The Language of Dogs

Dogs and their owners share a very special connection if they are bonded together early. People who acquire a companion animal that has been in a shelter can also find this bond given the opportunity when first together as well.

Some breeds are naturally smarter than others according to statistics, but it appears that any beloved pet who spends time with their companion person will show great emotional intelligence when interacting with their person.

I would like to think that gone are the days when dogs were left tied out all day long or lived outside and only interacted with their owner sporadically. For the most part, I have seen this is true, but I am reminded daily of abuse at the hands of owners and other pack animals of the weak and infirm. Often, we have seen people excited about adopting a new pet and adding them to a family, only to hear of them being left at the animal shelter due to the inability of the owner to care for them properly. Worse still, we see people leave puppies on the sides of the road, near dumpsters, or even ditched out a window on a highway. The people that can do this to a loving animal need a lesson in compassion and understanding. There is no more loving compassionate presence than one of a companion animal.

So, what is this language of which I am speaking that dogs have with those who love them? There is nothing more exciting to me than to speak to my animals as though they are people, telling them to wait, to relax and that they are good pets. We develop a kind of telepathic connection with these creatures that has even transcended the grave. For instance, once in a reading with a psychic who did not know me, or my past, she informed me that a little corgi was sitting beside me to my right. My darling corgi had passed in 1998 after she was riddled with cancer. She was one of my angels in fur.

I have a kind of understanding with my older dog, the one who is deaf, who has heart issues, and many other maladies, including cancer. I communicate with hand signals, even though she never learned them in her youth. She also has only to look at me squarely in the eye and I will "channel" what she is thinking. She does not like the younger dogs and is often rather pissed off they are so inconsiderate. She also seeks me out for comfort when she is not feeling well and will keep me in her limited sight. A few weeks ago she was suffering from a type of kennel cough and I thought it was more of a congestive heart cough. I have a large bean bag chair and have been sleeping on the floor with her at my side. From what I have felt from her demeanor, she has been grateful to me for my sacrifice. She snuggled close at my side, which is something she has not done in a long time, and she nudged me as I slept. It was a language I well understood. "Thanks mom, I needed you there.."

It is not difficult to listen to the language of your dog. All you need do is to release the practical feelings of impossibility and be open to the bliss of the canine. Their lives are in the moment, uncomplicated and blissful. They are free of guilt, and look to you for comfort when they have fear. My big ole lab is a baby when it comes to fireworks, the vacuum cleaner and other noises, but she is the alpha dog on many other occasions. She wants me to know she is not able to handle everything! She is after all a soul who needs to be comforted at times too!

Listen intently to the beauty of the breathing dog, watch them immersed in their dreams as their paws "run" in the grass, and welcome their loving licks in the morning as you rise. There is a sense of bliss in their communication and a curiosity in the way the world works...as they cock their head and try to make sense of what you say. Who listens to you as intently as that? Not many, I can assure you!