Speaking Dog Language
Dog owners can tap into their pets natural communication by using a play bow themselves. Its a great way to get your pup excited about playtime and encourage healthy, regular exercise. You may think it makes you look foolish, but your dog will love it because youre literally speaking its language!
There are a couple of ways you can play bow to your dog. The most obvious one is to get down on all fours, stretch your arms in front of you, lean on your elbows, and stick your rear end in the air. This is a great way to grab a dogs attention in the house or on soft grass in the yard.
You can play bow from a standing position as well. This may be easier in certain circumstances and for some people, though its also a little less obvious in public settings like parks. Simply drop your chest, bend at the hips, and spread your arms out. If you do a secondary action like run for a game of chase or throw a ball, your dog will easily get the hint.
The key to successfully pulling off a play bow, no matter how you do it, is to be quick and swift in your motions. Watch your dog next time it bows and youll notice sharp movements, little hops, and a lot of excitement. The better you can mimic this, the clearer your “lets play” message will be. 3:03
As a pet owner it’s important to understand the importance of socializing the pet. A dog that hasn’t been socialized in its early years is most likely to interpret another dog’s bow as a threat. Instead of inciting play, a bow may lead to fear in such a dog.
3) A bow to impress a female canine: When a female dog enters heat, a male counterpart assumes said position to impress her. The dog may bow several times as part of a mating ritual and send her feelers. It is a bow expressing a desire for friendship and mating.
2) A sign of greeting its human: Your pet will only bow in front of its favorite humans and not just any or everyone. After you come home from the market or office, your pet dog will run upto you and stretch its front legs, raise its rear and say, “Hello, good to see you.” It may also be a daily ritual with the pooch to greet you this way every morning after you’ve woken up! It’s a cute show of affection, one that should be enough to kickstart your day on a happy note.
1) A bow: Front limbs extended out, with the shoulders touching the floor and the rump up in the air, this is your dog saying come let’s play and have some fun! A happy dog with lips stretched into an inviting smile is what you’ll see coupled with the posture. This kind of bow is offered to fellow canines as a signal to indulge in some frolic. Even dominant dogs can bow to dogs ranked low in the social hierarchy. Play bows are all about having a good time and transcends social rankings in the canine world with even those at the lowest rung of the ladder inviting a hard nut for friendship and some play. Sometimes canines may indulge in some roughhousing and banging into one another, but it is all done in good humor and accompanied by bows from both sides expressing an innocent sorry for the disorderly play.
Whenever the four-legged invites you for some mischief, always accept the offer even if the game lasts only for a few minutes.
According to Rover, the dog bow can be sign of greeting. Maybe you’ve noticed that whenever you come home or get out of bed, she’ll run up to you, then bend low. She’s not just stretching her legs after a nap, she’s saying “Hello, I’m happy to see you”! What’s even sweeter is that this show of affection isn’t just for anyone – it’s reserved for those she loves the most.
Dogs also bow to other dogs as an invitation to engage in play, showing that their intentions are all fun and games. Rover suggests that if you begin to get concerned that your pup and her furry friend are playing too rough, look for “play bows” as a sign that they’re both enjoying the romp.
If you’ve got a happy or playful dog, you’ve probably seen her bow. She looks at you, stretches out her front paws, and dips her chest to the ground while leaving her rear in the air (often, with a wagging tail!).
But why does your dog bow? If you think about it, you’ve probably seen your pup do this while she was looking at you, and when she’s happy. That’s because this behavior is either a sign of greeting or one that says, “Hey, I’m ready to play!” Chances are, you won’t see a scared or unhappy dog making this posture.
If your dog bows to you, take it as a huge compliment. It means she feels safe, she’s happy to see you, and she’s ready for some affection or a fun game!
DOG BODY LANGUAGE- The Play Bow
Youâre at the dog park with your dog. Youâve got 15 minutes before a Zoom meeting, and you still have to make it back to the house. Then, you see them. Another dog and their owner have entered the dog run. Your dog sees them, too. They immediately get into position: the play-bow. Youâre going to be late for that meeting.
When dogs want to play, they let others know with play signals, like a play-bow, which they use to initiate play with other dogs â and to keep it going. These signals can mean different things, but the message always aims to keep play safe by telling other dogs that their intentions are playful. A play signal tells another dog, âI want to play.â If you want to build a stronger bond with your pup, consider communicating in ways that naturally make sense to them, such as a play-bow.
Behaviorist Patricia McConnell, author of Play Together, Stay Together, has observed that when it comes to dogs and people, âplay isnât what makes our relationship with each other better, play is what creates the relationship in the first place.â A 2020 Bristol University survey found that most of the 4,000 respondents simply didnât spend enough time playing with their dogs. The UK-based study also found a clear link between âlimited playtime and animal behavior problems, such as being nervous when left alone, disobedience and snapping at other animals.âRelated article
Others have taken note of the role of play in our dogsâ lives as well. Marc Bekoff, one of the leading scientists of animal play, has said, âWe train too much and play too little…Whenever you are playing together, you and your dog learn the most important rules of social interaction: mutual trust, accepting the limitations of the other individual, and dealing fairly with each other.â
Play is also the perfect opportunity for shared joy between pet and pet parent. As Mechtild Käufer, author of Canine Play Behavior, writes, during play, you and your dog experience âmoments in which two species â human and dog â really become one.â
A dog play-bow is a play signal that dogs use to initiate play with other dogs and signal to others that their intentions are playful. Play-bows communicate that even if the behavior to follow is rough or learned from other instincts â such as fighting or predation â and involves biting, chasing, shaking, or slamming into one another, it is playful in nature. There is no intent to cause harm. Using play signals to communicate makes it less likely that a dogâs actions will be misinterpreted, which can cause play to escalate into aggression.
So, how does all this research and insight play out (no pun intended) in real life? Though the play-bow is a universal invitation to play among dogs, people can do it, too. A pet parent can imitate this action by getting down on all fours, putting both elbows on the ground, and leaving your butt in the air. Dogs usually perform play-bows in a springy, fast motion with a bounciness to it. If you want your play-bow to be as well-received as possible, try to mimic that springiness versus calmly moving into the posture like you are doing flow yoga.Related article
Even if your dog is injured and cant exercise, you can still keep them entertained. Heres how.
A modified play-bow for people is possible, too, and itâs a little easier because you can remain standing. All you have to do is lean over from the hips, bend both legs, and spread your arms out at a 45-degree angle. To appear most playful to the dog receiving this signal, go into the pose quickly, perhaps even doing a little jump to go into the pose. Then, do something playful, like run away from your dog to start a chase game.
Performing a play-bow makes dogs happy because there is no confusion â they already know what it means. Here are some other ways that play signals can increase the bond with your dog.
Play develops trust and increases the degree and amount of attention your dog will pay to you. This is especially true if you let your dog occasionally win, even when playing tug. They call it âplayâ because itâs not goal-oriented. Try not to focus on winning ribbons or breaking records â in that case, itâs more like work, and the positive aspects disappear.Related article
Post-training play may extend a dogâs memory of previously learned behaviors by up to a year.
Itâs well known that dogs will play longer with humans than with other dogs; theyâre also less competitive and will present and surrender toys to humans more frequently. Even dogs in multi-dog households are more (rather than less) interested in playing with humans.
Play signals also develop communication. To get your dogâs attention, hold a toy out in front of you, slap both hands on the ground, play-bow or make a quick forward movement. Play signals given by humans are more likely to elicit a response when accompanied by play vocalizations.
Dogs who frequently play rough-and-tumble games with their humans have fewer problems with separation anxiety and are more self-confident. Not only that, but they score higher in âobedient attentivenessâ after play sessions than before the sessions, according to researchers Nicola Rooney and John Bradshaw, which suggests that training after play can be highly effective.
Karen B. London, Ph.D., is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Professional Dog Trainer who specializes in working with dogs with serious behavioral issues, including aggression, and has also trained other animals including cats, birds, snakes, and insects. She writes the animal column for the Arizona Daily Sun and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University. She is the author of six books about training and behavior, including her most recent, Treat Everyone Like a Dog: How a Dog Trainerâs World View Can Improve Your Life.