[QUOTE=Wylie's Mom;3339885]
--The 'rolling the dog on its back' trick is considered less as an alpha move, and more as a very fear-invoking move. Remember the wolf-pack thing: wolves don't really have to 'roll/force' other dogs onto their backs. Rather, once submission is established, the submissive wolf rolls HIMSELF onto his own back and then looks to the dominant wolf. So, it's a move of choice. In the dog trng world,
forcing a dog onto it's back is now considered rather anti-productive bc it's such a fearful, unnatural (when forced, rather than chosen) position. The 'throat' ie neck thing should be done on the back of the neck, never the front. It's really meant to be a subtle, stabilizing move.
What I have observed and this with the larger dogs, after all I only have one Yorkie
is that there is a very rich body language by all dogs in a pack. One day when I was picking up my young Magic from boarding with his trainer, all the dogs maybe 7 or so were doing fine in the kitchen, big beasties all of them, rotties, great pyrenees, bull mastiff, well you get the idea, then I opened the door to go outside, oh boy thought i was going to be thrown off my feet by the ensuing rush of bodies. Well my young Magic made it out the door first, which the pack considered a No No. The two largest males, flipped him off his feet, then the rottie came in with a hell of a serious growl, all the dogs were surrounding Magic. Mike the trainer got out that door fast and broke it up. The problem was Magic wasn't staying down, like the pack wanted him to, and he was growling back.
I've observed over many play sessions this flip with a dog that doesn't "know" it's place. When Magic gets exasperated with our young female, he will flip her off her feet then stand right by her, and she then usually rolls on her back for a few seconds or so.
Up she comes and off she goes to play again. lol
Dogs will turn head away from a dog that gets too frisky, then turn shoulders and finally body away until the other dog "gets" the message. To destress they will yawn and or lick their lips. We all know the play bow to invite play.
It is interesting to watch a pack at play.