Such good communicators!

[kimbersmom]

Do you have a story of how your lab communicates with you?

This morning, Kimber kept staring at me while I was going through my beauty regime in the bathroom. I finally said, "What's up? Show me!" and she immediately trotted into her crate, grabbed her empty little kong, and dropped it at my feet. What was amazing- I believe she wasn't trying to get a cookie for that kong because that's her bed time kong. No, she wanted me to go in the kitchen, get her big breakfast kong out of the freezer and give it to her. Which is what I did, much to her pleasure.

Could be coincidence, but she was so deliberate and she never, ever touches the little kong before bedtime, so I really think she was trying to say, "I want this, but not exactly this." Labs are amazing!

[Snowshoe]

I'm sure I could give several but right now all I can think of is a cat one. Is a cat one ok?

Years ago I taught Sam to beg. Easy, same as you do with a dog. Each am and pm he would prettily sit up and ask for his meal. But one day as I sat reading in the living room he came and assumed the begging, sit pretty position in front of me. Huh?????? Very strange. I looked at him, told him he was wrong, went back to reading. Sam spoke to me and when I looked he sat up again. So I got up and went to the kitchen but Sam went to the back door. He wanted out. He must have a had a little bathroom emergency and he needed out right away. And he came and used a trick he'd learned for another purpose to get my attention so he could alert me to his different need. Smart, huh? I consider myself very smart to have caught on to what he wanted. ;

[POPTOP]

It's amazing how they communicate with us.

Potion was my first experience with communication without words. It started the day I met her; she looked deep into my eyes, into my soul, and I knew we were meant for each other. From then on, just a look from one to another and I knew what she wanted and she knew what I needed. She was amazing. A certain look and I knew she wanted to go out to potty, another look and I knew it was close to mealtime. She gave me a completely different look when it was time to let her go. She gave me courage and peace with the devastating decision at the end.

Of course, Bandit, with his hearing loss took communication without words miles further.

Melody was completely different. There was a communication I cannot explain, not with eyes or action, it was just there.

Little Miss Hussy Mardi is totally different again. There are not as many silent communications as overt, outward, you are doing to do what I want because I'm the queen. There is nothing subtle about her, LOL.

Still working on this level with Archie. He reacts to a stern look and a smile, but the deep exchange of thoughts is not there yet. We're both still learning.

Wish I could quickly remember particular situations but it comes so natural now it simply a part of life.

[Sue-Ram]

One day Ram and I were going out for a walk and just before I opened the door he stopped and looked at the stairs, and I just automatically said to him "OK go and get it". He went upstairs and grabbed one of his stuffies and we headed out for our walk with the stuffie in his mouth. But before that day he had never taken a stuffie out with us and he hasn't done it again since that day.

As we headed out the door I was thinking, what the heck just happened, how did I know what he wanted? It really was a very strange moment, and I truly believe he knew it as well. There is no way to explain in words how connected I felt to him. BTW, he only carried it for a block, and then I had to carry it the rest of way.

[Jeff]

Hemi and I have lots of little conversations, I usually know exactly what he wants and he is not too subtle either. So for example, at agility practice, it took a long time for me to get him to lay down and not jump up and interfere with another dog running by. Not that he could just if a dog would run by he would jump up and sometimes yank on his leash. Well through time and patients and many treats when he was a good boy and stayed laying down as a dog ran past, now he makes me smile. Last night we were right by the A frame in the course waiting our turn. Hemi laid down there literally 2 feet from the bottom of the A frame and every time a dog came down the a frame and went by he would spin around, not getting up and give me that look like ok, where is my Good Boy Praise and treat. Sometimes he forgot about it but every time he did it I knew exactly what he wanted and why he deserved it.

I keep his tennis balls on top of the fridge. If left alone he will proceed to pick all the fuzz off the tennis ball and they are also the kong squeaky ones and he will pick out the squeaker. I always know when he want to play ball. He will come over stare at me giving me that look and when I ask what do you want, he will go over and stand by the fridge looking to the top of it, then back at me, looking to the top and back at me.

[shellbell]

Once at barn hunt practice, Tux found a tube and started pawing at it like he does when he finds a rat. Our trainer was very surprised b/c he never misses, and she said it was an empty tube. I tried to redirect him and he just would not let up on this tube, kept pawing and digging at it. Enough so that the trainer was inclined to double check, and sure enough there was a rat in there! She had forgotten that she had hidden two rats for us. Tux said, “I told you so”.

[POPTOP]

Well, wouldn't you know it, Mardi did it this evening. She was bugging DH for a treat after we ate dinner. DH said to her, what do you want? She promptly scurried off to the pantry door and returned. Of course, the treats are kept in the pantry.

[doubledip1]

Amazing how they communicate.

[arentspowell]

A few years MIL was watching Daisy for us. Daisy was trained to ring the bells to go out to potty but there are no bells at her house. The bedroom she was in had a dresser with the old fashioned brass pulls that hang down. She said Daisy started flipping the pulls up with her nose so that it would make a noise because she wanted to go outside!