When I asked my son what I should write about today, he said he wanted me to write about how Penny (my beagle, that Jimmy thinks is his) scratches on his bedroom door to get in at night. We started talking about how dogs talk to us, which of course Jimmy pointed out that they cannot do. The more we talked the more I was convinced I could come up with at least ten ways our dogs communicate, so here goes.
10. Scratching on doors to get in
9. Pawing at us to get us to pay attention
8. Nudging our elbows to get petted
7. Bringing a “prize” (e.g. dead animal) to show us what good hunters they are
6. Cuddling with us to cheer us up
5. Wagging their tails to let us know they like whatever is going on
4. Sitting down & digging in their heels when they don’t want to go into the vet’s office
3. Putting their tails between their legs to let us know they are scared
2. Jumping up to welcome us home. (Maybe that’s only at my house, where the dogs are poorly trained!)
1. Looking at us with those big brown puppy dog eyes to let us know they want whatever we’re eating
How do your dogs communicate with you?
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Our E. setter will put her head on my husband’s leg at the dinner table and just stare at him with her big brown eyes. If she knows we are leaving to go somewhere and she is outside,if we try to get her to come in she will just become a limp dishrag on the ground. She has also been known to jump in her pool and get wet so she doesn’t have to come in. She also is known to do things she knows she shouldn’t when I get on the phone!
MY beagle, Brittany, gets down from “her” couch, comes over and just stands and looks at me when it’s time to A: fix her supper or B; make her “last call” (duty walk) usually just be fore l0 pm. If I do not deign to look at her, she’ll move to where she believes she WILL be in my sight line. If I feign “dozing” then she comes and puts her paws on my right knee. She takes the same position immediately after her supper with expectations of a couple of her favorite treats.
When she really does NOT want to go out into the deep cold, she will flop into her poof bed under the coffee table. But when it IS time to go out, it is amazing how absolutely “boneless” she is as I attempt to put on her boots. (protects her from salt on the sidewalks.) Otherwise, she generally ignores me; our relationship is just the last 3 1/2 years of her approaching 13th birthday in March. Still, in this tiny 440 sq. ft. 1 BR apartment, she MUST be within eight feet of me in whatever room I am. Usually looking like “Eeyore.”
We have 5 dogs we share our home with and have seen them all do the things you listed, to communicate with us.They also like to push their water dish around the kitchen floor to let us know if it’s empty. One of the hounds will also push his way through the bathroom door in the morning and just stare at me as I am getting ready for work-this tells me he is out of food or water-no words necessary!!!