The five properties of human language all help to differentiate ourselves from that of other species. I believe the decisive property which helps separate us is productivity. An example of productivity is that humans continually create new expressions and novel utterances by manipulating their linguistic resources to describe new objects and situations. This property is described and is linked to the fact that the potential number of utterances in the human language is infinite. The communication systems of other creatures do not appear to share this type of flexibility. This limited feature of animal communication is described in terms of fixed reference. Each signal in the system is fixed as relating to a particular object or occasion. This inflexibility is supported by the study of velvet monkeys. Among the vervet monkey’s repertoire, there is one danger signal “CHUTTER”, which is used when a snake is around, and another “RRAUP”, used when an eagle is spotted nearby. These signals are fixed in terms of their reference and cannot be manipulated. Evidence of possible productivity in the monkey’s communication system would be an utterance of something like “CHUTT-RRAUP” when a flying creature that looked like a snake came by. Despite a lot of experiments involving snakes suddenly appearing in the air, the vervet monkeys did not produce a new danger signal. If a human were to be put in a similar scenario, they would be quite capable of creating a ‘new’ signal, to respond to the stimulus. For example producing something they have never said before like “Hey! Watch out for that snake!”
In conclusion I believe that although displacement, arbitrariness, cultural transmission and duality play a fundamental part in differentiating human and animal communication, it is productivity which plays the key role. The creation of new words and utterances helps all human languages to continually evolve, adapt to new situations and as a result prosper where as the languages of other species seem to remain static.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
blog 3 question 2 jack dowdell
I believe very strongly that our household pets have the ability to communicate with us on a regular basis. I have a 3 year old Wheaton Terrier puppy named Sady. In my home beside our telephone there is a treat jar. Sady has learned that if we are on the phone and she growls long enough we will understand that she wants one. This is an example of communication.
However, this is in no way an example of understanding. When I tell Sady no and to be quiet she does not understand this. She continues to growl because she has learned that if she does eventually we will give in. This is through multiple examples both she and I have had. Through this an expectation has not been reached, not an understanding.
If you truly believe your dog can understand what you are saying then you either suffer from insanity or a very forgiving definition of understanding. Dogs have the ability to interpret circumstances and can learn things by repetition. To show true understanding though Sady would have to ask for a treat when i was nowhere close to her treat jar. She has never done this. She simply sees her treat jar and me in the same vicinity and recognizes circumstance.
Vice versa though Sady has learned some things from me through repeating circumstances. She knows that if i raise my voice at her and she continues her action she will get popped. So now one voice raise is substantial. This is an example of our ability to communicate, in the same instance though if i told her to stop in a low voice she would not because she does not understand me, just remembers past experiences.
Means of communication is a possibility between humans and animals. However I highly doubt understandings will ever be reached. They understand tones and remember circumstances just as we do. A great deal of time with a specific animal is required to reach this point as well. A word for word translation from human to animal language will never happen.
blog 3 question 2
believe very strongly that our household pets have the ability to communicate with us on a regular basis. I have a 3 year old Wheaton Terrier puppy named Sady. In my home beside our telephone there is a treat jar. Sady has learned that if we are on the phone and she growls long enough we will understand that she wants one. This is an example of communication.
However, this is in no way an example of understanding. When I tell Sady no and to be quiet she does not understand this. She continues to growl because she has learned that if she does eventually we will give in. This is through multiple examples both she and I have had. Through this an expectation has not been reached, not an understanding.
If you truly believe your dog can understand what you are saying then you either suffer from insanity or a very forgiving definition of understanding. Dogs have the ability to interpret circumstances and can learn things by repetition. To show true understanding though Sady would have to ask for a treat when i was nowhere close to her treat jar. She has never done this. She simply sees her treat jar and me in the same vicinity and recognizes circumstance.
Vice versa though Sady has learned some things from me through repeating circumstances. She knows that if i raise my voice at her and she continues her action she will get popped. So now one voice raise is substantial. This is an example of our ability to communicate, in the same instance though if i told her to stop in a low voice she would not because she does not understand me, just remembers past experiences.
Means of communication is a possibility between humans and animals. However I highly doubt understandings will ever be reached. They understand tones and remember circumstances just as we do. A great deal of time with a specific animal is required to reach this point as well. A word for word translation from human to animal language will never happen.
Taylor Haney Blog 3
What makes it so difficult for animals and humans to communicate with one another? Or what is the reason why we can not communicate with each other through speech or a particular language? In Yules book he describes all the reasons and meanings behind it why we as humans and animals can not communicate through a language as I said before. He list five properties in his article that differentiate between human and animal communication: Displacement- When humans can refer to past and future time. Arbitrariness- No “natural” connection between a linguistic form and its meaning. Productivity- When you create new expressions and novel utterances by manipulating their linguistic resources to describe new objects and situations. Cultural Transmissions- Process whereby a language is passed on from one generation to the next. Duality- When human language is organized at two levels or layers simultaneously. I believe that displacement and arbitrariness both are the main reasons why we can not communicate with animals. But if I were to chose one it would have to be arbitrariness simply because neither humans or animals have a natural connection with each other. For example, the video we watched of Koko the gorilla, Penny and Koko could communicate but it was by their own sign language if you will. So that means there is still a language barrier there between us humans and animals. Even though there is a language barrier there we can still communicate but not as well as we would like. Also another example would be with a dog. When we say “sit” or any other type of command they will obey most likely just by the way or tone you say it in. I do not think dogs can fully understand us when we say something but just by the way we say it they will do anything. They also do whatever you do by making hand gestures. Back to the conversation on Koko, well see she could let you know when she was mad or sad for example when her cat died because she learned the hand gestures for sad and mad. It shows that while there is still this language barrier that animals have such as Koko, can still communicate.
Blog Prompt 3, Question 2
Ryan Carr
Composition 1101
Professor Hughes
Blog Prompt 3
Question 2
Abbey is my chocolate Labrador Retriever. I also have a Jack Russell Terrier named Bear (an oxymoron). However, my brother’s dog Dexter which is an American Bull Dog is the most communicative of the three. My communication with our domestic pets is not only clear, it is very experienced as the oldest, Abbey is ten years old. Abbey is an absolutely beautiful dog. Her personality is to please no matter what the cost to herself. She will fetch just about any object you ask. Asking her to fetch the remote control is most helpful! She does so with exuberance! When asked, she perks up her ears and watches your expressions explicitly. Once you nod your head that seems to be her signal to perform that task that was assigned verbally. When she has accomplished the mission, she wags her tail in anticipation of praise. Knowing that a treat is in store in the form of a carrot or simply petting her profusely. When she is outside her tail is constantly wagging as a sign of joy. That also communicates her mood as well as when her tail is tucked between the legs conveying her anxiety when she is being scolded for running away. Afterwards her ears are down and she looks as if she had just lost her best friend. When we go inside she lies down on the rug in front of the fireplace and looks forlorn as if to say, “I am so sad I was disobedient”. (reference to Koko clip)
Bear is impishly angelic. His jumping like a Mexican bean when a family member arrives home implies his joyfully elation to the fact that we have not abandoned him forever! His actions imply such happiness! However, when we leave for our daily duties to work, college, and so forth he has separation anxiety which demonstrates itself in shreds of paper, magazines or tissues greeting us upon our arrival home.
Dexter on the other hand is extremely obedient, observant, and communicative. His very gaze and sideways motion of the head sounds his intentions as if he were speaking verbally. Whenever asked to sit, wave, close the door, and many other requests that he has been taught by our family, he seems to blink as if to say, “Okay, gladly!” Then while wagging his tail performs such tasks with a precise execution that shadows any human’s attempt to obey a direct verbal command. Hence he is the most obedient and shows the utmost intelligence in non-verbal communication as even one type of look you give him will command him to sit, stay or even bark. Yes domestic animals, such as our personal family pets are able to understand and communicate with us. (reference to Koko clip)
Composition 1101
Professor Hughes
Blog Prompt 3
Question 2
Abbey is my chocolate Labrador Retriever. I also have a Jack Russell Terrier named Bear (an oxymoron). However, my brother’s dog Dexter which is an American Bull Dog is the most communicative of the three. My communication with our domestic pets is not only clear, it is very experienced as the oldest, Abbey is ten years old. Abbey is an absolutely beautiful dog. Her personality is to please no matter what the cost to herself. She will fetch just about any object you ask. Asking her to fetch the remote control is most helpful! She does so with exuberance! When asked, she perks up her ears and watches your expressions explicitly. Once you nod your head that seems to be her signal to perform that task that was assigned verbally. When she has accomplished the mission, she wags her tail in anticipation of praise. Knowing that a treat is in store in the form of a carrot or simply petting her profusely. When she is outside her tail is constantly wagging as a sign of joy. That also communicates her mood as well as when her tail is tucked between the legs conveying her anxiety when she is being scolded for running away. Afterwards her ears are down and she looks as if she had just lost her best friend. When we go inside she lies down on the rug in front of the fireplace and looks forlorn as if to say, “I am so sad I was disobedient”. (reference to Koko clip)
Bear is impishly angelic. His jumping like a Mexican bean when a family member arrives home implies his joyfully elation to the fact that we have not abandoned him forever! His actions imply such happiness! However, when we leave for our daily duties to work, college, and so forth he has separation anxiety which demonstrates itself in shreds of paper, magazines or tissues greeting us upon our arrival home.
Dexter on the other hand is extremely obedient, observant, and communicative. His very gaze and sideways motion of the head sounds his intentions as if he were speaking verbally. Whenever asked to sit, wave, close the door, and many other requests that he has been taught by our family, he seems to blink as if to say, “Okay, gladly!” Then while wagging his tail performs such tasks with a precise execution that shadows any human’s attempt to obey a direct verbal command. Hence he is the most obedient and shows the utmost intelligence in non-verbal communication as even one type of look you give him will command him to sit, stay or even bark. Yes domestic animals, such as our personal family pets are able to understand and communicate with us. (reference to Koko clip)
Blog Prompt 3
Amber Allen
Dr. Hughes
Human language is more unique than words could begin to express or explain. In The Study of Language by George Yule there is a chapter about human language in comparison to animals communication. Through several explanations and examples Yule shows how there is five properties of language and asks us to determine if it is possible that a creature could learn to communicate with humans through language. The five properties and distinctions of human language are the following: displacement, arbitrariness, cultural transition, productivity, and duality. Displacement is being capable of referring to past and future time, and talking about events not present in the immediate environment (Yule 9). Arbitrariness is the relationship between linguistic signs and objects in the world (Yule 10). A property of human language that allows humans to continually create new expressions and novel utterances by manipulating their linguistic resources to describe new objects and situations is described as productivity (Yule 10). The two levels that are simultaneously organized in the human language is referred to as duality (Yule 12). After closely examining and studying each of these properties of language presented by Yule, I have concluded that productivity is the most important dimension of human language that differentiates communication of humans and animals. Productivity makes human language infinite. If one language is infinite and the other is limited, then how is it possible for effective communication to take place? There is great distinction made through the flexibility of humans to create new expressions. Animals are limited in their ability to communicate because they do not have this feature. As Yule explains on page 11, the fixed reference of animal communication is the fact that each signal in the system is fixed as relating to a particular object or occasion. This aspect separates human and animal communication drastically because it cannot be true communication if there is not an unlimited ability of expression. Animals can undoubtedly communicate in some fashions, but animals certainly do not obtain every distinction of human language. The most important feature animals lack is productivity and this restriction will always keep them from being able to truly communicate with humans. Think about the way humans are even limited in how to express themselves at certain times because they are not able to figure out how to express themselves, and how frustrating this can be. With that in mind, think of how it must always be for an animal trying to communicate. Animals are always limited to their language and expression and because of this I am sure they are never really able to communicate their true meaning in attempting to communicate with humans.
Carol Blog 3
The family pets are thought by many to be creatures who know what their owner is feeling no matter if they are sad, really happy or upset. A domestic animal can tell if their owner is having a bad day or a good day. My family has owned 2 dogs and 2 cats. Our cat, Ginger, was able to communicate whenever he was hungry, wanted to go outside or really mad. The other cat, Willow, understood us so well. Every time my sister would say, “treat”, Willow would go to the step that he would be able to get to the treats the fastest.
Koko is in some ways Penny’s pet. She would communicate with Koko in ways that a person would communicate with their cats and dogs. In the video the class watched about Koko, Koko was able to tell what she was thinking by signing to Penny she was sad that her cat, All-Ball, got hit by a car and died. Although she did not use words like an average person would use their words, she was able to communicate what she thought.
In The Study of Language, George Yule says that when a dog produces woof he does not mean something just with the word woof. The dog is trying to convey different meanings every time they bark and we understand that by watching their body language and their actions. Pets are able to understand what we are saying and have a higher level of understanding than some people give them credit for. People are able to understand their pets and their pets understand them through each other’s informative signals. These signals are what each use to inform the other when they are sad, tired, mad, happy, or even annoyed. Somehow the animal understands their owner the most of anyone else when their owner does not even say anything. Pets are able to communicate at times more effectively than humans who are able to speak.
Koko is in some ways Penny’s pet. She would communicate with Koko in ways that a person would communicate with their cats and dogs. In the video the class watched about Koko, Koko was able to tell what she was thinking by signing to Penny she was sad that her cat, All-Ball, got hit by a car and died. Although she did not use words like an average person would use their words, she was able to communicate what she thought.
In The Study of Language, George Yule says that when a dog produces woof he does not mean something just with the word woof. The dog is trying to convey different meanings every time they bark and we understand that by watching their body language and their actions. Pets are able to understand what we are saying and have a higher level of understanding than some people give them credit for. People are able to understand their pets and their pets understand them through each other’s informative signals. These signals are what each use to inform the other when they are sad, tired, mad, happy, or even annoyed. Somehow the animal understands their owner the most of anyone else when their owner does not even say anything. Pets are able to communicate at times more effectively than humans who are able to speak.
Most people in this world have some sort of animal that they like to call their pet. These animals are the pride a joy of many peoples lives. Being so close to their animal, humans feel like they can communicate with the pet. Human and animal communication is a very interesting topic that has the potential to bring up many debates.
Animals have ways of communication that are very unique in many ways. The majority of this communication takes place through communicative signals such as movements, noises, etc. Some examples of this communication between animals are things such as mooing by cows, barking or growling by dogs, and meowing or purring by cats. These ways of communication between animals are also used by animals to communicate with their human owners as well. When a dog barks or growls, it typically means that he or she is angered in some way or fashion. To us humans, this is the signal to go away. This signal sends a very obvious message to the human as they understand the dog completely and listen to this message. The same thing goes for when a cat purrs. This soothing noise tends to mean "Hey I want to be petted", and nine times out of ten, the cat will get his or her wish as their owner will listen. With these examples, it is a rather simple concept to realize that yes, animals do have the capability to communicate as we discussed in the reading. With the gestures and tones that animals produce, they are fully capable of having a successful animal-to-animal conversation (i.e. the examples mentioned above) but can only succeed in certain points of conversation with humans.
Just as Yule discusses in his article, animals ARE able to speak a language. It is a language that is completely unique with only parts being decipherable by us humans. When it comes to discussing how advanced this language spoken by animals is, another interesting debate arises. This is another difficult conclusion to make as different people have different interpretations of what their animal is actually saying to them. In my opinion, the language spoken by animals is more advanced than many might assume but is also far less advanced that many people may think. This, in my case, puts the advancement of the language right in the middle of the scale. Yule states that "...we clearly do not have a totally objective and non-controversial definition of what counts as using language..." With this being said, it is logical to say that animal language is misunderstood on both sides of the table as far as questioning how advanced animal language is and how well they can communicate within themselves as well as with humans. This debate will continue to be an important topic in both scientific and linguistic minds for many more years to come.
Blog 3 Topic 2
I have two pets at my home in Bremen, Georgia. I have had some type of pet for my whole life until I moved here to Young Harris. As a result I have been around animals for my whole life. I have also grown to recognize certain reactions of my pets to different tones I talk in. I do not believe animals can actually decipher words when humans speak. I know they recognize tones, though. My dogs usually react with their ears; they will perk their ears up when they hear joyful or exciting tones, when my dogs hear a scolding tone they will cower their ears. I have actually told my dogs good job, but said it in a deep scolding tone to experiment with their perception. When I said this they seemed to think I was mad at them because they tucked their tails and cowered their ears. In the same aspect, if I talk to my pets in a sweet, happy tone, they will wag their tails and raise their ears in response. Dogs, as a whole, can sense when a human is upset or happy or mad; for example when I come in my house from an activity that I have enjoyed and I am in a good mood, my dogs want to play with me and are excited to see me. The same principle stands for when I am mad and I enter my house, my dogs are still excited to see me, but they know not to aggravate me. This is clearly proof dogs understand tones and emotions, not words.
Animals do communicate, but it is not a language of speaking like humans. Most animals communicate through actions, scents, and noises. They naturally are born with the instinct to be able to communicate with other animals of their type. They must learn to relate their messages to humans through other ways. My dogs, for instance, will look at me then walk to the room they are fed in when they are hungry. If I do not respond the first time, they will continue to walk back and forth until I acknowledge what they want and feed them. I have no doubt this is something they learn through the desperate need to communicate in some way.
Animals do communicate, but it is not a language of speaking like humans. Most animals communicate through actions, scents, and noises. They naturally are born with the instinct to be able to communicate with other animals of their type. They must learn to relate their messages to humans through other ways. My dogs, for instance, will look at me then walk to the room they are fed in when they are hungry. If I do not respond the first time, they will continue to walk back and forth until I acknowledge what they want and feed them. I have no doubt this is something they learn through the desperate need to communicate in some way.
Blog Post 3
Over the span of the past eighteen, almost nineteen years of my life my family has had numerous pets. Living on a fifty acre farm growing up, we owned Angus cows, horses, a rabbit, and the usual dogs and cats. Having all of these “pets”, if you can call cows and horses pets, it was very noticeable that each individual animal had their own way of expressing some sort of communication with each other. The cows had their own “conversations” while they congregated together in herds, excluding the horses who had their own place in the pasture and exchanged noises and motions back and forth to each other. The ones I grew especially close too were the dogs.
I am allergic to cats, so one can see why it wasn’t very appealing to me to curl up with one of our cats while sipping Benadryl out of a straw in the bottle and try to gain some sort of vision out of my unusually large and swollen eyes. A few years ago, my family and I decided to take a tiny family road trip to the local Petsmart to look at dogs. Little did I know when I walked in that I would walk out with the perfect, most affectionate dog adopted from the humane society. Maggie was my Christmas present a few years and she has been the best one yet. I have grown very close to her, and she does have a way of communicating herself to me and the rest of my family. Of course, she doesn’t talk perfect sentences in English, but she does have her own way of communicative means. When she needs to go potty, yes, potty outside, she lets me know by either sitting next to door and let out a whimper or she will come over to where I am sitting and whimper, while exchanging glances back and forth between me and the door. She shows affection by putting her head on my pillow with me at night to sleep or curling up next to my feet. On the flip side, she is a very protective dog. Whenever a person walks in front of our house or the doorbell rings, she is the first to greet the door with a very loud, booming bark that often scares the local neighborhood kids riding by on their bikes. She understands our commands and certain phrases we have taught her, along with the tone of our voices. She lowers her head when she hears our tone of voice and knows she has done something wrong by chewing on the wood paneling on the wall of our dining room but wags her tail and lets out short, high pitched barks whenever she gets praised for doing something good.
I am allergic to cats, so one can see why it wasn’t very appealing to me to curl up with one of our cats while sipping Benadryl out of a straw in the bottle and try to gain some sort of vision out of my unusually large and swollen eyes. A few years ago, my family and I decided to take a tiny family road trip to the local Petsmart to look at dogs. Little did I know when I walked in that I would walk out with the perfect, most affectionate dog adopted from the humane society. Maggie was my Christmas present a few years and she has been the best one yet. I have grown very close to her, and she does have a way of communicating herself to me and the rest of my family. Of course, she doesn’t talk perfect sentences in English, but she does have her own way of communicative means. When she needs to go potty, yes, potty outside, she lets me know by either sitting next to door and let out a whimper or she will come over to where I am sitting and whimper, while exchanging glances back and forth between me and the door. She shows affection by putting her head on my pillow with me at night to sleep or curling up next to my feet. On the flip side, she is a very protective dog. Whenever a person walks in front of our house or the doorbell rings, she is the first to greet the door with a very loud, booming bark that often scares the local neighborhood kids riding by on their bikes. She understands our commands and certain phrases we have taught her, along with the tone of our voices. She lowers her head when she hears our tone of voice and knows she has done something wrong by chewing on the wood paneling on the wall of our dining room but wags her tail and lets out short, high pitched barks whenever she gets praised for doing something good.
Blog Post 3, topic 2
I believe that domestic animals have more communicative power than Yule gives them. Even though pets cannot communicate with their owners through spoken human language, they seem to be able to communicate with body language or with subtle sounds. I feel this way about human-animal interaction because I have had cats my entire life. I have had the cats that I currently own since they were babies, so I have developed quite an emotional bond with them. When I come home after being away for more than two nights, I can tell that they missed me. Whenever I am feeling sick, my cat will be more interactive with me than her usual self. The most amazing thing about my cats, communication skills is the fact that they will come “tell” me if they are out of food or water by meowing at my door or refusing to leave me alone. These experiences have led me to believe that people and the pets they own have a connection that allows them to communicate despite the fact that they are unable to speak each others’ language. I think that Yule’s main statements about the ability of animals to communicate with humans only have to do with communication through spoken language or a standardized sign language. Yule does not give enough attention to the fact that animals, humans included, cannot co-habitate without being able to communicate through some ways. When something is wrong or different in the environment that an animal is used to, it must be able to communicate to whoever or whatever it is living with in order for the caustic change in the environment to be corrected. For example, when it is too cold for a dog in the room that it normally stays in, it has to tell its owner, so it may snuggle up close to the owner and shiver to indicate, without using words or sign language, that there is a problem. Human-animal interaction does not have to be spoken or signed in order for that interaction to be considered communication.
Blog 3, Prompt 2
Merry Bridgeman
Language Controversies
Dr. Hughes
Woof-Woof! Meow! What exactly do these words mean? Throughout childhood I fully believed that my pets could understand me. I would often say to them, “Woof-woof-awrf,” and they would look up at me and tilt their head to the side. This look was what I thought to be a look of understanding. Come to find out, I was totally and completely wrong.
Now that I am older and know better than to believe movies like Dr. Dolittle, I understand that animals cannot really tell what you’re saying. They more or less just know your tones and gestures. I might even go as far to say that once they have been trained they might know a couple of key words or sounds. There is no doubt that trained dogs know what to do when their owner says sit, lie down, or roll over, but if this dog is wild it will have no form of communication with the human. In the article, Yule, it states, “Animal communication seems to be designed exclusively for this moment, here and now” (pg.4). This is saying that animals can not tell you about past events that have occurred in their lives. Just like Lassie, she could tell you when little Timmy was in trouble, but not tell you about her past adventures. Even though our pets lack displacement and cannot verbally express themselves to you they can still get their point across. Scooter, a canine friend, will go to the door when he has to go to the bathroom, stand by his food bowl and whine when he wants food, and will bark at whoever comes into the driveway. Do we not count these as ways of communicating? He is smart enough to know that if he has an accident in the house he will get punished, and he knows that if he is hungry he should not only go to the food bowl but also get his owners attention.
No, I do not believe animals know everything we say. If they did we probably would not have them as our pets. I do believe however that once they are trained they are able to pick up gestures and certain words that we say.
Language Controversies
Dr. Hughes
Woof-Woof! Meow! What exactly do these words mean? Throughout childhood I fully believed that my pets could understand me. I would often say to them, “Woof-woof-awrf,” and they would look up at me and tilt their head to the side. This look was what I thought to be a look of understanding. Come to find out, I was totally and completely wrong.
Now that I am older and know better than to believe movies like Dr. Dolittle, I understand that animals cannot really tell what you’re saying. They more or less just know your tones and gestures. I might even go as far to say that once they have been trained they might know a couple of key words or sounds. There is no doubt that trained dogs know what to do when their owner says sit, lie down, or roll over, but if this dog is wild it will have no form of communication with the human. In the article, Yule, it states, “Animal communication seems to be designed exclusively for this moment, here and now” (pg.4). This is saying that animals can not tell you about past events that have occurred in their lives. Just like Lassie, she could tell you when little Timmy was in trouble, but not tell you about her past adventures. Even though our pets lack displacement and cannot verbally express themselves to you they can still get their point across. Scooter, a canine friend, will go to the door when he has to go to the bathroom, stand by his food bowl and whine when he wants food, and will bark at whoever comes into the driveway. Do we not count these as ways of communicating? He is smart enough to know that if he has an accident in the house he will get punished, and he knows that if he is hungry he should not only go to the food bowl but also get his owners attention.
No, I do not believe animals know everything we say. If they did we probably would not have them as our pets. I do believe however that once they are trained they are able to pick up gestures and certain words that we say.
Dane Knudsen Blog 3
2)
Many people believe that the animals we live with are able to understand us and communicate with us. This belief has developed due to the bond that is shared between owner and pet. It becomes more than just one of master and animal, but rather of friendship and love. I can attest to this statement, being the owner of four dogs myself.
The argument against this higher intelligence of domesticated animals is that animals actually can’t comprehend the words that are spoken to them, but rather the tone and the gestures used. I agree with this belief, because animals do respond to the tone you use rather than the word spoken. For example, if a dog is doing something it shouldn’t be, and the master says the word “no” in a high, praiseful voice, the dog won’t stop what it is doing. If the word “no” is spoken loud and forcefully, the dog will sense that something it is doing is wrong and will stop. The same works for our dogs, they recognize the word “treat” when said in a particular tone. We could use the words “feet, peat, meat, beat, or wheat” said in the same tone and the dogs will come running because they think that tone means that they will receive a dog treat. This has been scientifically tested by Ivan Pavlov, who’s experiment conditioned dogs to salivate every time they heard the ringing of a bell.
I honestly do believe that pets have a very well developed sense of understanding and communication with their owners. I have grown to trust and love my dog, Elsa, more than anyone else in this entire world. I feel like she will never betray me, and that she is always there for me, no matter what I do. In defense of my belief, after being dropped off and moved in to my new college life, my mom gave me a call. They had just gotten home after a long day on the road, and she told me that everything was good at home, except that Elsa was walking around looking for me. She had seemed distressed that I wasn’t there, and kept looking in my room for me. The behavior Elsa showed can not be disregarded as a higher understanding. She knew that something was wrong, and this comes down to the love and bond that has developed between us.
Many people believe that they can talk to their animals and they will understand them. I for one believe that this is only somewhat true. The animals, of course, can not converse back with words, but they can show response through their reactions to to the command or action that may have been directed toward them. I believe that there are two main ways of communicating with your pet.
The first way to get your point across to your pet would be through the tone of your voice. An animal, as well as humans, have a pretty good understanding of when someone or something may be angry about something. Or just complimenting them on something good that they have done. For instance, your dog may have gotten into the trash and you yell at it. Although the dog can not respond verbally, he instantly knows that it has done wrong. He knows you are not pleased with what he has done and responds by sticking his tail between his legs, and appears to be frightened. Solely from the angry tone in your voice. On the other hand, you may have a different approach of disciplining the animal. You might attempt to try and talk thinks out with it in a calm, sympathetic tone. In this approach, however, the animal is thinking that it has done something good and you are rewarding him. Thus, he is more likely to doing it again to receive the same reward. This is evidence that the animal does not really know what you are saying to it. It just knows that you are not happy, or are happy, by the way you pronounce it. The same is true for a dog or any other animal. It will let you know when you get a little closer than the animal likes and it lets out a very deep, strong bark; warning you to get back.
The other way to communicate with your pet, or your pet commmunicate with you, would be through your gestures. Gestures, similar to your tone, is generally understood quite well by animals. This can be seen when either disciplining your pet or approaching it in a slow, peaceful manner to pet it. For example, a neighborhood dog is standing in your yard. You take the more aggressive approach to try and scare the animal off. It works. Would this have worked if you took the slow, peaceful way of coming upon the animal? I think not. The animal, however, can also scare a human off by running at them in a threatening way. Also, slowly walking towards the human in the hopes that it will get his head scratched.
In conclusion, although there is no real way to communicate between an animal and a human. There are ways to get each one's point across to the other. This is through the tone of voice, also by the way one approaches the other.
The first way to get your point across to your pet would be through the tone of your voice. An animal, as well as humans, have a pretty good understanding of when someone or something may be angry about something. Or just complimenting them on something good that they have done. For instance, your dog may have gotten into the trash and you yell at it. Although the dog can not respond verbally, he instantly knows that it has done wrong. He knows you are not pleased with what he has done and responds by sticking his tail between his legs, and appears to be frightened. Solely from the angry tone in your voice. On the other hand, you may have a different approach of disciplining the animal. You might attempt to try and talk thinks out with it in a calm, sympathetic tone. In this approach, however, the animal is thinking that it has done something good and you are rewarding him. Thus, he is more likely to doing it again to receive the same reward. This is evidence that the animal does not really know what you are saying to it. It just knows that you are not happy, or are happy, by the way you pronounce it. The same is true for a dog or any other animal. It will let you know when you get a little closer than the animal likes and it lets out a very deep, strong bark; warning you to get back.
The other way to communicate with your pet, or your pet commmunicate with you, would be through your gestures. Gestures, similar to your tone, is generally understood quite well by animals. This can be seen when either disciplining your pet or approaching it in a slow, peaceful manner to pet it. For example, a neighborhood dog is standing in your yard. You take the more aggressive approach to try and scare the animal off. It works. Would this have worked if you took the slow, peaceful way of coming upon the animal? I think not. The animal, however, can also scare a human off by running at them in a threatening way. Also, slowly walking towards the human in the hopes that it will get his head scratched.
In conclusion, although there is no real way to communicate between an animal and a human. There are ways to get each one's point across to the other. This is through the tone of voice, also by the way one approaches the other.
Pet Communication
Many controversial opinions vary on the fact that humans can communicate with their pets. Pets, considered by most as a part of the family, do indeed communicate with their owners. Having many pets myself, I can attribute to the ideas that the relationship between a pet and it's owner leads to an understanding of one another through time. Communication with pets varies from the different species of animals. For instance, I can "communicate" with my fish. However, I can communicate better with my dogs and cats. Communications with my pet birds lies as an even more challenge for me than for them. For the birds, "communication" with me comes easier for them in the way that they can fly to where they would like to go, or they can loudly squawk and sit next to the food and water bowl when they would like fresh bird seed. Still, even louder squawks signal to me to come and chase away any of three cats that constantly keep watch on the ever interesting little feathered things that lie within the partitioning cage bars. Also able to communicate with me through body language, the birds "fluff" their feathers while on the perch to signal their contentment along with soft "cooing" noises. In this way, the birds communicate using their vocal ability along with body language. For showing trust, Chi Chi, the female of the two, will lie on her back in the palm of my hand. However, communication of the birds to me comes across very clear, my communication to them lies strictly limited. They can only recognize tone of voice when I am around. Talking to them softly often often leads to some soft chatter from their end of the "conversation." When raising my voice to scare off any of the ever curious cats, the birds produce loud chattering and will fly from my shoulder to the nearest perch. Though completely different animals, the cats and dogs ability to pick up voice inflections is the same. When scolded for bringing home the never ending fresh roadkill, the dog kneels to the ground, looks down, and tucks his tail. When praised for good actions, the dog wags his tail and begs for a petting. Lucky, our lab and chow mix, communicates with everyone in the family the most. When he wants to go outside, he sits by the door. If you just happen to not look in his direction, you will soon feel the touch of a hairy head under your palm leading you to the door, and if still ignoring his wants, you can count on a friendly nip to get your undivided attention. When ready to come back in, you he will peek in the window, or a let out a high pitched yelp from the outside. Although the dog and birds seem to communicate well vocally, the cats take the cake when it comes to vocal communication. Many different "meows" exist for getting what they want, and also for expressing disgust. Along with vocal communication, their body language comes across even more clear. Cats, the ever independent beings as they come across, only show the greatest affection when they want or need attention. For example, my cat Mary, only will come and join me on the couch if the bottom of the bowl is starting to show. (Although there may be food in the bowl, if she can see the bottom....the world might as well come to an end!) Then the affections really start to show. Climbing up and down, tail in your face, and covered in the never ending shedding fur, will get her what she wants. However, if the cats not happy, no one is happy. As the little queen that she believes herself to be, you never touch her unless she touches you first. Otherwise, do'nt look at her. Asserting her rule over the household, she will walk through the house hissing in disgust at any passerby or freshly sat down items. All of these examples that I have experienced lead me to believe that pets and their owners communicate on a daily basis. Whether communicating needs or just affection, animals and their owners in my mind "speak" and clearly communicate with each other.
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