Crazy Play

I've got a question for the general reading population. How do you play with your dog? Is there always a toy or object involved? Or you use your hands and tickle them all over? I get right down there on the floor and play with Theo...with my whole darn body! When Theo wants to initiate play, he gets down on the floor, looks right into my eyes, and kinda darts his head forward playfully. So I started doing it back to him...and he loves it! If I look him in the eye, he looks at me expectantly back, waiting for the play signal. When I do, what I like to call the "pigeon head motion", he lunges forward and the play begins.

It starts with him jumping up in my head. He does this with all people (when he can get to their head), and dogs too (sometimes he jumps on their backs rather than their head). He pants happily, sometimes chewing my hair, sometimes trying to get the hair tie in my hair out (he's successful more than I'd like). When I pick my head up, he rests his front paws on my shoulders while haunched up on his hind legs. It's so cute!

If I nuzzle my nose on his neck and make a noise, he'll make a noise back. He's very vocal during playtime (well, and ever other time for that matter). If I roll him onto his back and kiss or scratch him tummy, he'll playfully "push" on me with his paws with a big smile on his face. If I put my hand on either side of his muzzle, he'll shake his head side to side, playfully trying to get at my hands. Sometimes he'll run a few feet away and bark at me, but if I stick my butt in the air and put my head low to the ground, he comes bounding back. It's really a lot of fun (though my hair rarely makes it through).

Am I a crazy dog woman, or is that kind of what other people do as well? I'm curious.