What non verbal and unintentional signals does your dog pick up on? A big one here is me shutting the laptop. Tatze can be fast asleep but as soon as she hears the lid close, she's up. She knows I'm on the move when the laptop closes! Conversely, as soon as I sit at the laptop, she settles down. She knows there's nowt going for her while I'm on here - hehe!
Re: Signals Oh, just loads! She can work out exactly what sort of day it is from my morning routine (ie work, weekend or 'other') knows when to follow me around and when it's not worth it, all sorts of things. The one that had me stumped is when I was practising 'steadiness' for retrieves with dummies, and she would stay stock still for the throws I had no intention of sending her for, but would run in slightly ahead of my verbal command for ones I was going to send her for eventually. I finally caught on that I must have been raising my eyebrow or something, and had to practice my 'poker face' right up until the moment I told her to go!!! She's much more perceptive than any person I know, and on the evidence I see, verbal commands and indeed all sounds are a really tiny part of the information a dog processes, which is why I think humans and dogs sometime end up at cross purposes, with humans labelling dogs 'stupid' or 'naughty' when in fact they are nothing of the sort.
Re: Signals Stacks here, too. He is incredible. He is so good he seems a mind reader. We know we give ourselves away when it's time for Charlie's ear drops because he legs it - before we've picked up the bottle, or made a move towards a lead etc. he knows when we have agreed to do it. We are not sure what gives us away, but something does. We started using code words - the name of European cities but changing them each time. Didn't work. We tried agreeing before we even got that we'd do them at eg 9am, nope, 8.59am - he legged it. I think it might be our studious concentration on whatever we're doing in an attempt not to give ourselves away, that gives us away!
Re: Signals A classic one for us is OH putting the chopping board on the worktop in the morning to prepare his lunch. Off the bed and through to the kitchen like a shot!!!
Re: Signals Tatze is gorgeous! The DivaDog seems to know what's next by our every move .... suppose we are creatures of habit I think the old saying of a dog knowing every word said comes from their intense observations of their pet people
Re: Signals They are fabulous observers of human behaviour. Much better than us, I think! Beautiful photo of Tatze
Re: Signals Dexter morosely gets up from wherever he is and goes and lies down on his bed behind his gate with a massive flop down and accompanying sigh when he sees me pick up my handbag and keys during the day or when I come down in the eve and have high heels on....all indicating I'm going out and he is going to be left alone for a period of time :'( At any time of the day wherever he is and I talk to him or pat him as I pass his little tail goes 10 to the dozen in a blur of wagging but when he's got up and done his dejected flop,his tail stays resolutely still and will not wag for all the tummy rubs in the world.......make me guilty?you betcha!
Re: Signals Penny knows some really weird things - 1. The 'click' sound when you lock the screen of an iPhone - usually signals us putting the phone down to go do something and she HAS to follow me everywhere. 2. The theme music from the program 'House' - I'm currently in the middle of watching seasons 1-7 and as soon as each episode finishes and the music comes on she jumps up - I'm usually watching it in the evening before bed so when the program finishes it's bedtime. But she will do this to every episode - even if I'm watching like 4 in a row! 3. She recognises the sound of my OH pulling into the driveway and closing the gates - she can heard this when I can't so I know that when she gets up and goes to sit by the front door the my OH is about to come in. 4. The oven timer - whenever it goes off she jumps up, gives a little woof and runs to the kitchen and back as if to tell us the timer is going off. Actually quite handy when we can't hear it if the TV is up too loud!
Re: Signals I boil my own ham, then slice it on the electric slicer . Both dogs can be fast asleep but miraculously appear in the kitchen when they hear the sound of the slicer ;D They also recognise when they are coming out with us and when they are not , wellies and dog walking coat = woods ;D ;D Shoes and jacket = being left home The sound of the laptop being shut down is a hopeful sign , gardening shoes on means all outside ;D
Re: Signals [quote author=Dexter link=topic=5512.msg69773#msg69773 date=1398063447] but when he's got up and done his dejected flop,his tail stays resolutely still and will not wag for all the tummy rubs in the world.......make me guilty?you betcha! [/quote] I swear Charlie rehearses his "whaaaat?" "You are abandoning me again" face. In his crate, pile of kongs. He just watches, ignoring the kongs (or picking one up but not eating it) until I close the kitchen door. Argghhhh!
Re: Signals Thick socks for walking boots here. If they go on, it's definitely walk time and high excitement from both dogs, but if thin socks go on = dejection, slumped together in the last stages of clinical depression as clearly they are abused dogs and may be going to be left.
Re: Signals The click of the TV going off is the cue to jump up for a quick wander round the garden for a pee before bed.
Re: Signals When I come downstairs in my walking jeans Hattie knows it's game on and we're off for our walk so much excitement x
