little mouthing or nibbling and grabbing or shaking of the face and mouth area.
It offers valuable insight into the reasons why dogs bite each other’s faces (according to what I’ve researched and found).