Overview and Meaning

Dog piling is an affiliative interaction, that is often performed for the purposes of warmth and security.

Description

A dog pile is when a mouse's whole body or portions of it are lying on top of another mouse.

Classification

Affiliative interactions, variant of group sleeping

Contexts

Affiliative behaviors are social interactions that function to reinforce social bonds with a group or which are of mutual benefit to all animals involved in the interaction.

Variants

1. A sleeping group can be a combination of dog piling and huddling.