Do dogs have a sense of humor? Can they play jokes? Do they find things funny?

I see dogs play tricks on each other, and I know they have a sense of humor.

When I walk two dogs off-lead late at night, one would go on outside of the hedge, and the other on the inside of the hedge. The little one would wait at the end of the hedge to jump out at the other dog, and then just dance around in delight when he scared the older dog.
After a few times, the older dog expected it and stopped acting startled, and the little guy quit doing that. Now they both go on the same side of the hedge.

There are many other incidents that prove they play tricks on each other, but that one happened just last month.
 
I don't know that they have a sense of humor as we humans experience it, but I do know that many dogs enjoy making us react and some figure out that certain reactions can get them things they want (a few minutes of play time, petting, a cookie, a game of chase).

Lou, who I was training as a Service Dog, thoroughly enjoys the reaction people give when he gooses them. He particularly likes running his big wet nose up the back of a mini-skirt wearer's leg on the way to the "goose". The skirt wearer (usually young) shrieks, turns around to see who did such a thing and then ends up paying attention to him. Its a self-rewarding activity.
 
From my experience, I'd say they do. Here is a short story to prove it.

My mom was a shepherd hybrid breeder. Our dogs stayed in very large kennels but the neighbors little beagles ran about into everyone's yards. It really frustrated our dogs a lot. One day when my mom and I went to feed our girl Sierra, she slipped out of the kennel ran through our 2 acre yard, ran up through the neighbor's 4 acre yard getting their dogs wound up, then came right back to us in front of her kennel and stared at us panting.
She was always so calm and sweet and never forced her way out of the kennel before. My mom and I believe she was getting them back fora aggravating her.

Our dogs also loved to destroy their stuffed animals we bought for them. When we'd bring them inside, they all would head right for my room and drag all my stuffed animals out with me chasing after them shouting. But they never destroyed mine.

I could swear they would put on some of the most comical smiles too.
 
They can definitely be entertained. My dogs play hide and seek with me & sometimes hide & jump out at me to play when I walk by which they think is great fun. To me, that's kind of a little joke they play on me.
 
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