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Attentive owners heed pets' messages -
Some actions speak louder than barks
June 12, 2008
We can't speak the same language as our pets, but it's amazing what
they can communicate to us by their actions, if we really listen,
and, more importantly, if we really observe them.
A friend I'm pet sitting for provided me with the necessary laundry
list of information that any pet sitter should know: how much to
feed, when to feed, where to place the bowls, location of treats and
when and how many times they require bathroom breaks. She also
shared a behavior road map that she's gleaned from listening and
observing her pets.
There's a particular bark that her Chihuahua emits when she needs
assistance getting off the bed. She also pointed out that if her dog
is barking and reclining on the bed at the same time that means
"It's time to go to bed, so what are you waiting on? Come snuggle
with me, now."
Of course that's an amusing message we could all enjoy, but there
are other messages our pets send that some owners overlook, to the
pet's detriment. One such message that I see evidence of all too
often at animal shelters is the message that dogs who continually
run away from home express, especially as spring and summer
approaches. They are either saying that they require much needed
exercise or, as is so often the case, they are not spayed or
neutered and are seeking mates. They are seeking interaction,
attention and socialization.
We recently had a great Dane/shepherd mix enter our shelter door
four times in as many months because he was escaping from home. He
desperately desired exercise and wasn't neutered. With each escape
he was at risk of being injured or worse by heavy traffic.
Ultimately his owner grew weary of paying fines to redeem him, and
this lucky dog ended up neutered and happily in a new home with an
attentive owner.
Other messages are painfully poignant. Cats that enter animal
shelters simply because their owners can no longer tolerate their
house soiling are trying to communicate one of several possible
messages. Either that their litter box needs to be cleaned, that
they may not be feeling well and have some physical ailment or
simply that they require more attentiveness on the part of their
human guardian.
Our animal companions' actions speak volumes. They need us to listen
and hopefully understand.
-
Gloria Dauphin
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