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Excitability

Potcakes are very excitable. They are exuberant in their expressions: running around, barking, play-bowing and standing on their haunches. Potcakes enjoy many activities including walks, car rides, playing with toys, and greeting visitors. They are energetic and fun-loving dogs.

"...Barks to announce people."

"Likes to play with our other dogs, chasing each other, biting legs, play fighting."

"Loves toys! She will play with multiple toys at once."

96.0% Wagging tail 
82.1% Running and jumping around  
80.5% Jumping up to put paws on people in a friendly way 
73.7% Play bowing, lowering front to floor while keeping hindquarters raised 
67.4% Barking excitedly in a friendly manner 
53.1% Standing up on hind legs or haunches 
35.3% Rolling around 
30.3% Panting 

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95.6% Family member enters home 
76.5% Playing with other dogs 
72.3% Playing with chew toys or tug toys 
69.5% Before a walk 
64.3% Waiting for a treat 
53.2% 
Playing fetch 
52.1%
Seeing squirrels and wildlife
49.0% Before a car ride
44.5% 
Stranger enters home
44.3% 
Knocking 
42.2% 
Visiting a park
40.8% Doorbell ringing 
38.2% 
Playing in the snow
38.0% 
Greeting other dogs in passing
34.2% 
Playing with children
31.9% Seeing cats go by 
29.2% Stranger outside 
28.1% 
Following a scent
26.9% 
Strange dog enters home
26.7% Playing in water 
24.6% Strange dog outside 
18.3% Playing with frisbees 
18.3% Seeing people on bicycles 
13.2% Visiting doggie daycare 
3.6% Visiting the groomers 

 

More Comments
Excitability​
  •  

  • "Squats and urinates."

  • "Licking people in friendly manner."

  • "Smiling/grinning."

  • "Crazy, happy full out run with her hindquarters tucked in all for max speed!"

  • "Runs in a circle when excited."

  • "She likes to nip you (playfully) when you come home."

  • "Barking."

  • "Wiggles her butt, play-barks."

  • "Jaw snapping or teeth clicking."

  • "She only jumps on us, her people, and we're breaking her of the habit."

  • "Tail wagging counter clockwise; running excitedly when recognizable car pulls up."

  • "Grabs belongings of person ; bites air."

  • "'Fun' excitability."

  • "Phyllis hates to be pointed at. And she really loves wagging her tail when she's happy. She loves all other dogs and people. Phyllis loves to play rough with the big dogs but always knows when she needs to be more gentle and lay down to play with the smaller breed dogs. Phyllis has the famous Potcake pose, sitting all sloppy with her legs & hips thrown all over the place. She is very intelligent and easy to train. But my Phyllis is a little too smart, she will do any trick for a treat but knows when there is no reward and becomes very stubborn."

  • "Loves being tickled, loves playing with humans and other dogs, gets very excited when both human and animal 'friends' come near. Can be quite submissive or very confident depending on the situation."

  • "Bonded closely with other dog in home."

  • "He likes to lean on everything: people, walls, furniture."

  • "Very athletic, high energy; a bit ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) because she is distracted by everything - other dogs and people; but she's highly food motivated so we've succeeded with some training. Off-leash is just a distant hope at this point."

  • "She loves playing with other dogs but seems to prefer one on one play, max is two other dogs. She is cautious around new people but once she knows she can trust you she loves 100%."

  • "Toby is laid back loves to play with us but can run at the dog park or enjoy laying on the couch."

  • "Extremely intelligent, sensitive, obedient, loyal, unique, not overly excited to meet new people, loves hiking walking doing tricks and sleeping on our bed!"

  • "Friendly to most people except some that approach our property; usually unfriendly to unknown dogs; she lives with another potcake and another rescued dog; she is the youngest and last one adopted."

  • "Very sweet, a nice mix of playful and relaxed."

  • "She likes to bark at people but when they get near all she wants to do is kiss them. A great family dog."

  • "Very sweet; can be aloof if she doesn't want attention/ is tired; very unpredictable around other dogs, especially puppies (classified as 'bully' by dog trainer); loves children despite not having been socialized around them; frantic when people she knows visits; bites at our other dog to quiet him when he is too excitable; extremely alert and aware of surroundings."

  • "Sweet, loving, playful, energetic, smart, feisty, adorable."

  • "Excessive barking when his human gives other dogs attention." 

  • "Attempts to stand on head (against furniture). Great attention-getter."

  • "He likes to carry our shoes around the house when we get home.  He doesn't eat them, he just struts around very proud of himself."

  • "At almost 2 years, he still behaves like a hyper, playful puppy."

  • "Nips rarely and playfully now but at first it was often."

  • "Licking people in friendly manner."

  • "Jumps in full 360 spin, licking me; barks only when threatened in some way ."

  • "Swats with paw or grabs your hand with his mouth when he wants pets or play."

  • "Play nipping/mouthing. Sometimes a little too hard. Over-excited."

  • "Nipping/biting at "big brother" (black lab) and family members during playtime (nonaggressively)."

  • "Squats and urinates."

  • "She's very playful."

  • "She is super handsy! like a monkey, always using her front paws. :)"

  • "He brings me his toys when I come home."

  • "Tries to get on couch....with front paws."

  • "Likes to dance.  Hugs with dew claws."

  • "LadyBug is a very bouncy trouncy happy go lucky mischievous puppy. Most always smiling and digging holes or sleeping when she is not bouncing around Bugging all humans and canines around her."

  • "Makes a sound like Roo Roo Roo when excited (we think it's a bad word)."

  • "Smiles when excited/happy, loves to rest/sleep whole lying on his back with all for paws in the air and flopped over."

  • "'Potcaking' - rolls on her back while twisting like a pretzel.  Jumps, twists, & turns at meal time."

  • "Does pirouettes when happy."

  • "Whole body wags."

  • Excitability Triggers
  • "With strangers and wildlife, aggressive mean excitability."

  • "Gets mad at our cat when she jumps on table(where she is not supposed to be) he barks at her as to tell her she is not allowed on the table."

  • "Going for boat rides."

  • "Chasing birds."

  • "She is the first of my three to back when someone walks by or a truck , etc. drives by."

  • "When being fed."

  • "Breakfast and dinner."

  • "Loves interaction while being played with such as fetch, getting his baby(plush toys),  getting attention from family members."

  • "Gets excited every evening to go to dog park or walk."

  • "Going into pet stores."

  • "Playing with coconuts."

  • "When I come into the room."

  • "Visiting the farm."

  • "He loves the snow!"

  • "Seeing familiar people after absence, esp. females."

  • "Any delivery truck i.e. UPS, FedEx, Mailman. When Husband comes home from work; when family/grandchildren come over."

  • "She will walk in puddles, rivers, calm water."

  • "LOVES playing in snow; jumps and dives in it head first. :)"

  • "Watching TV, lure course."

  • "The 8 minutes ride to the dog park is unbearable!  If we get stopped at a stop light she just acts like she is going to DIE it we don't get there faster!  LOVES the dog park.  Also loves our early morning long off leash walks when we vacation- either the beach or the golf course at dawn!  Guaranteed nose in face as soon as the sun starts to come up with tail wacking everything off the night stand!"

  • "Most of these were when she was younger, now at 17 it's mostly people or dogs that enter the house...and cats, still wants to chase cats!"

  • "Reasonable levels of excitement for the above, and almost always very controllable."

  • "Loves to take a shower."

  • "Breakfast and dinner. Car rides are her favorite."

  • "Loves daycare."

  • "Loves to fetch sticks and snowballs - she almost hops in excitement."

  • "Overly excited for walks."

  • "She has a very shrill bark and barks quite a lot at people walking by the house, at squirrels, and when excited."

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