The Rules Of The Dog Park | Pets: Wild At Heart | BBC Earth

Ever wondered why dogs roll on their backs, or sniff each other's behinds? These behaviours help teach dogs the social rules of interacting with other dogs, as well as helping them play! Pets: Wild At Heart We may think of our pets like another member of the family - but they exist in a secret world that we would hardly recognise. In this series new filming techniques reveal our pets' wild behaviour and natural abilities. Using the latest filming techniques, from spycams to thermal imaging and moving x-rays, this series reveals why just a small select group of animals have the perfect characteristics to become human companions. The first episode shows how our pets use play to get in touch with their wild side, while the second episode shows how our pets maintain links with their wild nature

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[Music] [Music] dogs more than any of our pets must learn to rub along together they're often forced into situations no wild animal would tolerate recent research in a New York dog park revealed the full complexity of their social interactions they first become reacquainted using their celebrated sense of smell up to 100 thousand times more sensitive than our own by sniffing scent glands on another dog's bottom they check its identity as well as its diet health and emotional state once everyone's formally introduced the play begins it may be boisterous but the wild rules that practiced as pups stop things getting out of hand opting out is perfectly acceptable and for small dogs not unreasonable toy breeds must feel at a distinct disadvantage but that's Boston Terriers up for the challenge no matter how great he knows the rules exchange doggie bows and he won't get hurt the play-doh lets him have fun with a great beam three times his size it's an invitation every dog understands leaping together establishes whose biggest it's another way to taste each other but size isn't everything it's about confidence and posturing too as this belligerent Bulldog knows the young labrador uses a trick she learnt in play rolling over and exposing her vulnerable belly the bulldog may be pumped up with aggression but the lab submissive posture takes the fight right hand given playing together as puppies allows dogs to understand the rules of the park [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]