Dekker Speaks HIs MInd
Usually I introduce this blog post by introducing Dekker, a service dog with many special gifts—one of which is sharing his wisdom with humans. Today, I said I would give him space so prepare… Dekker speaks his mind.
The Communication Gap Between Paws and Thumbs
Woof Woof!! – I really only have one question: Why don’t people listen to their fur friends… or even the ones covered with scales… more than they do?
They don’t even listen to each other that well!
Is it because they are expecting words, or is it because they only know how to listen with their ears?
We who live beside you or in your lap every day have so much to share, but most of your communication happens only when you want something, and then it is only one word. “Come.” “Sit.” “Lie Down.”
We seldom get asked what we feel or think—if we like the music you are playing or if we are comfortable on the floor.
We try so hard to tell you things like “You need a break” or “It’s time to go to bed.”
We are like guardian angels but even ‘St. Bernard’ can’t get you to put down your book and listen to him.
We hear and understand more than you may think.
We know the weather is changing without looking at a cell phone.
We know when someone is sick or dying without asking a doctor.
We know exactly what time it is without a clock. And we know how to love unconditionally.
It may be difficult for people to listen because they don’t have big noses like I do.
I sometimes think if people had a nose like mine, they could make better decisions…like who to trust, and who to stay away from, who needs a hug and who needs to be left alone.
Smelling can be more important than listening when it comes to understanding someone.
Dekker on Living with Felines
I live with two cats who are always letting me know if they are happy or sad. But more than that, they speak about life with humans all the time.
I don’t want to break their confidence by telling you what I have heard. Plus, it might get them sent away for their safety.
But I do wonder if cat persons really take the time to ask questions, to listen, and then to write like my person does.
I notice she doesn’t write about her conversations with the cats for some reason. Perhaps she has never learned ‘cat-speak.’ But then she isn’t a cat person.
It really isn’t all that difficult to listen to your cat. I try to tell her that, but she is deaf to my words.
I know my person never fully heard what I was saying until she started writing it all down.
I’m glad she has thumbs because it helps her write things down. Paws are useless with a pen.
If you really want to hear Whiskers or Fido, try writing down what they are saying. You have to listen hard, heart to heart if you want to hear.
Did you know that your dog or cat, or even fish has a voice? If you expect them to speak in English and make a sound for your ears, that isn’t going to work.
But your heart is a lot better for hearing than ears, anyway. Using your heart and nose together, you can communicate with any person or any animal any time.
No one ever asks my opinion. They only want solutions to their problems. I tell my person all the time: “Sit. Be quiet. Listen.”
It has taken her a long, long time to learn these three commands. She has learned ‘sit,’ and she can be quiet on the outside for short periods of time. (I don’t think she knows how noisy her brain is to us animals.)
Beyond Human Language
Since she started writing this blog with me, she has gotten better at listening…at least to me.
When she forgets and listens only with her ears instead of her heart, she might as well be deaf. I can’t get a thought edgewise to her. I am afraid she would not make a very good service person…and she would look funny in a red jacket.
Once she started writing this blog, she got much better at listening. Not with her ears, for I don’t speak English well..or any other language for that matter.
Now she listens with her heart. We have heart to heart conversations all the time.
I sometimes think it would be a different world if people would listen instead of talk all the time. With either their heart or their nose.
The truth is, we animals have been studying humans for thousands of years. We know your habits, your likes and dislikes, and even your fears.
We know when you’re sad before you do.
We can tell when you’re sick before the thermometer shows a fever.
We sense danger long before you hear the strange noise at the door.
But humans? Most humans barely know what we’re trying to tell them when we sit by the door or paw at our empty bowls.
And those are the obvious signals!
Dekker on Animal Wisdom
What about when I put my head on your knee because I sense your sadness? Or when I bring you my favorite toy because I know you need cheering up?
Or when I wake you up in the middle of the night because something doesn’t smell right?
My person has learned to hear me, slowly but surely. She watches my ears, my tail, my eyes. She pays attention to where I’m looking and what I’m smelling.
She’s learning our language instead of expecting me to learn hers completely.
And here’s what I’ve noticed: the more she listens to me, the more she listens to herself.
The more she trusts my instincts about people, the more she trusts her own.
The more she follows my lead in taking breaks and playing, the healthier she becomes.
Maybe that’s why we’re here. Not just to be your companions, but to be your teachers.
To remind you how to use those senses you’ve forgotten about. To show you how to live in the present moment instead of worrying about tomorrow or yesterday.
Dekker’s Challenge
So here’s my challenge to you humans: spend one day listening to your fur friend with your heart instead of your ears.
Watch us. Feel what we’re feeling. Smell what we’re smelling (okay, maybe not everything we’re smelling). And write it down. That always seems to help my person understand me more.
You might be surprised at what you learn.
If you think this blog has been helpful, please throw a tennis ball in my honor or scratch behind some lucky dog’s ears today!
And if you really want to make a difference, adopt a shelter pet who’s been waiting too long for someone to listen to their heart.
We promise to teach you everything you need to know about listening—no thumbs required! (Though kibble is always appreciated during the learning process. WoofWoof!!.)
Dekker writes on the first Sunday of the month.
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