My dog definitely teases me. She’ll grab one of my socks and sit in front of me with the sock laying on the floor. As soon as I go to pick it up, she’ll snatch it and run away.

I believe there are two possible exolanations for that behavior, and I feel that they are different. Though I have no PhD in the field.

First it can be just a learned behavior. For example it could go like this. Your dog at some point in the past grabbed your sock, you tried to get the sock from her, and she saw the interaction as a fun game. Later repetitions reinforced this behaviour.

The other explanation is a teasing. It could be for example if your dog was trained to bring socks to you and give them to you, but instead she didn't let go of socks sometimes, when she is in a playful mood. But not too often to not lose an element of surprise, to not get a reaction "oh no, not that again, just give me the sock". If this behaviour becomes routine it is no longer teasing (by definition of the article) because there is no surprise.

I believe that the second explanation needs from a dog to get the general idea of rules, rituals, protocols, and an ability to exploit her understanding to create a moment of surprise in you. The first explanation doesn't need anything more exciting than conditioning, B.F.Skinner would have explained that behaviour without stopping to think for a second.

And I believe dogs are explained mostly with a first kind of explanation. They learn through conditioning. When they invent some new behaviour it can start with a transfer (a play with a stick was transformed to a play with a sock in absence of a suitable stick) and then developed into a new behaviour through reinforcement. You can teach your dog to tease, but you can write a teasing computer program also, it doesn't mean than the dog or the program could get the idea of teasing.

But all this written is written by me, having very basic psychology education. I can be completely misguided.

But is it playful or aggressive ? I often hear the behavior you describe is about the dog asserting dominance, which should be a no-no.

Dominance theory in dogs is largely discredited.

Ooh, thanks ! I am learning something new https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/training/techniques/...

Dogs react strongly when people start jumping or running around or taking their stuff. That is the teasing, and then wagging the tail and other playful signals makes it playful teasing rather than aggressive. I don't see how this is any more standard protocol than humans teasing each other. They do something to trigger the other person and then signal "just kidding!".

Dogs absolutely tease, but agreed that was a poor example.

My dog will for example provoke play by bringing a ball to you so close that you can’t help but reach for it and then very subtly turn his head so you just miss it, do that over and over until you get irritated enough to chase him.