An interesting thread began on one of the collie-lover Facebook pages I belong to. Someone asked about what it meant when his collie bowed. He clarified that he wasn't talking about a play bow, but about his collie bowing outside of play.  A flurry of thoughtful and fun posts followed.  I added my two cents worth and felt like it was such a great topic, I needed to share elsewhere!

I like to think of these types of behaviors as "social bridges." Dogs are social creatures just like us. They use body language to communicate with us and with each other. The bow is a lovely little display meant to signal to us that the dog is engaged, invested in the relationship, and ready to "dance," whatever that dance might be. Perhaps the bow came after you asked them if they'd like to go for a walk or if they are ready to go. Or maybe the bow came when you approached, they made eye contact, and you smiled at them. I like to think of this type of bow as coming from the same place as the human hand placed gently on the back of a shoulder or on the forearm when two friendly people are communicating with each other. It's a bridge...it says, "Hey!  I hear you...I like you...I feel you."

So the next time your dog bows, and it isn't about soliciting play, respond in kind. Smile, invite them to tag along. Engage them.