Play bows

Are they learned or are they instinctive behaviour? Little One was never interested in toys once she was a few months old, and although she would play with a few dogs she preferred to sit and watch rather than join in.

When I adopted Pereg they used to play together but never once did I ever see Little One do a play bow - and yet Pereg, who can never have enough toys [so she says] plays happily by herself and I have seen her play bow to which ever toy she is playing with at the time.

She also comes up to me and does a play bow when she wants me to play with her.

So I was wondering, because Pereg definitely did not learn it from LO, how does she know to play bow?

I think it's instinct one of our late doglets was abandoned by her mum and had no siblings to learn from, hand reared she must have done it instictively as she was about 11 weeks before she met another dog but was play bowing from about 5 weeks onwards.

I thought it was instinct too but obviously not every dog has it, a bit like some male dogs never cock their legs?

How sweet that Pereg bows to her toys. Aaaah, lovely.

Personally, I have never known any dog not to play bow, it seems to be an instinctive part of their wolf ancestry - wolves play bow. My Ben plays bows to his balls and other toys as well!!

Yep I agree, it is an instinct behaviour. Lola does it all the time, but my mums dog never has, incidentally he doesn't cock his leg either.

I am glad that another dog play bows to his toys - it surprised me when I first noticed Pereg doing it! It is almost as if she is asking the toy's permission!

I would so LOVE to see a picture of that, so precious.

Ben woos, hollers and growls at them too if they don't do what he wants! Particularly when they disappear under the kitchen units, or the cupboards in our sitting room! He lies down with his head stuck under as far as it will go and howls, hollers and growls in the hopes that they will magically re-emerge, silly boy!!

Lady does it all the time, to toys, to us and to Rob. But Rob very rarely does it, he is a bit more reserved than her and only really plays with a toy either when he thinks we are not watching or Lady is in another room.