Your dog is trying to tell you something, better listen

by Stacey Y.

The article by the Daily Mail Reporter,  ‘Living with humans has taught dogs morals, say scientists,’ talks about something every pet owner knows that has a connection to their dog – dog’s are intelligent, have a conscience and can communicate with us.  Scientist seemed to be surprised by this, I’m not.

In studies done by Dr. Peter Pongracz of Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest; he and his colleagues have produced evidence that dog barks contain information that people can understand.  Yeah doc, we already figured this out…

Quoted from the article:

They found even people who have never owned a dog can recognise the emotional ‘meaning’ of barks produced in various situations, such as when playing, left alone and confronted by a stranger.

I have 3 dogs and I quickly became familiar with the language of ‘dog speak.’  I can hear the difference in their barks and innately know what each means.  For instance, I know when my best friend is standing outside my house because Bow, my male Lhasa Apso, barks excitedly to alert me to her presence.  I also know when someone unfamiliar to him enters my gate by his distinctive ‘warning’ bark.  Just as children have squabbles, I can tell when Bow wants something and my youngest dog, Basha doesn’t want to share with him, by yet another distinctive bark.

Guinness demonstrates dog genius

In a fascinating program called ‘Dog Genius,’ aired on the National Geographic Channel; Border Collie Guinness undergoes a computerized touch screen study.  In this study he is able to choose between correct and incorrect images; when he touches his nose to the screen of the correct image, he gets a treat.  Conversely, if makes the incorrect choice, the screen turns red and he receives no treat.  More amazingly, as the test progresses in difficulty, Guinness demonstrates that he can make choices through the process of elimination.

The program also showed the case of Sue and her dog Mabel.  It seems that Mabel knows when Sue is on her way home.  Minutes before Sue’s arrival, Mabel sits at the door waiting for Sue.  The scientists attribute this to several factors, including the superior hearing of dogs.  They learn and memorize the unique cadence of our footsteps and take other clues from the environment that they then associate with our arrival.

I have experienced this first hand with my female Schnauzer, Buttons.  She seems to always know when I am returning home - way before I get into the house.  Bow and Buttons might be communicating with each other - his favorite spot is the front room window and maybe from his reaction, Buttons knows that ‘mommy’ has been spotted.  Or maybe she hears my distinct waking pattern or the jingle of my keys — it could be all of this.  I just know that when I get within a certain distant from the house, Buttons starts the ‘mommy is home’ wail; I hear her before she sees me.  I swear that dog can smell me coming home a mile away (and maybe she does!)

For me, it really doesn’t matter what can or can’t be proved or measured scientifically.  I know how my dogs feel and what they are communicating.

Yes, maybe I am just one of those crazy dog people; I actually talk to my dogs.  My communication with them is beyond the simple commands of ‘sit’ and ‘stay.’  For instance, when we go in the backyard, if I forget to put the doggy gate in front of the backyard door and Bow hears someone enter the house, he pushes open the door to get inside.  Once inside, he can’t open the door to get back out to the yard.  I hear his distinctive (‘I’m stuck in the hallway, let me out’) bark and will tell Buttons to go open the door for Bow.  She trots over to the backyard door and pushes it open with her paw so that Bow can rejoin us outside.

Another example is when Buttons brings her toys outside to the yard.  When I am ready to go back inside, after playing with the other dogs, Buttons often forgets her toy and has left it lying about somewhere in the yard.  I tell her to go get her toy and bring it back inside.  She then searches around the yard, finds the item and brings it back inside.  My motto is, ‘you brought it out and you bring it back in.’

Is this intelligence or is it merely training?  Actually to me it doesn’t matter.  I got tired of picking up doggy toys that got left behind in the yard, now it’s her job.  Maybe I take my dogs’ intelligence for granted; I know they’re smart.  But if they really want to impress me, they can start by balancing my checkbook.