Did dogs domesticate us, or vice versa?
We domesticated dogs. And you can learn what your dog means when he makes certain sounds. But mostly they learn words and respond to them. For instance, I can ask my dogs in they want to go out – they get happy to go out. I can ask my dogs if they are hungry – they know that hungry means that they are going to be fed. If they come to me and are really pesky, I know that they are thirsty and that their bowl is low. They understand that back means go the other way. So, by paying attention to how the dog responds to words, you’ll understand the dog, and the dog will understand you. Oh, by the way, if you train your dog to pee and poop on command, it’s a whole lot easier to travel with them – just a suggestion. I have one trained that way now, and working on the other. Not that we travel so much, but if there is a storm, I can get them out in a break in the weather. You can control where they do their business. It’s really possible, just takes patience!
