Why does my dog growl, show teeth, but wag its tail during play?

The behavior by itself is hard to discern out of context. You want to look at body language as a whole. A dog that is playing will have a loose, wiggly body, may hop around or play bow, and may have high pitched growls along with playfully biting or showing teeth. A dog that is not playing will often have a stiff, tense body, be staring down the other dog, low or straight out tail, hackles raised, and with bared teeth may be telling the other dog to go away and leave them alone.

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!

Pets can do some really odd play behavior sometimes or she may have wanted her rump scratched. Growls can be used to indicate aggression, play or if she has learned that the sound gets her owner's attention (she will then use this sound when she wants the attention). You must look at the over all body language (head position, tail position, where is she looking, are the legs stiff...etc), to know the true meaning. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Not always, dogs can growl when playing, when frustrated, when experiencing pleasure. Of course these are all different (pitch, tone, situation). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello! The crouching, stalking, and play bowing are all invitations to play, often in the form of chasing or being chased. She is signaling that she is wanting to continue play time. :) I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

This is likely just because she was really excited to be playing so I would not be too concerned. If she continues to shake her bottom jaw even when y’all are not playing then I would have your vet take a look at her. I hope this helps!

When dogs have a toy or item they especially love, they can whimper as a sign of excitement when they are carrying the toy around. Bella may be putting it your face as a sign that she wants you to play with her and it. I suggest playing with her and it when she comes up to whimpering to you :-)