Comments on: Bark 2: Study says barks have little meaning http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/07/23/bark-2/ a site for dog lovers Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:51:01 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Ashley http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/07/23/bark-2/comment-page-1/#comment-9372 Ashley Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:14:35 +0000 http://www.ohmidog.com/?p=11179#comment-9372 A few weeks a study came out arguing that cats aren't as smart as initially thought and that their vocalizations and purring didn't actually mean anything either. Having spent plenty time around both species, I have my doubts about these claims. I know these studies are done on domesticated animals but are they even taking into consideration the complicated social structures and habits of their wild cousins, wolves and lions? A few weeks a study came out arguing that cats aren’t as smart as initially thought and that their vocalizations and purring didn’t actually mean anything either. Having spent plenty time around both species, I have my doubts about these claims. I know these studies are done on domesticated animals but are they even taking into consideration the complicated social structures and habits of their wild cousins, wolves and lions?

]]> By: Eighteenpaws http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/07/23/bark-2/comment-page-1/#comment-9361 Eighteenpaws Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:21:03 +0000 http://www.ohmidog.com/?p=11179#comment-9361 Agree w/ Anne! I have multiple dogs, and they love to alarm me in the woods or when looking out a window when I am far away in another part of the house. I can always tell WHICH dog, as well as whether it's "stranger spotted" or "bunny seen" or "throw me that tennis ball already," or whether it's a sight or a sound that has attracted their attention. One dog's bark alerts and affects the others differently and specifically, so for sure THEY understand one another's language. I think that if you live closely with your dogs, you learn a good part (but not all!) of their language. "No cognitive understanding?" That is impossible, Your numerous blogs and tales have demonstrated time and again that dogs are way smarter than we usually give credit. Agree w/ Anne! I have multiple dogs, and they love to alarm me in the woods or when looking out a window when I am far away in another part of the house. I can always tell WHICH dog, as well as whether it’s “stranger spotted” or “bunny seen” or “throw me that tennis ball already,” or whether it’s a sight or a sound that has attracted their attention. One dog’s bark alerts and affects the others differently and specifically, so for sure THEY understand one another’s language. I think that if you live closely with your dogs, you learn a good part (but not all!) of their language. “No cognitive understanding?” That is impossible, Your numerous blogs and tales have demonstrated time and again that dogs are way smarter than we usually give credit.

]]> By: Anne'n'Spencer http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/07/23/bark-2/comment-page-1/#comment-9358 Anne'n'Spencer Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:58:48 +0000 http://www.ohmidog.com/?p=11179#comment-9358 It's interesting to me because I'm fond of hounds, and especially one particular hound. As a group, they're very vocal, and most have a whole vocabulary of different sounds and signals in addition to their regular old bark. If they're lonely, if they hear another dog (or a fire engine), or if they scent a prey animal, they bay. (Some people would say "they howl.") A lot of them also have a set of very clear, much softer, vocal signals for things like "Out, please!" or "I'm excited." or "I'm contented." or "I'm beginning to get frustrated and will shortly be barking." I think they do all this because their original purpose involved hunting (and living) in packs. They needed to communicate with each other, and with the humans who were following them, over long distances while locating and tracking their prey. And when they got home, they needed to establish some kind of social order and smooth operations within their packs. Lots of dogs give vocal cues, but the hounds seem to have developed their voices into precision instruments. It’s interesting to me because I’m fond of hounds, and especially one particular hound. As a group, they’re very vocal, and most have a whole vocabulary of different sounds and signals in addition to their regular old bark.

If they’re lonely, if they hear another dog (or a fire engine), or if they scent a prey animal, they bay. (Some people would say “they howl.”) A lot of them also have a set of very clear, much softer, vocal signals for things like “Out, please!” or “I’m excited.” or “I’m contented.” or “I’m beginning to get frustrated and will shortly be barking.”

I think they do all this because their original purpose involved hunting (and living) in packs. They needed to communicate with each other, and with the humans who were following them, over long distances while locating and tracking their prey. And when they got home, they needed to establish some kind of social order and smooth operations within their packs. Lots of dogs give vocal cues, but the hounds seem to have developed their voices into precision instruments.

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