Do you think dogs have expressions?
I do.
Brodie laying on the couch the other night; I just looked over at him and said “you need to lose a few L-B’s” meaning pounds. He looked at me like “F-U Lady”. This dog has some wild expressions, he can look at you and with the gaze of his eyes and the tilt of his head communicate so many messages:
- F-U
- Are you crazy?
- What are you thinking?
- Give me what I want.
- WHY are you making me do that?
- I’m such a well behaved angel.
- Throw the ball again.
- I’m looking for trouble….
I’m looking for trouble
It is almost endless the ‘looks’ that he can give and the messages he can convey with the power of his eyes. I would suppose the same is true of humans, but it strikes me as funny coming from a dog. There is much controversy regarding if animals can actually ‘feel’. My personal opinion is yes, BUT it is more than just feeling. They can express their feelings through non-verbal expressions.
The bigger question: do dogs understand conversational language?
Did Brodie really understand my words and think I was calling him fat when I said he should lose a few pounds? I am less sure on that question. Maybe over time they learn more than commands and key words, they learn how to interpret our conversational language. Different topic for another time….
brandinarvaez
Living with a Labrador 