dogs picking up clues in a more indirect fashion

[Doberluv]

Jose` will growl mildly at dogs on TV. In fact, any animal, he'll notice and growl or give a muffled bark or two. This is not that uncommon, of course. A lot of dogs do this. But what I found amusing and interesting was that he can be all curled up, facing the other way, sometimes asleep and the human on the TV will say something to their dog like, "good boy!" or some kind of squeeky, baby talk type thing. And he'll lift his head up, even out of a sound sleep and look at the TV to see if there's a dog there, then begin to growl a little if there is. I don't know why I find this so interesting or surprising. I guess it really isn't that weird. But I find it interesting that he would pick up on cues that aren't coming from me or any real person in the room. I guess if he recognizes dogs on TV, why wouldn't he recognize that humans somewhere...are talking to dogs the way humans talk to dogs.... so there must be dogs. LOL. And up goes the head and ears. Do your dogs get clues or pick up on language or cues coming from something that is a little abstract or maybe I mean, indirect? I mean...it was always that he noticed dogs on TV, but I didn't use to notice him picking up on humans on TV who were talking to dogs which lead to......the dogs themselves. (or other animals) Oh, I don't know what I'm trying to get at.

 

[Zizzy35]

Yes, mine will do the head tilt to the tv, sometimes even run up to it. He will do it with other animals as well on tv. Crying babies on tv also get him to look at the tv.

 

[Doberluv]

Oh yeah...crying babies can really get them going. But Jose` is the first dog I've ever had that was perceptive enough to transfer that familiar sound of a person praising a dog, which wasn't me and looking at the TV for some kind of sign...almost as if he were thinking, "Who's a good dog? Me? Or is it some other dog who's a good dog? Who said that?" LOL.

 

[arnie]

Its funny to me how my dog reacts to all sounds. Mobile phones get him VERY confused

He smells it, he hears it, but he can never figure out why the hell is it ringing I think it will never stop amusing me that he just doesn't give up on figuring it out. It even made me miss answering the phone a couple of times

 

[Danefied]

It makes perfect sense to me - dogs have evolved to be in tune to humans, not just each other.
I think its a good thing that my guys are in tune to other humans, what if heaven forbid they got lost or something happened to me? They would be much better off is they can listen to and trust other humans.

But then Breez also goes to full alert mode if a car beeps on TV... *sigh*

 

[Doberluv]

I know Danefied. Of couse, he hears that familiar conditioned reinforcer, "good dog" and perks his head up to see if there's anything in it for him. And naturally, the human-dog evolutionary advantage. It really shouldn't be that amazing to me. But it is somehow. Maybe because it's a TV. Something about this just amuses me. But then...it doesn't take much to do that.

Arnie, that's hilarious how you've missed calls because you were too entertained watching your dog as it rang. Too funny.

 

[Archie's Mom]

Often times it's more entertaining to watch Archie watch TV than actually watching the show itself.

My favorite moment was when Hubby and I were watching the movie Marmaduke (where the dogs talk) And Archie ran up to the TV, stared at it for a few minutes then turned to us with this totally bewildered face like "what the hell...don't you people see this is wrong on sooo many levels?"
He then proceeded to try to, seriously, talk to us like this " raaaaruuullllohhummmugh" This continued throughout the whole film.

We were laughing so hard we had tears streaming down our faces. Come to think of it....I need to watch it again because we missed most of it while Archie was narrating.

 

[Kat09Tails]

Guinea pigs on the travel channel had them all trying to climb to TV stand to get to the screen... way better than shark week but a little hard on the LCD screen.

 

[Renee750il]

Tallulah is the only one of mine who reacts to the TV, other than a quick alert to attribute the sound to the TV, and once I tell Tallulah it was just the TV she'll look at me, give me the "are you 100% positive it's not something I need to bark at?" head tilt and then go back to whatever she was doing once I've reassured her.

 

[Doberluv]

Often times it's more entertaining to watch Archie watch TV than actually watching the show itself.

My favorite moment was when Hubby and I were watching the movie Marmaduke (where the dogs talk) And Archie ran up to the TV, stared at it for a few minutes then turned to us with this totally bewildered face like "what the hell...don't you people see this is wrong on sooo many levels?" He then proceeded to try to, seriously, talk to us like this " raaaaruuullllohhummmugh" This continued throughout the whole film.

We were laughing so hard we had tears streaming down our faces. Come to think of it....I need to watch it again because we missed most of it while Archie was narrating.

:rofl1: You need to post more. You're hilarious!!!!

 

[Doberluv]

LOL Renee...Every time Jose` starts growling, I have to remind him and go throught the lecture that it's only a TV, it's an electronic device that sends information through the air. It's not real....you're okay. That big dog isn't going to get you and that's enough now. He settles right down and goes back to sleep. There goes that long believed theory about ignoring dogs and not trying to soothe them because you might reinforce that behavior. I've done my share of experimenting and sometimes that attention is all they need to buy into what you're trying to get across to them. LOL. They know the difference between reinforcement and communicating something else. This is not getting a cookie. It's an explanation in plain English. Heh, heh.

 

[Archie's Mom]

:rofl1: You need to post more. You're hilarious!!!!

Why, thank you!