Dog Talk

We have two dogs (down one from three). One is the Australian Cattle Dog, Cisco. And, the other one is the Australian Shepard, Rhode (pronounced "Roady").

Both Cisco and Rhodie are the most articulate dogs I've ever known.

Now, most dogs have a signature sound they make, but often the number of different sounds is very limited. Not with these two. And, they're both different. Over the years I've studied both of these turkeys, I mean, dogs and their vocal sounds. They're very consistent with their different meanings. I've compiled a list of their vocabulary:

Cisco

-Snort...Snort...Snort - I see something outside, probably a rabbit. He's not taunting me yet, but I see him.

-(muffled) woof...whine...whine - Definitely a rabbit. Can I go outside to chase it?

-(ultrasonic) whine...whine...whine - I can get him, Dad, I really can! Can I go out? **runs to the door, back to me, back to door**

-(muffled) whimper - Need to go outside to do my business, please. Thank you.

-(ear splitting) BARK!-BARK!-BARK!-BARK!-BARK!! - Are we gonna' go feed the cows now? Are we? Are we? How bout the 4 wheeler? Can we? C'mon, can we?? Truck ride??? Can I go? Pretty please with a cookie on top??? (this bark can be heard from a 1/2 mile away from inside the house, deafening!! Ears ringing loud)

-(loud, high tone) WOOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOOOoooo! - Sumthin's out there, Dad, on MY property, and it's BIG!! (coyote, deer, antelope, cougar, badger, skunk, etc.)

-(medium) WooorrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrmmmph **dash across house** **wiggle-wiggle** - A car or truck is comin', Dad, down MY road!! (usually from 1/2+ mile away)

- (LOUD and very DEEP) WOOOF!!!............WOOOF!!! (usually only two, maybe three) - DANGER CLOSE, DAD! REAL CLOSE!! (gang of coyotes, big buck stare-down) **frozen like a statue, ready for battle**

- (normal) GrrrrrrrrRRRRRrrrrrr **running at top speed** - Get back in there, Bull/Cow!! Don't mess with me, I'm FIERCE!!

Cisco seldom ever barks in general, but when he does, that's what they mean.

Rhode

Rhode is the most talkative dog I've ever known. He "talks" about everything. If you ask him a question, he want's to talk about it. We call him the "Wookie".

I'd write down his vocalizations, but they're almost impossible to write phonetically. Rhode sounds exactly like a "Wookie" from Star Wars. I'll try...

-(quiet) whimper, whine, wookie sound - I'd like to go out now, please!

-(normal) **wookie, wookie, wookie** (differing tones and inflections) - Just responding to whatever you're talking about, Dad (if I keep talking to him he'll keep wookie-ing back.)

(LOUD) Yawning WOOKIE **while stretching**, Whine, Whine, Whine - Look at me, and how modest I am. May we go feed the cows now? I would very much appreciate that. Thank you so much in advance.

(LOUD) BARK! BARK BARK BARK!!! BARK BARK!! - Intruder ALERT!! The ENEMY is coming! Prepare for WAR!! Dang it, now I have to come inside!

Rhode is probably the politest dog I've ever seen. He never begs and will only take food if you call him. He's also the most protective dog I've ever seen. No one is allowed near Mom or Dad. Period. No one is allowed on HIS property, except his brother and HIS cows! He's got a whole other language with the cows too, and it's a silent language. He's a "merle", so he's got one blue eye and one brown eye. He'll crouch down and stare the cows / bulls down with his blue eye, and they back up...now! We call it "Givin' 'em the 'Blue Eye'

They're both a hoot.

Do your critters have any languages?

I love it. Who would want a life without dogs?

My dog Bean scream whines when I am leaving the house. HE sounds like he's dying. It's a ploy to get me to pick him up to make sure he's ok and stay 30 seconds longer.

He also chuffs and puffs when he thinks someone is outside. You know... super scary like.

Everything else? He uses his eyes. And he is extremely successful at it. Walks around looking boastful most of the time.


I wouldn't take anything for him.

We just got a a new one yesterday. He's a 8 week old Mountain Cur/Great Pyrenees mix. The cuteness level is almost blinding.
When/if I can get him to slow down long enough to get some pics, I'll post a thread.

I've had different cats who used their voices in different ways over the years.

When I was growing up, I had a big tabby who was technically named Tommy, but since he had a gut, he got saddled with the nickname Belly Bone (long story there). He used to talk back and forth with you and had quite the variety of vocal sounds and tones, and he never, ever let you get in the last word. He also had a special call he made for ham. He LOVED ham, and he knew when you had it in the house and when you were opening up the fridge for it. It was like he was psychic. He would come running yowling a high pitched, "HAAAMMMMM! HAAAAAMMMM!" It sounded like he was actually saying it.

Then there was AC. He was a big black and white tux boy. He had the loudest voice ever. He was very, very vocal with that voice. He would complain, loudly, every time you left the house. When we lived in our apartment up here, we used to worry that our neighbors would complain because you could here him yowling clear out to the parking loud. He had the lungs to compete with some dogs. And if you thought that was prodigious volume when you left, wait until he was sitting at your feet with it. He was my good boy though, and I miss him dearly.

Today we have Peeps, Shazam, and DC. Peeps has the habit of making little chirpy sounds when she thinks, when she's anxious for food, when you pet her. They aren't really meows; they're just little chirps or peeps -- like her name obviously. Shazam has a quiet voice, but he'll greet you with a nice little meow, and when he sees a bird or squirrel in the window, he gets so excited, he's liable to chatter to himself. He will also ask to play fetch nice and politely. DC ... well, he only uses his voice for two things: to ask for food if he's desperate, and if you stepped on him. Even if he gets excited enough to chatter, he's quiet. He just snaps his teeth together.

I think I've mentioned this before, but I was talking with my mom, and she agrees that some of the saddest people on the planet are the ones who never take the time to notice how really different all animals are in their behaviors and personalities.

**EDIT**

I missed old Boney. She was the very first cat we ever had. She was indoor/outdoor. She never really used her voice, but one trick she developed to let us know she was ready to come in was sort of scary. She used to claw her way to the top of the screen door and then kick the lower metal part with her back legs. It made a loud crashing noise you could hear all over the house. It scared the bejesus out of us the first few times she did it, and we forgot to tell one poor babysitter about it. That girl never came back! Boney was a smart girl. She used to open all the cupboards, and she knew where mom stored her yarn and it was a running arms race keeping her out of it.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Yep. I have four Siberian Huskies. All of them are extremely vocal, stubborn, and demanding.

Max and his daughter, Tamar, are in your face, and have to have the last word.

Goliath the son, is more like Bellah, the mother. He is always innocent, (not), mumbles under his breath, and always wants to be the leader.

Maxx doesn't care, he defers to his son, enough for him to make a fool of himself, then Maxx comes to his rescue.

Even when they sing in unison, I can tell who is who, even when they change their pitch.

I have two kittens, eight months old, that have instilled themselves into the pack. Sylvester every morning walks around house, saying "Hello!". It is the only time he makes that sound.

When my mom locks Enoch from the bathroom, he says, "Ah Nana". Only time he makes that particular sound.

I think our animals are learning to speak our language.

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe
Who would want a life without dogs?

Highly untrustworthy people.

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe
I love it. Who would want a life without dogs?

My dog Bean scream whines when I am leaving the house. HE sounds like he's dying. It's a ploy to get me to pick him up to make sure he's ok and stay 30 seconds longer.

He also chuffs and puffs when he thinks someone is outside. You know... super scary like.

Everything else? He uses his eyes. And he is extremely successful at it. Walks around looking boastful most of the time.

I wouldn't take anything for him.

Does yours have the collapsed trachea cough? Ours does and the meds we've tried are only partially effective. I hate hearing him cough and gag like that.

This is literally my dog all day erryday:



He is a Shiloh Shepherd. He isnt very bright.

Hes got quite a range of noises though.

a reply to: HalWesten

He does it on occasion. Usually it's only when he's super excited. He's not on any medicine for it because thankfully it isn't happening often enough. Our last chihuahua had it more frequently. Along with the patellar luxation.

I hate to be "that person" (essential oils cured mysicknesses lol) but I have heard a lot of people discussing CBD for their dogs helping with the collapse and knees. I have not tried it, so I don't know if it works or not but there seems to be a lot of folks who think it does. Might be worth a shot if nothing else is working. Because yeah... That's a terrible thing to just have to sit and watch them struggle through.

Chi's are absolutley great though. They have a bad rep but they are all heart and couch potato.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe
Who would want a life without dogs?

Highly untrustworthy people.

I'd expand that out to pets in general. Anyone who doesn't understand the unconditional love a pet brings has problems. I can respect not having/wanting one because some people can't for various reasons, but flat out not thinking pets are worth it? That's just too much and suspicious.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I think the strangest noise i ever heard from a dog was from a friend's american bully that'd been raised in mexico. One day at my friend's place i start hearing this sound....the only way i can describe it is....

Like if zoidberg from futurama was screaming, while eating a rooster that was also screaming.

I've never heard a dog make noises like that. My theory is it was raised around chickens or something. It screams and crows like a dying rooster.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
My dog is a greyhound toy/fox terrier mix.
He will bark normally when he sees a stranger or he is outside and is ready to come back in the house.

But if I or my kids ask him to say 'Hi', he 'roos', which is a typical greyhound noise... a long, soft howl.

My ex boyfriend had a Basset that used to sit on your feet and growl at you when he wanted attention. Bassets have an amazingly deep growl.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Talking is for dogs that can't use mental telepathy. My dog just gives me a look and somehow I just seem to know what she wants. She has different looks for "I need to go out and pee", "I want to go outside and bark at the neighborhood", "I really need to go out, NOW!", "No dog food tonight, I want what you're having", and "Time to get off that computer and go to bed."

I'm a very well trained human.

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe
a reply to: HalWesten

He does it on occasion. Usually it's only when he's super excited. He's not on any medicine for it because thankfully it isn't happening often enough. Our last chihuahua had it more frequently. Along with the patellar luxation.

I hate to be "that person" (essential oils cured mysicknesses lol) but I have heard a lot of people discussing CBD for their dogs helping with the collapse and knees. I have not tried it, so I don't know if it works or not but there seems to be a lot of folks who think it does. Might be worth a shot if nothing else is working. Because yeah... That's a terrible thing to just have to sit and watch them struggle through.

Chi's are absolutley great though. They have a bad rep but they are all heart and couch potato.

A classmate from highschool told me she uses CBD on hers and it helps so I got some. We give it to him daily with his other meds. Problem is he's 15 and I don't think he would survive the stent placement and I don't want him to go through that. It could be worse I suppose.

a reply to: HalWesten

I get it. That's the only drawback to having a furry best friend. Always trying to judge if you're doing the right thing and when you've done enough. You'll make the best decision for him whatever it may be.

My Mom's dog cries and whimpers when I come over....she runs around like a freak, whimpers that I am there and won't leave me alone.
My Mom has terminal lung cancer and the dog knows it so she is extra aware and is extra snuggly.


When I am there taking care of my mom, the dog will come out and tell me that mom needs something, she just sends the dog out to go get me.
All she has to say is, go get (insert real name) and the dog does it.
She is a very sweet and smart little creature and she is hurting, she knows my mom is going to die so she has been leaning on me more than usual.
Animals feel pain too.

a reply to: DrumsRfun

Animals feel it and they sense it.

Most pets with half a brain that I've had can tell when their owners are not feeling good. It doesn't matter what they are. They act and react differently than they otherwise would.

a reply to: DrumsRfun

Absolutely pets feel pain, and they're especially good about feeling sympathetic pain. My dogs will come lay with me when I'm injured. They know, and if you're hurting, so are they, because they don't want you to be in pain.

In your Mom's case, you Mom's dog might also be on her absolute best behavior because she knows she'll be alone at some point and she wants a pack member to take her in to their pack so she's not left alone.

Dogs absolutely bond with humans.

In my case, I like dogs better than almost all humans (with a few minor exceptions). Actually, that extends to most animals in general. Even cats! **GASP!**

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I'm with you. Animals are better. Less complicated, less reserved, don't try to lie (for the most part; some can be sneaky). They just tend to generally be better all around, and that's why it's so bad when people mistreat them.