Dog experts--what does this mean?

[CanBeGrumpy]

We recently got a dog (my first dog ever--still not sure how I feel about it!) and she keeps doing this "thing" where she stretches out her front paws and kind of bows down. It looks exactly like the "downward dog" yoga pose (which I'm sure is where the name for the pose came from!). Does this mean she is being submissive to me? At first I thought she was just stretching, but she does this A LOT, and I started thinking it must mean something in doggie language. Any ideas what it could mean? She seems to do it mostly to me, not Dh or the kids. Thanks for any answers!

 

[RickinNYC]

She is definitely doing one of two things. She's either stretching as you suspect. My dog Bill does the same followed with a HUGE groan and sigh, of course with his eyes locked on to mine as if to say "I am sooooo bored, whatcha gonna do about it?

She could also possibly want to play. The typical dog play stance is to drop down on their haunches, butt in the air.

Is her butt wiggling and waggling? Then it's play time. Or is she sighing and muttering? Definitely bored to tears.

 

[Hercules10]

If she's yawning and the tail is hanging, she's stretching.

If the tail is going a mile a minute - PLAYTIME!

 

[luvwinnie]

Winnie does this when she wants to play.

 

[Christine]

My dog does this often and it is usually when I am greeting her or talking to her. We call it her "Princess Bow". My trainer told me it was a submissive act.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

Ours does it when he wants to play. It is usually followed by running through the house at a high rate of speed.

 

[NMAmy]

My dog does this when the answer is affirmative to the question, "Do you want to go outside?" She will then bow to whoever asked the question. I've started calling her Buckbeak from the Harry Potter books--remember the bird that bowed before you could ride him?

DH has started bowing back to her to usher her outside. We're very polite in my household apparently.

 

[RickinNYC]

Ours does it when he wants to play. It is usually followed by running through the house at a high rate of speed.

I forgot about that. Bill follows his bowing/butt waggling act with a lunge for his toy then proceeds to run through the apartment like the devils of d-day were after him.

 

[ducklite]

My dog does this often and it is usually when I am greeting her or talking to her. We call it her "Princess Bow". My trainer told me it was a submissive act.

That's what I was thinking, it's a submissive stance, even if the tail is wagging, it means "I want to play but don't want to hurt you. I'm your friend, bbut you are the boss, and I accept that."

Sounds like the OP's got a nice dog there!

Anne

 

[damo]

Another vote for, "I want to play". It is usually followed by the zoomies if you encourage it at all!!!

 

[MosMom]

I want to play! Right after that our dog takes off like a bat out of HE double hockey sticks with a toy in her mouth.

 

[SJCSuzyQ]

I agree with everybody else. Our dog trainer even calls it the play bow. Enjoy your furbaby

Suzy

 

[ButchJohnson]

Its just the doggie equivalent to the wake up and stretch and yawn, my dog does it all the time.

 

[Todd&Copper]

When my dogs do it (and my female does it a lot), I say, "bow down before me, peasant!"
It always looks like stretching, and usually after she does it, she goes into "crazy collie" mode and runs all over the room, so maybe she is doing a "warm up" stretch so she doesn't injure her muscles.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Yep, It is the Universal "I want to play" sign.

Mikeeee

 

[phillybeth]

Another vote for, "I want to play". It is usually followed by the zoomies if you encourage it at all!!!

We call that 'crackerdog', after a character in the James Herriot books

Example:Upthestairsaroundthecoffeetablejumponthesofarunthroughthekitchenupthestairsaroundthecoffeetablejumponthesofarunthroughthekitchenupthestairsaroundthecoffeetablejumponthesofarunthroughthekitchen- stop, pant, wag tail- upthestairsaroundthecoffeetablejumponthesofarunthroughthekitchen