Dog Speak
Dog lovers know that their dogs have special ways to communicate with them, and other dogs. While they don't use words, dogs do share a common language that we can understand. Barking, growling, chuffing and howling are all ways that dogs talk. I've seen videos on TV showing dogs who had learned to produce sounds like, "Mama," or "I love you." The cute dogs had no idea what they were 'saying,' but they knew it got them a lot of attention, and treats.
Barking. It can drive humans crazy. Dogs have a huge variety of barks to 'speak' to us. When my dog wants something, he'll begin with a soft chuffing sound. If I ignore that he'll try a yip, that will lead to a louder bark, until he gets my attention. When I hear a high pitched frantic bark, it means trouble. It can be a frightened dog, perhaps the start of a territory battle, or male dogs getting ready to do battle over a female in heat.
A dog will bark if they see, smell or hear something strange. They bark if they are bored, lonely or because there is a cat on the fence looking at him. They can and do bark happily for hours. I had a hound that used to sit on his rear outside when the moon was full and bright. He'd bay at it until I'd drag him into the house to shut him up. Working dogs bark to herd other animals, to signal their owner, or bark when working as rescue dogs. Dogs will bark while playing, or yap to the dog two miles down the road. They bark, we speak, it's the same thing.
Growling is another form of communication. Who hasn't been enchanted when puppies are pulling on a rope, and growling. Adult dogs do the same. If I am in the house, and my dog gives a low rumbling growl, I don't ignore it. He hears something outside that in his mind may be a threat or something is intruding on his territory. Most dogs will growl before they bite. Growling that escalates, getting louder then breaking into barking is a dog who is afraid and intimidated, and will fight if need be.
I have a friend who raises Husky's. They seldom bark. They howl. All of them together. It only takes one to start, the others join in. If they hear a coyote or wolf wailing, it will set them off. In town, if my small dog hears a siren, it triggers him to sing. He can point his nose in the air and Awrooo, with the best of them. There is a lonely dog three blocks from my home. He sings off and on all day. My dog likes to add his vocal powers to the poor dog who is howling, wanting company.
I adopted a large dog from a pound. She dragged me out to the car, threw herself in, we drove away and all the way home she scared me silly. Her jaws kept snapping, open and shut. I could see how big her teeth were. She chuffed, snapped, growled and barked the entire 80 miles it took to get home. It didn't take me long to figure out that it was her high spirited way of "saying" she was happy.
No matter how your dog chooses to speak to you, barking, growling, chuffing, snapping, singing, or howling they are talking to you. If we listen, we can hear what they are saying, and sometimes for fun, howl along with them, bay at the moon if the mood hits you, or bark. If nothing else its just sheer fun!
