Do you know what your dog is telling you?

Andie does not bark at the usual post woman but he does bark when a different person is delivering the post.
He is not clever enough to recognise a post person's uniform yet.

Frank

Maximum Dog decided that his role in the pack was guard dog, once he had got to grips with not being pack leader. He then developed different barks to be emitted when someone touched the front gate: i) a friend is about to walk up the path; ii) someone we know and tolerate but isn't a close friend, e.g. the postman or doctor, is about to walk up the path; iii) pay attention – a complete stranger is approaching us.

I think all dog people know what their dogs are telling them, it s just an intuition - they can tell you straight forward things - my bowl is empty, I need a pee, dads car is coming, but also they seem to know your moods, just like ninathenana said

The mongrel we had at the time was never interested in my mum and vice versa. They tolerated each other.
The evening my father died we brought mum home to stay with us. Mum was sitting in the arm chair when the dog went and sat on her foot, rested his chin on her lap and looked up at her. The next day he went back to ignoring her.
Our cat can tell the time, she could be asleep for hours but will wake almost to the minute of 5pm and tell me it's dinner time.
She can also detect the sound of DH sharpening the carving knife. Even if she's at the far end of the garden.

I admire Cesar.

Yes, we have that one too, Frank .

When she needs the toilet Maggi stares meaningfully at either me or DH and then goes to the front door. Being a bright little thing, though, she's learned that if she fancies a run round in the garden, she just has to pretend to need a poo. We're trying to counter that by taking her out on the lead & not letting her play until she's done her business, but it's led to a few standoffs.

Andie has just bought his water dish in so I know what he wants.
I half filled it this morning but I will give him some more.
He has got some food in his other dish.

Frank

That is interesting. Maggi gets hugely excited whenever one of us gets home & my instinct is normally to pick her up & give her a cuddle because, well, when this adorable little ball of fluff is so thrilled to see you....

I must try to start ignoring her for a bit first.

If my whippet doesn't get as many walks as she expects she pees on the utility room floor instead of going outside into own part of the garden [which is larger than my part of the garden]. Then she gives me 'the look'. [and I give her 'the look' back]....

That's interesting. My daughter's lovely Jack Russell jumps up a lot when she first sees me. It's a problem because she has sharp little claws which scrape down my legs. I shall try to ignore her from now on until she calms down.

Is there any more information like this?

glam I think I've posted about this before, but our beloved Labrador would leave her usual spot on the verandah and take up position at the gate to welcome my husband home when he turned in to the final corner to get to our house - nearly 2 blocks away! We worked this out from the timings, because he didn't come home at the same time every day, so she had to know when to go to the gate from how long it took for him to get there from when he turned in to the "top road".

My daughter has conversations with her cat, and relates to me exactly what Mia Ow is telling her.

Typo , LOL .

Glam , OLL!!!

I also find Cesar Millan fascinating in his approach when,Barney can tell us when the chicken is ready to come out of the oven and can let you know when his dad is coming down the Road before he even gets to the garden gate he can tell you when Postie is on his way as he is sitting waiting behind the door to catch the letters,to-day he is not talking to anyone as he has been sulking due to him having his very first visit to the beauty parlour,but he does look yrs younger sort of a fat sausage on skinny legs