Posted on 01/05/2012 11:16:50 PM PST by expat1000
Dog lovers like to think it is their masterful voices that make their pets so keen to please. In fact, it is more complex than that – with eye contact playing an important role alongside spoken commands.
Scientists have found the animals pick up not only the words we say, but our ‘intent to communicate’ with them. In fact, dogs are as advanced as a two-year-old child in following eye contact, a study has found.
Who's a clever boy? Dogs have similar cognitive skills to babies, say researchers Jszsef Topal, of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, said: ‘Increasing evidence supports the notion that humans and dogs share some social skills. 'The way dogs work resembles that of a six-month to two-year-old child in a lot of respects.'
Dogs even watch how we make eye contact, to work out what we mean and why we are talking to them.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
“If they only knew....”
ping.
woof
Now that you mention it, I recall reading about service dogs that can sense an oncoming epileptic attack in their owners although sensing a growing cancer is even more impressive.
“She knows what I’m thinking. My wife on the other hand......”
Maybe that’s a good thing. Do we really want our wives to know what thoughts run through our minds?
Dogs are smart, and their vocabulary (understanding of it, LOL) is huge. And with multiple dogs, we’ve found they portray many human traits that you’d see among siblings.
On of ours recently had surgery, and had to be taken out on a leash every time he went out, to prevent him from doing too much running. Usually we just let them into the yard (it’s fenced.) So one day, after taking the male out on a leash everytime he had to go out, the female let us know she wanted to go out. I walked to the door and opened it, but she wouldn’t go out. I coaxed a little, still nothing. Then she walks over and noses the leash on the chair, and kept doing so. I put the leash on her and immediately she (guess I should say we) went out. I guess she thought the male was getting some special treatment by having the leash on :)
A friend of mine had three dobies. What one had, the other two had to have too. They are a lot like little kids in that aspect...
That is a very neat story! Thanks for posting it. It’s so true that dogs are insanely jealous of each other.
Thought you’d enjoy this one:
Why Some Men Have a Dog And No Wife:
1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.
2. Dogs don’t notice if you call them by another dog’s name.
3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.
4. A dog’s parents never visit.
5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.
6. Dogs find you amusing when you’re drunk..
7. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.
8. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, “If I died, would you get another dog?”
9. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.
10. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.
11. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don’t get mad. They just think it’s interesting.
And last, but not least:
12. If a dog leaves, it won’t take half of your stuff.
To test this theory:
Lock your wife and your dog in the garage for an hour.
Then open it and see who’s happy to see you.
Dogs have also been documented to sense when their owner’s body is ailing …
My late wife was epileptic, her little Pomeranian knew when a seizure was coming on before she did. If I was home he’d run and get me, if I wasn’t he’s meet me at the door and take me to her.
He also knew when she was near death. He had always slept snuggled up to her, even when she had to move to a hospital bed at home. That night he woke up, looked at her and ran to our bedroom, hiding under the bed. She died of cancer several hours later. He stayed under the bed for a couple weeks.
One time I watched a woman deal with her barking dog. She looked at it and said “Quiet, or you’re getting a bath”.
The dog didn’t make another sound.
My dog understands so many words it’s scary!
That must of been a difficult story to share. I appreciate you doing so.
It would seem obvious that dogs and all animals are alert to the reactions of those around them, starting with members of their own species but including others. Ever observe the sounds and behaviors of birds, squirrels, etc., when you walk into a yard? They all react and take cues from one another.
And of course use of their own eyes, and realizing when their companions see something and react, is key to animal survival. Including ours.
I would venture to guess...smarter than alot of politicians as well!
We have Weims, and our older dog has had Cushings these last couple of years. She's lived longer than we expected (because of meds) but she is often very hungry, especially in the middle of the night, even though we try to give her some food before bed. So when she wakes one of us up in the middle of the night, we know it's hunger (you can hear her stomach gurgling...it doesn't happen every night, but a couple nights a week.) Of course the minute the "big guy" hears her getting something, he's up and wanting somethng too. We give her plenty (because her weight is down)...we give him a "bite" and then they're both satisfied and back to bed. God forbid that you would give one dog something w/out giving it to the other.
And what we laugh most about is the jockeying for the "prime" spot on the bed while we're watching TV...the nearer they can sit/sleep to my husband the better. If one sees the other is in the "spot"...they'll go get a toy and try to entice the "spot taker" off the bed. Often it works, and when the "spot taker" jumps off to play tug of war with the toy, the "enticer" drops the toy and jumps into the spot. It works both ways, both dogs know the trick, but neither can seem to resist falling for it :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.