I am no dog whisperer. I am just an ordinary dog owner who confesses that his three canine children often baffle him when attempting to communicate. I don’t speak “dog” despite having been an owner most of my adult life. I am certain that I have frustrated my dogs over the years as they have attempted to “talk” to me . . . especially in times of urgency. I wish I could speak “dog” or any other animal language, but I have a difficult time even mastering human language . . . at least in speaking it properly. Yeah, there are times I wish I could speak with the animals. But I don’t and thankfully my furry buddies have been patient and loving in accepting my deficit.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could be like Dr. John Dolittle? Remember him? He could talk to animals. At least that is what Hollywood wants us to believe. The truth of the matter is that Dr. Dolittle doesn’t exist. Despite that fact, it made for some semi-tolerant movies over the years. Actually, it was first a musical that was made into a film in 1967 based on a series of children’s stories written by Hugh Lofting. Maybe you had to learn the song in elementary school like I did . . . If I Could Talk to the Animals. Here is Bobby Darin’s version of the song. Even in my golden years I can still remember some of the lyrics.
But . . . I cannot speak any version of “animal” and especially not “dog”.
Yet, there is hope. I stumbled upon an article by Dan Fitzpatrick titled, Understanding the Meanings Behind Common Dog Behaviors, on the Internet. According to the author of the article all of those bizarre, cute, and irritating behaviors displayed by dogs actually are more than that! All those peculiar behaviors are forms of communication . . . there is purpose behind those actions. Thanks to Mr. Fitzpatrick, I have a little better understanding of what my three furry buddies are attempting to let me know.
I also want it to be known that I am not a complete dolt when it comes to understanding my dogs and their attempts to communicate with me. For example, our Borgie (Border Collie and Corgi mix) brings me a toy . . . well, she wants to play. She does this quite often and mopes when I don’t respond immediately to her advances to play. The two of us have put quite a few miles on her frisbees.
I also know that our Borgie, Birdie, likes to lean on me and that there is a reason for that. I appreciate her leans at the end of a long day at work and she greets me by jumping on the bed and leaning on me. Birdie is a “hugger” and leaning is how dogs “hug”. Now when it comes to humans, I am not a “hugger” . . . it takes me a long, long time to work up to hugging folks. With Birdie it is wonderful, and she can’t seem to get enough of it. Maybe she can teach me something . . . if I ever lean on you just consider it a hug. At least it would be a start!
Scooting . . . you know what I am talking about. That embarrassing behavior of the dog dragging its butt across the carpet. It seems that the only time the dogs want to do that is when there is company sitting in the living room. I know what scooting means! It is an itchy butt! You gotta scratch an itch when you got one. Since their paws can’t reach their rear end . . . why not a scoot across the carpet. It works and I can’t blame them. Shoot! There have been times when I had an itch and a good scoot across the carpet would have worked wonders. Whatever the case, I understand what the dog is conveying.
When it comes to speaking “dog” I am not a complete idiot. I do know some parts of the canine language, but there is so much more to learn. As I was reading through the article, I kept having these little epiphanies of “Oh, so that’s why she does that!” I was enlightened . . . a little more in touch with my wild side.
For example, I need to change how I take my pups licking me. All three of the pups tend to want to lick my face and hands. I know I am a sloppy eater, but they take licking to the next level . . . dog slobber to the utmost! You see I thought they were licking me because I had some sort of food scent on me, or they liked the lotion I used on my face. And that might be the case, but I do know I am more hygienic than that. I wash up. The case is that it has nothing to do with any food on my face or hands. Nope, it is a “sign” of letting me know that they come in peace. All these years I just thought I was tasty.
I also learned that there is a passive aggressive streak in “dog talk”. It seems that they can get away with it where we humans get called to task if we do it. Lots of times that is what it means when a dog yawns. Yawning is often related to being tired, but it can also mean that the dog is bored and noncommittal in a situation. Indirect communication, that is what that is. Did you know that our dogs also communicate with us when they roll around in stinking stuff? Yeah! Whenever a dog comes upon an interesting smell, no matter how stinky, it rolls in it. It rolls in it because it wants to share it with its family. Guess what? We are the dog’s family. Lucky us! This is a way of sharing something with us. Our two Dachshunds are notorious for sharing like this.
Birdie likes to tilt her head when I am talking to her. Cutest thing in the world! The truth of the matter is that she is attempting to understand me. I get that look from a lot of people, so you think I should have known this. But I am clueless. She tilts her head so she can hear and see me better to understand. She also likes to narrow her eyes at me, it is not because she is focusing on me and what I am saying. Nope, she is attempting to establish herself as an intimidating force. Then she yawns and dismisses me. Enough is enough.
If scooting is offensive to you, then I am certain that you are offended by butt sniffing. Apparently, the nose is a big part of “dog talk”. Through the nose the dog learns a lot whether they are sniffing butts or the air. Whenever we take walks, the pups have to read the “pee mail”. Not only do they read the “pee mail” they also leave messages for those who follow. It is a form of communication. Butt sniffing . . . a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times better than any human’s and they use that to interpret information. It helps them identify other dogs, their wellness, reproductive information, and emotional state.
“Dog talk” is bigger than I ever imagined . . . and important. Especially if you have dogs. Who doesn’t want to have a healthy, intimate relationship with their canine friends? I know I do. I know I want to understand my pups better. After all, they love me . . . they understand me . . . and they don’t hesitate to show it to me. I am licked. Leaned into, Laid upon. Sniffed. I am loved unconditionally by my pups, and I want them to know that they are too.
I am a long way from being able to converse with animals like Dr. Dolittle, but this article was a great first step in learning to communicate better with my dogs. I am far from being a “dog whisperer”. But I am getting closer. If you are interested in becoming better at understanding your dog or a better communicator with the pup, I suggest you Google the topic. Google will give you plenty to read and consider. It’s a start. I wish I had done this sooner. I also wish they would create a quick guide on communicating with other humans . . . especially the opposite sex. Dogs are easy . . . it is everyone else that throws me for a loop.
