Do you speak dog?
Do you speak dog? Do you understand what your best friend is trying to tell you all the time, or most times? If you answered ‘yes’, there is a good chance that you’re wrong! New research by Direct Line Pet Insurance reveals that British pet owners often have trouble understanding the emotion behind their dogs’ bark.
When asked to listen to a series of barks selected by an animal behaviorist and identify the emotion the dog was trying to communicate, the respondents found they were not as fluent in
‘dog’ as they thought they were. Nearly three-quarters were unable to recognize the sound of their dog barking in fear, with 35 percent mistaking it as excitement or playfulness. One in five thought it was boredom. Only 20 percent of owners could tell when the bark meant the dog was excited.
Print Powar, head of pet insurance at Direct Line, said, “Even the most experienced of dog owners can misinterpret what their pets are trying to tell them. Because animals cannot verbally communicate their feelings to us, it can be easy for pet owners to miss warning signs of distress or pain. “This is why owners need to be informed and vigilant. Learning to recognise symptoms of common ailments via an animal’s body language provides valuable cues for pet owners and may save invaluable time if your pet is ill and trying to communicate this to you.”
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