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Why is my Boerboel nibbling and rolling her new Staffie puppy?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boerboel | Female | spayed

Good morning. We have a 5 year old boerboel female. She has always been an only dog. We now have an 8 week old female staffie. The boerboel keeps lightly nibbling her ears. She also rolls her over onto her back all the time. My boerboel has never had puppies. Any idea why she is doing these things to the staffie?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on June 18th, 2017

If they are just playing (loose, wiggly bodies, high pitched growls and barks, lots of hopping around, etc) it could just be normal play and wrestling behavior together. If Gypsy is low growling, baring teeth, having a stiff, tense body, or is otherwise seeming upset by the puppy, it could be that she is trying to tell the puppy "enough" and get it to back off. If she seems uncomfortable, separating the two for a bit to let both dogs calm down some is best. If they're just playing, then just monitoring their play and making sure to give both dogs breaks to rest and relax in between can help.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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