A Dog's Communication of Needs

edited April 2010 in Behavior & Training
I have noticed that both my boys have a different way of telling me when they really need something (like going out to piddle or when hungry).

When Tetsu really wants something, he'll dig at it or start to scream. He has to pee, he'll scream and scratch at the door. He wants food/water, he'll dig in the empty bowl. Tetsu is always very loud and active when he wants something bad enough.

Tikaani, on the other hand, is very subtle about wanting something. If he has to go out, he'll sit by any door (doesn't even have to lead outside, he's sat by closet doors) and stare at me or Tom. If he wants water/food, he'll lay by the bowl. If he really wants water, he'll carry the bowl into whatever room I'm in and chew on it.


Watching these boys got me to wondering and thinking about how other nihon ken (and even other dogs in general) communicate what they want. So my question to you is how your pups tell you when they want something? Is it something they picked up, or something you taught then (such as ringing a bell to go out)?

Comments

  • edited November -1
    Koda is like Tikaani. He will sit by the door to go outside. If he wants a walk, he will go by the front door. If I'm ignoring him or not getting his queues he will whine a little but not much.

    Maymay will literally jump on me or try and tackle me if she wants something. She's a mayniac! She will also run full speed at me or open the front door on her own to go outside for a walk.

    When she wants something from Koda she is very vocal. She will bark at him make these crazy noises for him to play with her. She is very pushy. lol
  • edited November -1
    We keep Sevuk's harness and leash in our laundry room so whenever he wants to go out he'll stand in the doorway(the door is almost always open) and look at us then at his leash, then at us again and he'll keep repeating this until someone takes him out.
    He is not loud at all, does everything quietly, and from what I've heard, that's quite rare for a min pin.
  • edited November -1
    Personally I don't like to have my dogs telling me what they want to do as I'm not a big fan of dogs barking to be let out, or scratching at food bowls and stuff. Seeing as they've been trained that way they all pretty much wait for me to initiate things like walks/feeding/play etc. That way when they actually do things like whine to be let out I know it's something serious, like an upset stomach or something, and not just 'I want to go play outside'.

    Momo wasn't raised by me so she had a lot of behaviors at first that I wasn't fond of like non stop scratching at doors to be let out, tackling people with food etc. We've pretty much worked through all that now though.
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