Tag N Rye Dog Services

Time for walkies! Bring your four-legged friends along to Walking Together at the National Show Centre on Sunday 30th August for a free day packed with activities, expert advice and tail-wagging fun! You’d be barking mad to miss it! 🐶 Kindly sponsored by Agria Ireland & Royal Canin

Before you ask me how do you punish your puppy after he has chewed your shoe, ask yourself why did you leave him in a position where he was able to do it????
Dogs do not think like humans, they do not understand that the shoes left out on the floor are not for them to play with.
Learn how to train your puppy the right way - Involve the whole family and all learn together in your own home.
Distance No Problem. I Call to Your Home
For further details call Julie on 0872426738 or [email protected]

Flossie stealing the spotlight ❤️🐶✨ Rocking her Red Mills bandana, fuelled by Leader Slimline and bringing serious main character energy 👑

THE PLAY BOW

Dogs are constantly communicating with their body language and the play bow is one that is very easy to see, but despite its name, it doesn’t always mean “I want to play with you!”

Yes, in general, it means – I’m friendly and I have no aggressive intent, although context and the individual dog always need to be taken into account.

Some time ago, one of my little dogs was attacked by a bigger dog while we were out waking. She has never completely recovered from the trauma and ever since then, immediately play bows if a bigger dog comes anywhere near her.

I believe what she is communicating is – a calming signal to show the other dog she is not a threat, a position in which she can quickly escape if need be and the most likely explanation is to prevent any conflict and reduce any potential tension.

She has absolutely no desire or intention of playing or interacting with the other dog, in fact, she'd much rather avoid the interaction altogether, but she is trying to communicate her non-threatening intent.
This may be a more unusual use of the play bow, but the purpose of this story is that context and the individual dog really does matter.

Some dogs also use play bows to reset an interaction that is getting too much or perhaps to say “I’m sorry!”, in an attempt to reduce social tension or initiate conflict resolution after being too rough.

A prayer bow, which looks very similar to a play bow may indicate discomfort.
A prayer bow is a more lengthened, longer stretch, where a dog extends the front paws further forward and the chest area is very close to or on the ground.

This could indicate abdominal pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, bloating, gas, or it’s simply an effective stretch to loosen up stiff muscles or joints and get ready for movement.

The play bow is often described as a metacommunication signal—a signal that helps explain the meaning of the behaviour around it.

It's almost as if dogs are saying:
"Whatever I'm about to do—or whatever just happened—please understand that my intentions are friendly."