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Hi, @ruthabigailparadisepaws! Thank you for sharing. I was also kind of puzzled at first. A few things I noticed after many re-watches and @programdev‘s points. Of course this is without knowing any of their history. Happy to hear what others think, I certainly could be missing something. Please correct me!
-Roxy: Wide eyes and ears back for much of this interaction. Saw some facial tension also at times. Tongue flicks/lip licks when they pause the jar-sparring. There are a couple moments where Roxy subtly shifts her body away from Oakley to create space. There’s a point where Oakley pushes her legs into Roxy and then Roxy gets up, moves away, and keeps turning to face Oakley. To me, Roxy’s starts vocalizing later in this interaction to give a more obvious signal that she is not comfortable.
-Oakley: Wiggly body movements, pawing, jaw sparring. Mostly on her side and back – I would say a nice way to try to encourage play. Also tongue flicks when they pause. Not sure exactly what to make of her vocalizations. She seems very energetic and is a puppy, so I would guess excitement? I noticed Oakley was always the one to initiate more jaw-sparring after they pause, and not Roxy. I think Oakley is just a bit too forward or excited for Roxy’s taste, and still learning how to read Roxy’s signals.
-The doodle: Seems to me like they intervene to separate them when it gets a little more contentious. Love this! Helping teach the pup to mind her play manners!
-My best attempt at a summary: Oakley very much wants to play, but could do better reading Roxy’s signals. She’s a puppy and Roxy is 8! I would guess Roxy just wanted a calmer interaction, and Oakley is still practicing/learning her social skills.
-Curious what others think of Roxy’s jaw sparring. Does she want to play this game, just more calmly? Or is she just doing it to keep Oakley at bay?