Question

Suppose a dog shows a play face to another dog to indicate that the behavior that follows is not aggressive, but playful. which type of signal would this be?

Answer 1

Metacommunication is the answer for sure

Answer 2

Play in dogs starts usually by putting up a play face or a play bow with their butt waggling in the air. This behaviour is often called metasignal. It means that dogs tell something important like wanting to play with their fellow dogs.