Talk To The Animals

 At tea time, when the dog, Jip, came in, the parrot said to the Doctor, "See,he's talking to you."
"Looks to me, as though he were scratching his ear," said the Doctor.
"But animals don't always speak with their mouths," said the parrot in a high  voice, raising her eyebrows. They talk with their ears, with their feet, with  their tails -- with everything. Sometimes they don't WANT to make a noise. Do you see now the way he's twitching up one side of his nose?"
"What's that mean?" asked the Doctor.
"That means, 'Can't you see that it's stopped raining?'" Polynesia answered. "He's asking you a question. Dogs nearly always use their noses for asking questions."  (from The Story of Dr. Doolittle, by Hugh Lofting)

During my college years, I majored at various times in English Literature, French and Anthropology. I finally found my way through Speech Pathology to Audiology - a science of communication. I am also the daughter of a veterinarian. So I come naturally, almost genetically, to an interest in animal communication.

I often wonder what my cat and dog discuss while I'm at work all day. I wonder what my dog, Tess, "hears" on the wind as she stands, stock still in the yard, smelling the latest news. I have seen my animals huddle in mostly silent communication in my kitchen, and then watched the cat slide the screen door open for the dog - and had the distinct feeling that the dog asked her to do it. I also spent a very sad night, years ago, sitting with my dog and watching my twenty year old cat pass from a coma into death. When it happened, my dog, who had lived with the cat for more than eight years, sadly licked her head, sighed, and then tucked her own big head unto my shoulder as we mourned together.

No one can convince me that there is not inter- and intra-species communication. We humans are just too carried away with ourselves to credit it.

Have you heard about Google's  'Animal Translator' app or the 'Doggy Translator' app? Here's a link to an amusing ad that shows you how they work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I24bSteJpw

The above photo was taken when I was traveling with a friend. As I waited to meet up with her, I was appreciating the  wizened face of the Golden Retriever who was enjoying the morning air on her stoop. The apparently cheerful little guy came bouncing along, and , I swear, I could almost "hear" the conversation as he stopped by for a visit. After a greeting and some brief gossip he continued along his way. When he passed back by on his way home later, they simply nodded and smiled, having had their conversation earlier.

Can you post some animal communication pictures in our Flickr pool today, and add a caption of what they might be saying?

I couldn't resist also adding the photo below taken by my friend, Terry Hood. That's me communing with the alpacas. I was having a good time -- I hope they were.....