When two dogs approach each other too abruptly, you will often see a play bow.

But this result leaves open the question of just how to characterize the "message" in play bows.

Van Wouw often played bow and arrow games with him.

If an animal bites too hard, it will initiate a "play bow" to ask forgiveness before play resumes.

Some almost immediately went into play mode with other dogs, wagging their tails and crouching down on their front legs in a play bow.

The dogs observed did not show the typical canid play bow; however, Imke Voth found this behavior during examinations in the 1980s.

They first invite one another to roughhouse using a "play bow": They lie down on their forelimbs while standing on their hind legs.

Playful dholes will open their mouths with their lips retracted and their tails held in a vertical position whilst assuming a play bow.

Because really, my favorite part of this segment was when the producers played Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy" as Chase's exit music.

When a puppy wants to play, for example, it will assume the familiar play bow, crouching forwarding on its forelimbs and putting its hind end in the air.

Play bows were identified, as were four types of actions that occur outside of play, and that could be interpreted (by us or by the subjects) as aggressive.

After discussing Millikan's views, the authors conclude that "it is probably more correct to view [play bows] as intentional signals, a limiting case of intentional icons" (p. 108).

A dog will perform a play bow at the beginning of a bout, and he will crouch back into it if he accidentally nips too hard and wants to assure the other dog: ‘‘Don’t worry!

"A play bow is a signal that dogs use when they want to communicate playful intentions to a potential play partner," added Ward, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan and director of About Dogs LLC.