Why Rover Rolls Over

When two dogs greet each other, it is very common to see one roll over onto its back, legs in the air. This is generally understood to be typical dog-on-dog play. But researchers wondered if rolling over during play was really an act of submission - according to the commonly held belief - or whether it was a combat manoeuvre. In order to find out, Dr. Sergio Pellis, a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge - and his colleagues - observed numerous pairs of dogs at play. After analyzing 248 roll overs, they concluded that it is definitely a combat tactic. Most were defensive, some were offensive, but none was submissive. Dogs roll over in this way in order to avoid a bite on the back of the neck, and to put them in a better position to launch an upward bite at the neck of their playmate.