So how often do our favorite pets go unheard? My guess is that this happens more than most of us would like admit. The problem is that dogs speak a different language than humans. We humans have to work pretty hard to understand what our furry friends are saying.
If you need proof that dogs send subtle and hard-to-interpret messages, try this on for size. According to research done by Turid Rugas, dogs have about thirty “calming signals.” These are signals used in the wolf pack (back when dogs were wolves) to say “OK, guys, can’t we all get along? Let’s calm down.” One of these signals occurs when a dog quickly lips its nose with its tongue. This may be a sign that the dog is feeling some stress and is either trying to calm itself, or it is asking you to “cool it.” If you walk directly toward a dog and make eye contact, a dog might use this calming signal. Such a direct approach makes a dog nervous; they prefer more of a circular or sideways approach.
One of my favorite stories from “My Doggie Says…” illustrates how hard it can be to interpret a dog’s communication.
One day, on our morning jog, we ran past the local newsstand to buy four copies of a newpaper because it contained Barbara’s (my wife’s) picture. I rolled up the four copies and we started to run about a mile back to our home.
After a few minutes, Jamie looked back over her shoulder at me. She made eye contact, and it was clear that she was “saying something.” We talked about it, and Barbara suggested, “I think she wants you to pay attention to her.” So I stopped and gave her a big doggie ear-scratch. And on we went.
But Jamie wasn’t satisfied. We went through the doggie ear-scratch thing again, and then we looked at each other and said, “Jamie doesn’t just want attention; she wants to carry the newpapers!”
I gave her the roll of newpapers, and she ran proudly and happily the rest of the way home. After all, she was a Golden Retriever.
Our present Golden Retriever, Callie, sends lots of messages, too. Recently, she’s been using her voice to try to communicate with grunts and snorts. It’s almost as if she’s trying to talk people-talk. Sometimes, the message is pretty obvious — like saying at 2:00 a.m. “I need to go outside to pee.” But sometimes we just can’t figure out what she means.
I have a little list of Callie messages that I’m still trying to understand.
It’s great fun to try to understand your dog’s messages. Some are very subtle, like the calming signals. Some are pretty obvious like a wagging tail, or perky ears. But dogs send a lot of “action messages.” They do this by just doing something. You’ve probably seen your dog do this. Out of nowhere, it does something a little unexpected — or maybe very unexpected.
If it’s not obvious, you have to ask yourself, “Why did Rover do that? What’s he trying to tell me?” It’s fun to interpret these messages, and your dog will be very appreciative. It will probably be a better adjusted dog, too, because it knows your trying to understand it and meet its needs.
