RP251 Listening to Man's Best Friend

 RP251 Listening to Man's Best Friend

When we pull our lips back and show our teeth, we call it a smile, a sign of happiness. For dogs, it's a sign of aggression. Dogs and humans communicate well with each other, but our behavior is very different.

Humans and dogs are so connected that we use expressions about dog behavior to talk about ourselves. Someone who has "his tail between his legs" is feeling ashamed or afraid. Frightened dogs will have their tails between their legs. They will also have flattened ears, exposed teeth, and may be crouching. Poor things!

Friendly, curious dogs act a lot like humans. They pace or prance around. Their eyes are wide open, and their ears are perked up. Their mouths may be open with no teeth showing. This is like a doggy version of a smile. The big difference between friendly, curious dogs and humans is that dogs have a tail to wag!

Most dogs love to play. The invitation to play is clear. They bark at the dog they want to play with, then stretch their front legs out low in front of them while holding their back legs straight up in a normal standing position. This says, "Come on, play with me!"

Dogs also communicate with their voices. Dogs bark loudly and growl to show aggression or warn someone. Dogs whine when they are anxious and yelp like humans when they are hurt or scared. Hunting dogs will bay, a sound like a cross between a bark and a howl. That means "Follow me!" or "Come on guys!" Then there's howling. Wolves howl to announce their presence to others far away. Nowadays, domestic dogs rarely howl.

But when they do, it's for the same ancient reasons: to say "I hear you out there," or "I am here, this is my territory." Sad howls mean "Where are you? I'm lonely."

If you think animals have nothing to say, think again. Listen carefully to man's best friend. It's talking to you.