Pre-Ramble:  It’s been all over the news … outcomes of a recent poll of 1,112 pet owners nationwide indicate that 25% of dog owners believe that their dog listens better than a spouse, and one-in-ten pet owners talk over their problems with their pets. 

Los Angeles veterinarian Karen Sueda suggests that,

“Pets are great because they provide us with unconditional support, … never talk back, … give us their opinion, … and they are always there for us.”

Well, sure, that sounds like a good synopsis of the human-pet relationship. To test the premise and veracity of the poll and its findings however, I checked in with my highly astute and insightful assistant and muse, Daisy (shown above). As many of you know, Daisy, is a Pointer/Brittany Spaniel mix, and has been a featured guest blogger here on the site several times.

Not one to hold back, the Dais-i-nator immediately had a bone to pick with Ms. Sueda’s assessment of the human-canine dynamic.  Says Daisy,

“Of course dogs are stellar listeners and the go-to resource for talking out your troubles, but that just scratches the surface of the communication skills and therapeutic value that a good dog can provide.”

She goes on to suggest that in the day-to-day human-canine interaction, the dog’s role is far from passive and that it is a common misconception that dogs never talk back or give their opinion. Don’t let their relaxed demeanor or blank stare fool you – dogs are excellent communicators, insists Daisy, citing research which indicates that “animal communication is often more complex and subtle than previously believed. 

Listen up! Combined with other body language in a specific context, many gestures such as yawns, directional vision, or a wagging tail convey meaning. For example, even a simple tail wag can be used to communicate many subtle messages including:

• Excitement (”Look at this awesome squirrel I just caught!!!”)
• Anticipation (”Where are we going; and can I take the squirrel??”)
• Playfulness  (”Guess where I hid that gnarly squirrel!?”)
• Contentment (”I could lay here in this sunny spot on the carpet all day … “)
• Questioning the intentions of another animal or human (”Are you suggesting that I move off of this sunny spot on the carpet?”)
• A tentative role assessment, such as upon meeting another animal (”Who’s top dog?”)
• Brief acknowledgement (”I hear you” and/or “I hear you, but I’m still not going to come/sit/stay/heel …”)
• Statement of interest (”I want your lunch.”)
• Uncertainty or apprehension (”Oh, I don’t like the looks of this … You win … Here’s me rolling over onto my back…”)

Human whisperer. There’s a reason why they are known as “man’s best friend” – in addition to being great companions, dogs are way better communicators than most people. Beyond those big floppy listening ears, dogs are actually field ready to provide insight, offer consul, and fetch a stick if necessary. Dogs tell it like it is. If I’m about to do something stupid, Daisy is always standing by to give me the, “What the heck?!” look. When I’m taking myself too seriously, she will do something ridiculous to remind me that fun is part of the big picture. If I get too caught up in must-do’s, she’ll gently remind me that at the end of the day, we still need a walk up to the lake to sniff out the squirrels and watch the sun sparkle on the water.

The Take-Away:  Sure, your dog is listening to you, and there’s huge value in that. But the other half of the equation is, are you listening back? Woof!! 

Post Note:  Woof, woof, woof, … WOOF!  … Couldn’t have said it better myself, Daisy – communication is a two-way street (a concept which may work well in those human-to-human interactions as well).

The Pre-Ramble: Now that the mercury has dipped below eighty-degrees, we Minnesotans begin to brace ourselves for the coming winter months and the inevitable return of the simultaneously dreaded and revered s-n-o-w. Without going too far adrift here, it has been noted and debated that the Eskimo language has between four and one-hundred distinct words for the concept of snow. Seriously. There is an Eskimo word to describe “snow on the ground” (aput), “falling snow” (qana), “drifting snow” (piqsirpoq), “a snowdrift” (qimuqsuq), and even a word to describe the state of being “covered in frosty sparkling snow” (patuqutaujuq). Beyond flakes, flurries and blizzards, the English language is pretty much limited to the four letter “s” word.

Where am I going with this: In their theory of linguistic relativism, lingual anthropoligists, Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf hypothesize that the language we speak both affects and reflects our view of the world. According to Ed and Ben, if there isn’t a word for it, the unnamed entity or sentiment defies expression. It would also follow that we are also lacking in awareness of the infinite shades of meaning between established words. A scary thought, yes? Well, sit down.

Forget about a critical shortage of words – I’m here to tell you that we aren’t even getting maximum mileage out of the few pitiful words we do have!

Given the dramatic increase in the use of the written word, particularly via email and text message, significant shades of meaning are being lost wholesale due to a phenomenon which I will call, Big Limitations In Punctuation (BLIP) . Minus the cues conveyed through body language and vocal inflection, written expression is further hampered by huge gaps in punctuation. Never mind that there is only one word for the “standardized nonalphabetical symbols used to organize writing into clauses, phrases, and sentences…” there are several punctuation options that are simply missing from the program.

We need, for instance, something between the period and the exclamation point. The period is so flat and cold, while the exclamation point is far too “I’m-so-fourteen-years-old” exuberant. Something like a “mid-clamation point” would fill the gap, indicating that one is interested and supportive, but not over-the-top excited. A rhetorical question mark would also be useful, as would a variation which could denote sarcasm (a personal favorite). I think I’d also get a lot of use out of something special which could mark a mildly pejorative comment like, “YOU BONEHEAD!” or soften more emphatic verbiage that could be interpreted as mean like, “YOU #@!?$%? BITCH!” Now, see…right there, in both instances the exclamation point is all wrong! (And, it was wrong following the word “wrong” just then…) There is such a need for this.

The Take-Away: Our capacity to express new kinds of thoughts and to communicate with each other via the English language may be greatly hampered by the limited number of punctuation options currently available. Clearly, we need new punctuation that can make written communications more precise and meaningful (and less unintentionally inadequate or snarky). 

The Challenge: Our challenge here is to come up with some new punctuation; preferrably markings which can be created using the existing cast of characters on the standard word processing keyboard.

Game on??