Communicating With Humans

Different dogs find different ways to communicate with their humans.

Before Lindsay we had Jenny, a dog of uncertain parental background, nicknamed "Jenny Beagles" because beagle was one of the few breeds not likely to have been in her genetic makeup.

When Jenny's water dish was empty and we hadn't noticed, Jenny would bring this to our attention by scratching the bottom of the dish as if digging her way down to the mystical underground spring that she evidently believed fed the dish.

It was a simple straight forward form of non-verbal inter-specie communication.

Lindsay has a much more elaborate method of communicating the same message. First she barks at the back door to go out. Once we've let her out she immediately turns around and barks to be allowed back in.

This is annoying.

But, being patient and kindly owners, we let her back in.

Then, having captured our attention, she runs straight to her water dish and looks into the empty dish with evident disdain, before turning and looking back at us with blatant disapproval.

Where upon, feeling guilty, we fill her dish with water.

And long for the days of Jenny Beagles.