Dogs talk to us but you need to study their language to understand them. Fermo tells me it isn’t as difficult as you may expect.
A recent study has finally looked at whether we’re listening to everything that dogs are telling us and the results were very interesting,
Your dog is sending you signals constantly — but do you know what all of them mean?
Specific signals
It turns out there are 19 specific signals that dogs use to communicate with us. Here are a few that are pretty obvious to any dog parent.
#1 Pawing at the door
If your pup is pawing at the back door, they probably want to go outside.
#2 Whining near their dog bowl
Whining next to their bowl? There’s a good chance they’re hungry.
Some surprise ones
#3: Licking you repetitively
If your pup loves attention, you may have already guessed that most dogs use this signal to say, “scratch me.”
Is your dog smothering you with kisses? Chances are they’re looking for a little extra love themselves. Try giving them a good scratch!
#4: Placing one paw on your arm or leg
Dogs use this signal most often when they want to play with their favourite toy.
So if you feel your pup’s paw gently tapping, they may be inviting you to drop what you’re doing and have some fun!
#5: Sitting with one front paw in the air
By far, the majority of dogs use this gesture to ask for food or water.
When you spot this signal, keep an eye out for an empty water bowl.
Amazing
It’s amazing that even though they can’t talk, dogs can use their bodies to tell us what they need.
This ability is very rare in the animal world. It’s been only observed in apes, crows, some very special fish, and… you guessed it, dogs.
That means we can confidently say that our beloved pups are some of the smartest creatures on Earth!
So make sure you take the time to check out the signals your dog is sending.
After all, our pups are working hard to let us know how they feel — now it’s our turn to listen!
P.S.
The study also found that most dogs have their own unique signals for “speaking” to their parents. Do you and your pet have your own language?
Fermo and Richard
