Dogs take turns mouthing each other’s faces and necks, jumping on top of one another, chasing and running away, and, yes, even mounting and humping each other. |
Basically, dogs pull their punches when they play. Most could easily bite through bones, but when they’re playing, they mimic biting by keeping their mouths open. It’s the same with body slamming.
Watch Jook and Lola in this video to see self-handicapping in action. A Pug taking down a Rottie! What'll they think of next?!? |
Dogs actively switch between “giver” and “receiver” when they’re playing: the chaser becomes the chasee, the dog on top becomes the dog on the bottom, and the dog “biting” become the dog being “bitten.”
The two little guys in this video do a great job shifting roles. |
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Because play behaviors look identical to the real thing, dogs use meta-signals before and after play fighting, biting, etc., to tell the other dog that it’s all just in fun.
Which meta-signals listed below do you see Canela doing in this video? |