http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22689420/?GT1=10755Dogspeak-- software analyzed barks
Scientists are using computers to help people understand what their dogs are saying. Six different kinds of barks were taped:
1. barks for strangers coming to the house when the owner is away.
2. barks during fights at training schools when dogs are encouraged to bite the glove on the trainer's arms.
3. barks when owners behave like they are getting ready to take their dog on a walk.
4. barks when owners held balls in front of their dog.
5. barks during playtime tug-of-war type games
6. barks when owners tied dogs to trees in a park and walked out of sight.
Both people and computer programs identified the kind of barks 40% of the time, although computers were better identifying the barks for walk and ball, and people were better identifying play and alone barks.
Communication between people and their dogs was easier to study then communication between animals because at least we can understand from the start what people are intending to convey to their pets.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19228835/Other ways our pets try to communicate with us is with their tails, ears, fur and mouths. When they are happy and friendly their mouths are open with their tongue sticking out, this shows interest and curiosity. ( Could they be using their senses to taste, smell, see and hearing as clues to help them understand us as well? ) If they are concentrating they will close their mouth and look intently, blinking is friendly eye contact as opposed to staring.
Your pet may twirl when happy or excited. If they want a treat they may look at you and then the treat jar. If they need to go out they may sit in front of the door.
When I would stay up late my Missy would decide it was time for bed and sit in front of the TV and look toward the bedroom then back at me, if that didn't work she would give me a "hay" bark to make sure I was paying attention to her. I learned to just tell her to go on to bed if she wanted and I would be in later and she would then go off to bed. I would always talk to my dogs as if they did understand what I was saying. I think they did learn this way to understand what I was telling them. Once my Peanut had to go to the vet and have an abscessed tooth pulled. She had to stay overnight. When she woke up she started howling and wouldn't stop. I told them she would howl every time she was separated from me. Even when I would just go out side without her she would stand at the back door and howl until I came back in. They called me to come and get her, and when they brought her out to me, she made sounds that sounded just like " I missed you".. So I do think talking to them they do pick up what we are saying to them a lot more then what we give them credit for. I think many times we don't realize just how intelligent our pets are. We don't realize that they are trying to communicate with us. My Peanut was always a really good girl, she would always go to the door when she had to go out. One day she she started peeing right in front of me. My first thought was she was being bad and defiant, when actually she was trying to tell me their was something wrong with her, she was sick. When our pets start acting different then what they normally do we should try to figure out why they did something instead of just assuming they are "being bad". I had baby chicks in the house once that kept peeping, I didn't realize that they weren't warm enough and that is why they were peeping. My dog Fluffy did understand they were not warm enough and kept trying to get in the box with them. I thought he was "being bad". Until one day he did manage to get in the box with them and let them snuggle up to him to keep warm. The peeps were trying to tell me they were cold, I didn't understand but Fluffy did and wanted to help them and comfort them, he was acting more humane then what I was and showing a lot better communication skills then what I was.
One study on tail wags observed that dogs' tails wag more to the right when they feel positive toward a person or situation. That is interesting because in humans the left side of the brain, that controls the right side of the body, is associated with security, affection, and relaxation.
A slow, stiff tail wag is a warning. A confident dog or cat will carry their tails up, insecure dogs will have their tails tucked between their legs. To show interest dogs will perk their ears up and forward or lay them down to show fear.
Our pets give us warning signs and it is up to us to learn what they are saying, a fixed stare, flattened ears, flailing tail, fur standing on end or skin rippling under your touch, should tell you they do not want to be petted right then.
