Bow with front legs wide open

The dog lowers its forequarters, resting its forelegs on the ground. The forelegs are splayed wide open. Behaviour associated with displacement.
(Zimen, 1971; Capra, 2010)

The young male Tibetan Mastiff displays a bow with front legs wide open in front of an adult female Golden Retriever, who averts her gaze, avoiding eye contact, and maintains a frontal stance.

The mixed-breed male bows with front legs wide open to the female Dalmation x Pointer cross.

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The Labrador puppy nears the black German Shepherd bitch, with lowered head. The Shepherd has a ball, and is controlling the resource. The puppy stops in frontal position, standing tall, and stares at the bitch, then lowers his head and moves nearer. The German Shepherd bitch grabs the ball, stares at the puppy and wags her tail. The puppy bows with front legs wide open, stares at the bitch and wags his tail. When the puppy lies down, the bitch releases her grip on the ball. The Shepherd bitch again picks up the ball, the puppy bows with front legs wide open, leaping and swerving to the side and bows again. He circles around her and shows anus-genital exploration. The bitch moves away. In the second episode, the puppy moves closer with lowered head and exhibits a bow, leaps in front of her and again displays a bow with front legs wide open. The puppy lies down, grabs a tuft of grass and, when the German Shepherd bitch moves away, he follows her. The Shepherd bitch changes direction and knocks him down. In the third episode, the puppy shifts to a frontal stance and bows with front legs wide open. He leaps sideways, then re-positions himself frontally and shows a bow with front legs wide open. When the puppy lies down, the bitch moves nearer and displaces him, nudging him with her nose and a paw press. The bitch again lies down, and the puppy circles around her, jumping. The bitch gets up and then lies down, re-positioning herself; the puppy approaches standing tall, then sits, scratches himself, and hops around until reaching a frontal stance, then displays a bow very close to the bitch.

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The young male Golden Retriever stands tall and stiffly towards a female Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. The bitch has moved into a lateral stance, with lowered tail. The male shows a bow with front legs wide open, and the bitch swerves aside and attempts to leaves the interaction, looking for support from her owner. The male chases after her, stopping in a frontal stance to bow, then bark, bow again, bark, lie down, and then leave the interaction.

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The chocolate Labrador Retriever bitch chases the male mixed-breed, who seeks support from a person. The Lab circles around the person, following the mixed breed, who moves off. The mixed-breed male again seeks support from the person, and is followed by the Labrador. The mixed-breed attempts to make eye contact with the person and displays first a shoulder rub then anus marking. The person greets the mixed-breed dog, and then interposes herself between the two dogs and displaces the Labrador. The Labrador leaps back sideways, then moves into a frontal stance, showing a bow with front legs wide open, and then barks, circling.

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