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While telepathy is a wonderful notion put forth in comic books and movies, it can not be used to describe a dog's ability to communicate with people. Dogs are incredibly good at picking up non-verbal and verbal cues from people. While most people have failed to learn the dogs' language, they have had no problem learning ours, even if they lack the proper vocal cords and lips to speak it.

No one can contest that a dog does not know when we are sick, tired, restless, moody, happy, joyful, aroused, or any other emotion or condition one can think of. Does that make them telepathic? No, it does not. It means that they have picked up on a change of scent, a change of attitude, a change of stance, a change of routine, or a change of pitch.

When one is sick, one tends to lay in bed, maybe moan, not want to eat and in general not want to move. When I went into the hospital for minor surgery, my dog, then a puppy, did not know in any way telepathic that her "mommy" was not feeling well and did not want to play. Quite the opposite, really, she thought that I was sad because I didn't have anything to play with and so brought me every toy that she had until I finally smiled at her and got up to play ball.

When a person is happy, the tone of their voice typically changes and they tend to do quick, excited movements. That is a clear indication to your dog that you are happy. Your dog doesn't know you just got a raise or that your article is doing well on-line, nor does your dog care. Your dog simply knows that you are happy, and that when you are happy, he should be happy.

When a person is upset, the dog is able to read the signals that the person is giving off. Often a louder and lower voice is used. An angry facial expression is often used. Aggression can also be seen in many people who are upset. Does the dog know that you are upset or angry. Yes, he does know that. Does your dog know why you are upset, no and often he will assume you are angry at him.

Another piece of definite proof of a lack of telepathy is the way the react to the words we use. If we tell the dog that they are a horrible animal and that we hate them in a happy and upbeat voice using positive gesturing, the dog will react as though he is being praised. If we tell the dog that he is a good boy and a hansom dog but we use an aggressive tone, the dog will hide as though being chastised. If a dog was truly telepathic, the dog would know what we were saying instead of relying on vocal sounds and gestures.

While telepathy in dogs would be a great thing in the world, the sad story is that telepathy does not exist in dogs. If dogs were telepathic there would be no need for trainers. There would be fewer dogs in the pounds for behavior issues. If dogs were telepathic there would be no chewed hats, shoes, or furniture. If dogs were telepathic, they could communicate with us in great detail about their physical and emotional health rather than us having to guess why our dog is doing the strange things that dogs do.

While telepathy does not exist as a viable form of communication with your dog, there are many ways that you can open up the lines of communication. You can learn your dog's cues and signals. If you watch your dog and pay attention to the little sounds your dog makes, you might hear him laugh. If you watch your dog long enough, you can almost feel like you know what your dog is thinking. Watch your dog long enough, and you will see him watching you, learning your language to know what you are feeling, how to deal with you, and what you want. Maybe you could even learn from your dog how to pay better attention to the minute details of the unspoken language.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Arnette.
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