It’s often said that English is one of the more difficult languages to learn (particularly by those who are being taught the language 🙂 )
However, English is a lot easier than Husky. Dogs have an amazing ability to communicate. Their social interactions are on a plane well above us mere humans (or at least this human). To help fellow husky owners, I’ve prepared the following list of basic phrases.
- Woof. This is easy, the husky is hungry.
- Woof. The husky would like dog food.
- Woof. The husky would like more dog food.
- Woof. The husky would like a share of whatever you’re eating. More woofing may ensure.
- Woof. The husky wants a walk.
- Woof. The husky told you some time ago about a walk and it hasn’t happened. Get your act together, and get the leash out of the cupboard.
- Woof. No more excuses. Let’s go for a walk.
- Woof. Boy, it’s good to be back in the air-conditioning after that long walk.
- Woof. The husky wants to go out and chase a bunny that is sat in the garden.
- Woof. The husky wants to come back into the air-conditioning after the bunny ran away at the speed of light.
Now for some more complex phrases
- Woof. This is tricky. It can either mean that the husky is bored or that the husky has gas. Wait a couple of minutes to deduce the correct interpretation.
- Woof. There is a large puddle of clean water on the floor next to the husky’s drinking area that needs cleaning up. Oh, and the husky would like it’s mysteriously empty water bowl refilled.
- Woof. More difficult, this means the husky would like you to use the skip button on the DVR to skip the program and get back to the dog treat adverts. A second woof following this is simply to lament that said husky’s paws are too big to use the remote control themselves.
- Woof. That bunny is back in the garden. How about a pincer movement, you go left and the husky will go right.
- Woof. You call that running? The husky is disappointed with your ability to jump fences and negotiate lawn furniture. The bunny was long gone by the time you got there.
- Woof. Maybe we should pick up the pace on walks, and get you back into bunny chasing shape.
- Woof. Talking of walks, it’s been a while. How about a walk?
So there you have it. That’s all I know, but I’m sure you know more. Wanna to share?
Woof!
Woof! I read this to The Labs (The Girls) and they love it.
Woof! Lab Molly wants lessons if Husky catches that rabbit. She has a family of them.
Woof! Woof! Woof! That squirrel is running ’round the tree and peeking at me. I move, it moves.
Woof! I’m exhausted. Can I have a Frosty Paw.
WOOOOOF! Lady Lab Sydney wants Pesky Young Lab Molly to back away from her bone.
Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! If I bark long enough you’ll quit typing and come in to scratch my Molly lab rear. Know why? ‘Cause you’re afraid I have to go pee. HA!
LOVE these Husky posts.
Molly has a new technique for begging for people food. She sits. She stares. She drools. It’s really pathetic. Drool dripping, brown-eyed sincerity in a 72 pound package.
Hi Gloria. Very useful, I’ll add them to my list.
We get the sitting and staring every time we open the fridge door, but fortunately not a lot of drooling. I have to admit to constantly frustrating our dogs bunny chasing efforts by stamping my feet before opening the back door. She’s going to catch on, one day 🙂
Woof!
I had no idea that a dog’s language was so varied! I live in the world of meows, which can mean anything from “feed me” or “let me out” to “I am a superior being and simply want to let you know that you are my underling.”
I can sympathize with the feline side of things – I used to share a house with 6 cats. Or was it the other way around? They did a very good job on the letting you know your the underling thing 🙂
Meow!
Thanks, but I prefer grandchildren.
I’m sure you need a similar translation chart though!
Woof!
woof–there is a squirrel I would like to catch
woof–wait now there is a deer and they are passing by in the back yard
woof–can I go catch that rabbit???
my chow-chow barks at all animals. She doesn’t bark at a person walking down to the house, well not until they reach the door. But if there is a squirrel on the back porch she will bark. If a family of deer are passing by in the back yard we try and rush her away from the door. My mastiff will bark only because the chow does LOL!!
Blimey, Irene, sounds like a noisy house! Our husky rarely barks, but she woofs a lot and does a great wolfhound howl (esp when she wants in).
Woof!
Oh this made me laugh! My dogs are the same way, only slightly more vocal. Two woofs means “I want attention… now please” (yes, they’re very polite). Three woofs is, “Help, I’m behind this door and I really want to get out of here”. Repeated woofs means either “Let’s play with my toys” or “There’s something (bird, dog, lizard, rabbit, person, and/or car) outside I want to play with, let’s go!
Sirens will induce a very long series of woofs until said siren stops. At which point, dog will survey her domain, grunt with satisfaction, turn in two full circles, and flop down to resume her nap.
Lol, amazing how well they communicate with us humans huh? Just don’t get me started on tail wagging and hopping… those are significantly more complex.
🙂
LOL. We get wolf-howling when she wants in, and bouncing up and down when there’s something in the garden worth chasing. We don’t get a lot of sirens, but I’m sure they’d scare out dog because thunder makes her whimper and whine pitifully.
Woof!
A very useful primer indeed! Now that I can distinguish “woof” from “woof”, I feel much more confident. But I’m still a little shaky on the difference between “woof” and “woof”. I guess it’s a lifetime of learning. 😉
Ah yes, “woof” and “woof” are two of the trickier parts of dog to distinguish. Could I suggest a little more practice? Walking a dog perhaps? And if you don’t have a dog that wants a walk, mine is at the ready!
Woof!
Woof! Bunnies? I’d chase the bears and the skunks and the porcupines, but Grandma won’t let me. Woof! Silly Grandma.
Yeah, my owners are the same. Stupid harness thing. Mind you, the novelty of being called “skunk” and left outside for a week wears off quite quickly.
Woof!
How did I miss this? PAW-some! Now I know how to talk to my dog.
Amy says, “Woof!” (get off the sofa!)
Magic. Head tilt sideways. (say, what?)
Amy, “Woof!” (off-the-sofa!)
Magic. Head tilt other way. Yawn. (could you repeat the question?)
Amy, “WOOF!” ($%^&*I! sofa already!)
Magic. Slurping Amy’s face. (sure, I gotz lotsa kisses!)
Ha! You sound like a professional. Your dog also seems to have the selective understanding mine does 🙂
Cheers!
“•Woof. The husky wants to go out and chase a bunny that is sat in the garden.”
That one means “My owner is from England.”
Blimey, there’s no fooling you.
Cheers!