I have a question...

[frostedviolets]

Just got back from walking the dog and I took the ball thrower (a rare treat!)

DDog loves a tennis ball and plays very well with other dogs with the ball, she doesn’t get cross at all if the other dog catches it though she does have a mild grumble if the other dog tries to take it out her mouth or bumps into her.

We met a dog today and played some ball with him, all good.

But without the ball she isn’t dog friendly at all!

She’s alright with little dogs generally but usually, the second another dog tries to interact with her she will lip curl pretty much immediately and wants nothing to do with them!

I no longer allow her to interact with other dogs but occasionally you’ll get one that bombs over and it’s very embarrassing, particularly if it’s a dog she’s played ball with before as the owner remembering us thinks they are going to greet politely or play together which of course doesn’t happen, the other dog is shocked, the owner is shocked and I end up dying of embarrassment not knowing what to say 😖

Does anyone know why this happens?
Is it that she is so obsessed with the ball that she ‘zones out’ and doesn’t really register the other dogs or what?

[vanillandhoney]

It could be that she's actually not that comfortable with other dogs and the ball is just a distraction for her.

[dontdisturbmenow]

I don't know why that it but just wanted to say that as the owner of a very excited friendly and overbearing 4 months old puppy, I don't think bad of dogs who ignore or even gently growl at him.

Like adults, not every dog has to find him cute and want to play. He needs to learn this. Some owners will be very apologetic and I tell them not to be.

That is of course different to dogs who really have a go at him even when he has approached them very gently and they are not on a lead or wonders have said nothing. This has happened a handful of times.

[WeAllHaveWings]

4 month old puppies should not be approaching any dog without checking with the owner first. Especially intact male puppies as other dogs are more likely to have a real go at them.

[frostedviolets]

It could be that she's actually not that comfortable with other dogs and the ball is just a distraction for her
This is my inkling too.
It’s hard to know what to think as I’ve been told differing reasons over the years varying from she is fear aggressive - I suppose she could be but her body language doesn’t say ‘fearful’ to me, I’ve been told she is bullying/dominant, resource guarding me and I have been told she is completely normal and ‘setting boundaries’
She can’t be all of them!

That is of course different to dogs who really have a go at him even when he has approached them very gently and they are not on a lead or wonders have said nothing
Mm, she doesn’t hurt them or lunge or chase after them or anything, she just growls or lip curls at them the second they try to approach her.
She is fine walking side by side with them and she’s fine with them running about near her, she just won’t tolerate them actually trying to say hello to her.
The bigger the dog the worse and more confrontational she is, even if they are submissive, maybe she is bullying I don’t know.
She is almost always fine with little ones.

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

I've seen several dogs that don't seem to need to interact with other dogs. Like us, they are all different. Mine used to like playing with others more than she does now - most of the time she'll just ignore them, so much so that if she does decide to run around with one for a short while, I am very surprised. She is OK with nearly every dog but I have to be careful with larger ones as I think she is a bit fearful of them and may snap at them to make them back off - maybe your dog is fearful rather than confrontational but that is the way it manifests itself.