Farley here.
So this week my human is reading The Genius Of Dogs: How Dogs are smarter than you think.
Well I could have told her that. Kristina keeps reading me tidbits that I already know.
Here’s what I do when I need to tell her something:
- Tap on floor with my nails during the night if I need out. That seems to wake her up, but not my male human though. He sleeps through everything. If she won’t wake up I breathe in her face. First time I did that she seemed a bit startled. Humans don’t like to be woken up with someone breathing in their face I guess.
- Whack my water boil against sliding glass door when I need water. Seems to really get her going at 3am.
- Stare at cupboard, then at Kristina, then at cupboard where my treats are kept. She knows this means she should open the door and hand me a treat.
- Give her my most intense stare when I’m hungry. I can even do this in a run by stare and she knows it’s my “feed me stare.”
- Press the top of my head on the sliding glass door when I need outside quickly (if there’s an emergency – I don’t like to throw up inside.). Kristina wants me to bark in this case, but that’s too undignified for me. I’m not a barky kinda guy.
I can even ask Kristina questions with just a look.
When we’re hiking, if I come to a place on the trail where I have to make a choice on direction, I look back at Kristina and she points, telling me where to go. I’m a big eye contact guy, but I do know words too.
If we come across strangers, I glance at Kristina. If she waves away from the people, I don’t approach them. If she says “okay” I run and greet them.
Kristina says her last dog was more word oriented, and that I do better with hand signals. Whatever . . . I’m still a genius.
How do you communicate with your humans?
Woof Woof.
Creative Story Editors 
Same as you staring at my bowl when I want food and breath in my humans faces when I need to go out if they are asleep, it works every time! When I want to go out in the daytime I simply stare as long as I can on the stairs to the entrance of the boat.
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Those humans sure seem to understand staring. We have them soooo trained.
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I love this post, Kristina! Err, I mean, Farley. My island dog, Angel, uses her big soulful eyes, excessive vocal abilities and scampering around to communicate with me in similar fashion. Her favorite phrases include “treat,” “are you hungry,” “time for breakfast” and “time for supper.” However, she’s usually alerting me to the time before I’m concurring with her on meals. She also loves “let’s go swimming” (though she’s more of a wader, like Farley) and “let’s go fishing” (by my Dad’s lake where she can stand on the edge and see the fish). I should try fishing with her here in these clearer waters! She’s less keen on “time for a bath” but a good sport about it. I’m just now catching up on blog reading and enjoying your posts. Happy cruising!
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Dawn. Thank you for the lovely comments. Sounds like Angel is a wonderful dog. Love the title of you blog “Choosing a Better Life.” We should all make that choice. I’m behind on blog reading too as we are in the family islands and I can get minimal access to the internet. Kristina
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