Do you speak dog? The idea's not barking mad, say scientists

They are known as man's best friend and the British are famously dotty about them. But how can you tell if your dog is happy, lonely, anxious or sad?
The answer is in the volume, length and pitch of their bark, according to scientists who have developed a computer program that can translate woofs.
Complex algorithms developed by the researchers in Hungary can accurately predict a dog's sex, age and state of mind.

That's all well and good, that is if dogs just communicated with barks, growls, and whimpers. What about body language? From what I saw in the article, that's not even taken into account. It's like only having half a dictionary. Yes, I think it's cool that they're trying to translate what dogs are saying but by just going by sounds they make they're only doing half the job.

Source

a reply to: Skid Mark

I know my dogs. I know when they 're sad, as in when I leave, I know when they are silently jealous of another, when they think I forgot dinnertime, when they need just a quick head rub or ear scratch. One of my dogs is a very vocal Aussie. She talks. Sometimes it's spooky. My Patterdales are less jealous of my time and can self entertain.

They all communicate their needs and wants in just a look. And have trained me to respond accordingly!

a reply to: Skid Mark

The bark is not even half of their communication! They communicate more with body language than anything else. I like to do this experiment every once in a while and not say ONE WORD to the dogs for a whole day. Amazingly, they don't seem to notice any difference at all. They're watching my body language anyway, so adding words just confuses things...

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Agreed. They also respond to my look. They know what standing with my hands on my hips means...what my laughing with them means....oh, yes, lots of body language going on.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Exactly. I think if they want to do it right, they need a camera setup and a computer program to decode their body language. Not only that but facial expressions as well. Dogs pout, grin, and scowl, too.

a reply to: Ultralight

No matter how hard I've tried to resist, mine have trained me, too. What's worse is that they know they're cute so try to do all the things I think are cute if they want something.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
a reply to: Skid Mark

The bark is not even half of their communication! They communicate more with body language than anything else. I like to do this experiment every once in a while and not say ONE WORD to the dogs for a whole day. Amazingly, they don't seem to notice any difference at all. They're watching my body language anyway, so adding words just confuses things...

Man/dog I mean, you are all messed up..the other day you wanted to draw, now yuh think your're a cuman...oops, same theme I suppose. You need a decent bone to chew on.
It's a pity the scientists didn't do more on the body language, dogs are social creatures and interact in many ways, unlike a lot of pussys, they just sit there looking at you with two claws up in the air.
They are intuitive too, I know one guy who never used the word 'walkies' for his dog, he picked something in the vulgar, but if any other dog and owner was about and the word 'walkies' was used, diong..up went the ears of both dogs! see how they pick up different language.
Meh! I'm just talking doggergrowl, but it's true.

Footnote for the OP, (another bloody dog) you do that sliding on your arse bit in my house, I'll knock your pan in. Okay?
Oh! BTW And keep your teeth clean, cue the ad.

Wouldn't it be great if we could have a conversation with our dog? I think it would be absolutely hilarious!!! "You know I like pizza, how about getting rid of the terrible food you put in my bowl and give me more of the good stuff!" I can hear it now, a list of complaints...

originally posted by: WeRpeons

Wouldn't it be great if we could have a conversation with our dog?

I guarantee you everyone in this thread already does the voices for their pets.

a reply to: WeRpeons

I think the conversation would be mostly about food and treats. That is with mine at least. It seems to be all they think about.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Including you? Do you use an accent?

originally posted by: Skid Mark
Including you? Do you use an accent?

Of course.

The cat sounds like Stewie from Family Guy.

The one dog is George from Catcher in the Rye and the other sounds like her bratty personality.

I think most folks who are good with animals simply are good at picking up on body language. My dogs typically only bark for two reasons: 1) A stranger (definied as anyone they haven't seen in two days) comes near or in the house (until said person sits down, signaling that he/she is an invited guest) or 2) At another dog trying to get their spot, their food, or attention from the human they are with.

Usually a head turn, going to the door, certain looks, etc. communicate what they are trying to say. Even our cats get into the act, though have less to say. (other than feed me, pet me).

My bird on the other hand (a Malucan Cockatoo), has no problem saying what she wants in English. Favorite thing she does, is when I call for the puppies to be fed, she mimics it perfectly. *Click, click, click* "Puppies!". Others are "Feed the bird, feed the bird", "WaWa" (or close to it, means water), "Yum yum" (she wants some of what you are eating). Of course, she also has body language cues too.

a reply to: Gazrok

Mine talk to me like that too. If my oldest wants a hug she grabs me and pulls me closer. If her daughter wants one she grabs my arm and puts it around her. When I say grab, I mean with their front paws. They try to use them like hands. I'm glad they don't have thumbs.
Funny about the cockatoo. My mom had parrots and they were talkers. The African grey had a lot of words and phrases. He also mimicked the smoke detector if somebody came down the stairs. It was at the foot of the stairs. He only did it when he felt like it though.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

My dog smirks at me, It's subtle but I swear it's there!

They watch us, we watch them

a reply to: valiant

I've seen that with mine, too. We play a game that I call "show me" where I ask her where something is and she points with her nose. One time I asked her to show me where the cat was. The cat was right there. Way too easy. She pointed at the cat, looked at me and rolled her eyes, and smirked. Little smart ass.

a reply to: Skid Mark

lol that's too funny! Mine usually does it when I treat him or after we've been playing.

a reply to: valiant

People who don't have dogs can say that dogs are dumb all they want. People that have dogs know better. They know how to train people. Mine do.

I don't speak dog, beyond body language and tone. But I can say, without any doubt at all, that my dog at least understands English. And not just a few words - as scientists state. Even the puppy that has only been in the house for a month is already showing that she understands far more than a non dog-owner would believe.

As it happens I talk to my dogs just like I'd talk to a person. I mean, I don't sit down and have meaningful conversations with them or anything. But if they are in the same room as me I will frequently speak to them. The most common phrase seems to be "You know the treats are in the kitchen" when I catch them sitting at my feet and staring with that "Yo, tall thing - treats my man... TREATS" look on their faces.

Thing is that they understand what I am communicating. If not the words, then the idea at least. Because once I say it, they get dejected for a moment, and then wander off to lay down.

This applies to a lot of phrases and things.

God - maybe I do speak dog...

a reply to: Hefficide

Okay, I don't feel like such a weirdo now. I talk to mine like that, too. Just today I caught my youngest getting into something she's not supposed to so I told her, "If you keep it up you're going in your room and mom's going to get all the hugs." She looked at her mom, back at me, and then wrapped her paws around me and hugged me.