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Pets
communicate with the entire body
July 26, 2007
I've always been struck by the truthfulness of the cliché "the eyes are
the window to the soul," especially as it relates to our companion
animals. Some may debate whether our animal companions have souls; I'll
leave that debate for another day.
Nonetheless, what has always amazed me is how animals can convey their
personality simply by the expression they communicate with their eyes.
A photograph that hangs on the Louisiana SPCA's adoption success board
is a perfect example. Natasha is a classically beautiful canine with a
wolf-like face that was adopted from the shelter in July 2006. In a
recent photograph of her, her eyes reveal an almost regal beauty,
combined with intelligence, openness and confidence that radiates.
We connect with our animals, and them with us, on a daily basis. We
communicate with them through the tone of our voice and the words we
use. But what are the ways our pets communicate with us?
We've all experienced the alert ears, the wagging tail and a certain
turn of the head when pets tell us they want a treat, want to play, need
their water bowl refilled or that they're ready for us to turn off the
computer.
How many of us have walked into the house at the end of the day and
simply by looking our pet we realize that they've gotten into something,
even before we find the overturned trash can in the kitchen.
Body signals are how animals communicate with one another, so
understanding those body signals is one of the first ways we can
understand what they're trying to communicate to us.
Cats for example use three primary forms of communication, by
vocalization, body language and scent. The type of meow my cat Sylvie
vocalizes first thing in the morning -- telling me it's time to wake up
and feed her -- is very distinctive from the one she uses in the evening
when she wants to cuddle.
My tortoiseshell, Pepper, has a particular meow that she'll call out
seconds before she leaps on my shoulder.
Most of us learn to understand the various postures our cats assume to
communicate whether they're scared, happy, content or defensive. They
use every part of their body to display their emotion -- from the
position of the ears, the size of the pupils and the fanning out of
whiskers down to the movement of the tail.
Our canine companions also have unique ways of communicating with other
dogs and with us. A swift turning of the head to the side and back or a
head held to the side can signal that a dog is not comfortable. Some
dogs are uncomfortable when a camera is pointed at them, and this is
often the reaction you'll observe. Another interesting form of
communication in dogs is yawning. We yawn when we're sleepy, but yawning
in dogs is actually a classic calming signal.
When dogs yawn to one another they're communicating that everything is
OK. Dogs yawn to reduce their own stress and attempt to calm others. We
can use that technique in our communication with them; if we yawn at
something they find upsetting, it can calm or reassure them.
The ways we connect with our animal companions exist on many levels and
every day is a new opportunity to discover and learn new things about
them. It's a relationship that never grows old. It's all part of the
dance we call the human-animal bond.
- Gloria
Dauphin
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