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- Wanna play, Dad?
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- You call me “Sir” and approach from down when addressing me, son!
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- Ahhh, I forgot!
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- I’m down, I’m down
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- Don’t forget your place in this family
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- I’m down, I’m down!
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- That’s bettter!
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- Got it!
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- I’m outta here!
The pup has received a strict and heavy-handed (and probably not-expected) retort and rejection to his enthusiastic, happy invitation to play. He responds, expressing his feelings through tucked chin, ears swiveled back, squinting eyes, tight jaw — not so different from our own painful grimacing to such a retort. The flopping over is rather melodramatic, but I know human kids who might have done that! :)) I’ve seen coyote pups react this way many times — usually when they are conflicted: it’s as though all synapses fired at once without a clear outcome!
Coyote Yipps 