Sit, STAY…

Dogs are funny, aren’t they? We, as humans, are expected to train these mammals to obey certain basic commands so that they become upstanding members of society. They should be able to “sit” and “stay” and do a few other things of that nature.

But what really happens after years of sharing your life with an animal (or three)? What do they know or hear or understand? Most mornings when they wake me it really is time to start my day. It’s up and at ‘em time but not on weekends. In most cases I can go back to bed.

This morning was one such example. I could go back to bed. We went through the usual “go out, get fed” ritual but then when my boy was ready to jump back into the sack for some extra shut-eye with his daddy (yeah, we’re mommy and daddy, make something of it, I dare you; we’re mammals, they’re mammals, and they were adopted, so there). I let him in the bedroom so I could take care of some (ahem) personal things before returning to bed. When I walked into the bedroom there was my boy, comfortable with his body where mine should be and his head on my pillow. Cute, sweet, but in my way because I could actually lie down again and dammit, that was my goal. .

I took one look at him, rolled my eyes and said, “Tugg, really? Move somewhere out of MY WAY.” Sure ‘nuff, he scooched over so I could snuggle in without disturbing his post-breakfast nap. .

How do they know? Does he understand my words, my eye-rolling, can he read my mind? .

Dogs know more than they’re sayin’, because they aren’t (technically) saying anything. Just today I read (actually watched) about the find of more than $2 million US dollars in some phone cable headed to Venezuela, who found it? A dog. Dogs can find cancer, detect a seizure, sniff out drugs and diabetes but we treat them like they’re some kind of idiots simply because they can’t say, “yo, you shouldn’t eat that, you’re on track for some serious Type 2 diabetes by next year this time.” Would we listen to them as attentively if they COULD say that? I think not. I think they know better which is why they have their own sneaky way of communicating with us. .

If they just blurted things out like we humans do they wouldn’t be taken as seriously as they are for their more covert communication style. .

Pay attention folks, that dog is talkin’ to YOU!