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December 29, 2006
Canine linguist
I'm sitting on the couch, chatting with the wife, the animals scattered throughout the room: Pepper the cat half buried beneath the blanket on the wife's lap, Squeaks asleep on top of the kitty condo, Bogie sitting by my feet.
The dog gets up and puts his muzzle on the keyboard of my laptop, then sits, looking at me, then the wife, listening to us talk.
As I glance at him, I use the word "give" in a sentence, and suddenly Bogie whips his head around and locks eyes with me, staring intently into my eyes. His pupils are dilated and his concentration is complete.
I start laughing, amazed at his cognitive abilities; he knows the words "treat," "ride," "ball," and the names of his toys: Sheriff Bob, Mean Kitty, Kong, Leo the Lion, Bear Head, Boney-Bone, and the classic, Weiner Dog.
But this is something different. We've taken to spelling "treat" around him: "Do you think the boy should get a t-r-e-a-t?" If the time is right, I'll tell him, "Bogie, should I give you a treat?" He then licks his chops and trots over to the cupboard, where we keep the vittles.
Apparently, he's come to associate the word "give" with "treat," which seems to lend credence to the theory that dogs have the language skills of a two-to-three-year-old human child -- at least as to comprehension.
Which brings me back to Bogie staring at me with an unblinking gaze, a result of me saying "give."
I'm laughing, and he's not reacting to the laughter, not moving a muscle (except for his tail), trying to work some sort of canine-Jedi mind control. I finally catch my breath and ask, "Would you like me to give you a ... " He leans in a little, waiting for the magic word. " ... Treat?"
He licks his lips, and I'd swear I see him smile at the weak-minded suggestibility of his human, as he trots over to the cupboard to retrieve his snack.
And, well trained owner that I am, I obediently follow him, using my opposable thumbs to retrieve and open the box, handing Bogie the treat that I decided -- on my own! -- to give him.
Life is never dull with a dog.
Posted by Mike Lief at December 29, 2006 09:51 PM
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Comments
Commentary on three-year-olds aside--I invite you to have a conversation with my three-year-old at your convenience--that's an adorable story. :)
Posted by: Anwyn at December 31, 2006 08:30 PM