Play is the thing at Animal Planet's annual 'Puppy Bowl'

The referee blows the whistle. "Puppy foul!"

Unfortunately for Andrew Schechter, this call means just what you imagine. In real life, Schechter, a production coordinator for Animal Planet, is training to be an actor. He probably never expected to have a role that requires so many paper towels and plastic bags. But they're part of the deal at the channel's "Puppy Bowl," to be broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday.

For the uninitiated, "Puppy Bowl" consists of a pack of puppies turned loose to play on a miniature football field. There's no script or plot, just all puppies, all the time -- except of course for the kitten halftime show.

Watching it can teach you lots about puppy play, an important part of a dog's development.

"One of the best parts of 'Puppy Bowl' is watching the pups figuring out how to interact with one another," says dog trainer Victoria Schade, who works on the show. "Pups are constantly testing the mechanics of social interaction."

Puppies played Oct. 16 during Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl in Silver Spring, Md. Puppy Bowl IV will premiere on Animal Planet on Feb 3. Associated Press file

You can see dog body language in action, for example the "play bow," which Schade calls "the universal 'game on!' gesture" for dogs. Watch the responses to the bow, she says: "a return bow, a hop or a quick stare then a dash away, which are all affirmative play gestures. Sweeping, exaggerated movements usually indicate playful intent."

To the novice dog owner, puppy play can seem surprisingly rough, but all that chewing, jumping and wrestling contains important lessons. Hearing a loud yelp from a playmate in response to a nip helps a pup learn his own strength -- and that he'd better not bite so hard next time if he wants the fun to continue.

Allowing this type of play is crucial if you want to end up with a well-socialized adult dog. The trick is to learn to judge when any behavior has gone too far.

"Sometimes it looks awful, but if the other puppy is coming back with the same intensity, it's OK," Schade says. "What's inappropriate is when we see relentlessness -- when a puppy keeps coming back when the other puppy is trying to get away."

When evaluating playmates, size may matter less than you think. During the show's taping, there's an Alaskan malamute who's perfectly gentle with the little guys on the field, backing off when they show discomfort by a yip or a rapid retreat, while a couple of the smaller players need frequent time-outs for what referee Schechter calls "Unnecessary rrruffness!"

What's important to keep in mind is that like the rest of us, individual dogs have different ideas of a good time.

"Some pups like to chase, some like to be chased, some like to wrestle, some like to stalk," Schade says. "The problem arises when you try to pair a chase-crazy pup with one who prefers to wrestle -- those contrasting play styles won't make for a very fun game."

All of the puppies on the show came from shelters and rescue groups, and part of the show's goal is to inspire viewers to adopt pets of their own. And with personalities like these, watchers may find doing such a thing easy to imagine.

Lise Gehrke adopted the Labrador mix called Panda on the show from the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, Md. He's now named Oliver, and lives in the historic district of Annapolis, Md., where he's learned all the places that will give him treats.

"When you walk him down Main Street, there are certain stores you can't walk past without stopping," says Gehrke. "If you don't take him into Paws, he will lie down and not move."

Oliver has come to expect people to stop and tell him how cute he is, she says.

"He's indignant if a large group of people passes him and doesn't stop," she says. "He stops and watches them walk away."

Kimberley Nelson of Brooklyn, Md., adopted the pit bull/Lab mix, Janet, from the same shelter.

"She's a well-mannered dog," says Nelson. That's what caught her eye at the shelter, even when Janet was only 9 weeks old.

"She didn't nip at a lot of stuff like the other dogs did. She just came up to you and started cuddling up to you and licking you."

Nelson took Janet to work when she first got her, and says "She was the big hit of the store. Everyone loved her, all the customers." But she seems happy to have retired to a quiet home life, cuddling on the couch with her favorite pillow or Nelson's other dog, Rossi.

"She's a wonderful dog," Nelson says. "My boyfriend loves her. He says now that we've got her, I don't know what I'd do without her."