Is this normal?

[pari1art]

Pepper likes to entice Mister Two Dicks to play with her by dropping down on her two front legs and having her bum elevated in the air. They are both desexed, so I know that she isn't trying to tempt him sexually. Is this normal basenji behaviour?

[crystalncody]

I think it is. Cody does that when he wants to play… both with humans and other dogs.

[pari1art]

Thanks crystalncody. It just looks so funny.

[Shaye's Mom]

That is normal play stance - mine both do it when they are trying to get the other to play. They also do it toward us when they want us to toss their toys around so they can chase them.

[LindaH]

It's normal dog behavior, not just Basenjis…our Brussels Griffon does the play bow, too. She also does the B500 around the house...or maybe it's the BG500! :)

[bcraig]

Definitely an invitation to play.

[Kipawa]

I'll second everything said here. Kipawa does it all the time when he is around dogs. He seems to treat humans a little differently as he waits for play to be initiated from the humans.

[DebraDownSouth]

It is called play bowing… all canids seem to do it from wolves to coyote to dogs.

[Shannanigan]

What Debra said.

[Rita Jean]

100% right on both of my B's do it to each other and us two legged people.

Rita Jean

[pari1art]

Thank you everyone. I have had three basenjis since 1999 and Pepper is the only one that does this. By the way Shaye's Mom, prior to bringing Pepper into our home, Mister Two Dicks would play with his toys on a regular basis. With the introduction of Pepper, he is never interested in his toys at all. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, just interested.

[Patty]

Having always kept several Basenjis at the same time I do find that they aren't all that enticed to play with toys when they have each other.

[pari1art]

Thank you Patty. Don't get me wrong, I think it is a wonderful thing that Mister Two Dicks is so happy with Pepper as a mate/friend that he does not need toys to entertain himself. :)

[Mojo's Mom]

Mojo does it too. We he's ready to play, we call it "he assumes the position"!!!!

[ownedbyspencer]

My 13-year-old B still does it. He caps it off with a spin, then either play bows again or races off, daring you to chase him. We call it the Exorcist spin, because he swivels around like Linda Blair's head. I've never seen another dog do it, but he always has. It cracks people up!

[DebraDownSouth]

@ownedbyspencer:

We call it the Exorcist spin, because he swivels around like Linda Blair's head. I've never seen another dog do it, but he always has. It cracks people up!

Many if not most do Linda Blair with their heads. :) My Arwen does spins… levitates and spins. Bizarre. Others here say their dogs do too, but please video for us!

[sharronhurlbut]

If you want to see your dogs really play, get down on the ground with your elbows on the floor and your butt in the air..
At first, my 2 stopped, shocked, where they stood..when I pounded my arms on the floor they just began to play…just joyous...
don't do this with company, however, they will think your as odd as I am!!!

[pari1art]

Mojo's mom, that is very funny.

[ownedbyspencer]

@sharronhurlbut:

If you want to see your dogs really play, get down on the ground with your elbows on the floor and your butt in the air..
At first, my 2 stopped, shocked, where they stood..when I pounded my arms on the floor they just began to play…just joyous...
don't do this with company, however, they will think your as odd as I am!!!

Okay, so when Spencer does that aforementioned Exorcist swivel… this arms-pounding-the-floor-butt-in-the-air human play bow thing is what I'm doing to make him respond that way. :D I wasn't going to admit it, but since I see I'm not the only one... Wonder if anybody else's dogs respond this way to their human's antics?

[Kipawa]

@sharronhurlbut:

If you want to see your dogs really play, get down on the ground with your elbows on the floor and your butt in the air..
At first, my 2 stopped, shocked, where they stood..when I pounded my arms on the floor they just began to play…just joyous...
don't do this with company, however, they will think your as odd as I am!!!

LOL Sharron! :) Somehow I can see you doing this - you're such a wonderful basenji person!

P.S. I think I will try it myself.