Rough speech Cute, but can he talk?
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Maya, a noisy, seven-year-old pooch, looks straight at me. And with just a little prompting from her owner says, "I love you." Actually, she says "Ahh rooo uuu!"
Maya is working hard to produce what sounds like real speech. "She makes these sounds that really, really sound like words to everyone who hears her, but I think you have to believe," says her owner, Judy Brookes.
You've probably seen this sort of scene on YouTube and David Letterman. These dog owners may be onto something: Psychologist and dog expert Stanley Coren of the University of British Columbia tells the story of a colleague who always greeted her dog, Brandy, with a cheerful, two-syllable "Hel-lo!" It wasn't long until Brandy returned the greeting, which sounded very much like her owner's salutation, says Coren, author of How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog–Human Communication.
But do dogs really talk? Back in 1912 Harry Miles Johnson of Johns Hopkins University said, emphatically, "no." In a paper in Science, he generally agreed with the findings of Oskar Pfungst of the Institute of Psychology at the University of Berlin who studied a dog famous for its large vocabulary. The dog's speech is "the production of vocal sounds which produce illusion in the hearer," Johnson wrote.
He went on to warn that we should not be surprised if "scientists of a certain class…proclaim that they have completely demonstrated the presence in lower animals of 'intelligent imitation'."
Nothing in the last century has really changed that scientific opinion. (No one has ever questioned whether dogs communicate with each other, but calling it "talking" is something else.) So what are Maya and her cousins doing? It's more appropriate to call it imitating than talking, says Gary Lucas, a visiting scholar in psychology at Indiana University Bloomington. Dogs vocalize with each other to convey emotions—and they express their emotions by varying their tones, he says. So it pays for dogs to be sensitive to different tones. Dogs are able to imitate humans as well as they do because they pick up on the differences in our tonal patterns.
Lucas likens this behavior to that of bonobos, primates that can imitate some tonal patterns, including vowel sounds, pitch changes, and rhythms, studies show. "The vocal skills of some of the dogs and cats on YouTube suggest that they might also have some selective tonal imitation skills," he says.
What's happening between dog and owner-turned-voice-coach is fairly straightforward, Coren says: Owner hears the dog making a sound that resembles a phrase, says the phrase back to the dog, who then repeats the sound and is rewarded with a treat. Eventually the dog learns a modified version of her original sound. As Lucas puts it, "dogs have limited vocal imitation skills, so these sounds usually need to be shaped by selective attention and social reward."
In the Letterman video "a pug says, 'I love you' and it's very cute, but the pug has no idea what it means," Coren says. "If dogs could talk, they would tell you, 'I'm just in it for the cookies.'"
Scientists have made some progress in their study of this important subject: They've learned why dogs, and other animals, have rather poor pronunciation and, for example, completely botch consonants. They "don't use their tongues and lips very well, and that makes it difficult for them to match many of the sounds that their human partners make," Lucas says. "Try saying 'puppy' without using your lips and tongue."
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57 Comments
Add CommentDog talking ?How can they?Mimic possibly.But the much more advanced ape cannot.Anyway my dog can make himself understood,with his sign language.I am well I am not well,dont you dare touch me there in hurts!I want to go out,I want to play,I want affection .why does he need words? when a bark or a whine will surfice.talking can produce a load of nonsense at time.Case rested.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere was an interesting experiment done in mice that added a set of genes that seem to be associated with speech in humans. It would be interesting to see if they could be inserted into a dogs DNA.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs far as dogs mimicking speech, isn't that what babies do when they learn to speak?
Our pit talked; just once. We were all in close quarters, had been for over 3 years, we basically were never over 10 feet from each other. That summer was miserably, ever-so-hot, and I commented on it constantly. "Its so hot, never been so hot, etc, ad nauseum, and the dog, while I was looking away, said HOT. I turned around expecting to see my husband in the doorway and nobody was there, even checked to see if the phone 3 feet away was off the hook.........nothing, just the dog.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMore important than having an animal mimic our vocalizations, is our understanding the sign language, the body language of the animal. We need to know when an animal is threatened by or pleased with our behavior, or what they are communicating by their behavior.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAll else is theatre, not science
Two things - teaching a dog to talk is difficult as dogs do not have the vocal apparatus and neither do chimps -that's why sign language is used -chimps can talk with their hands like a New Yorker, no problemo!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSecond, seems to me whether dogs talk or not is no more than semantics. Animals communicate with each other so it should come as no surprise that we might arrange some crossover. Every dog owner knows we already communicate across species. He's no Shakespeare but Barkey knows exactly what I mean when I say "treat".
I worked on a chimp project in grad school. The question was always "Sure they can mimick and use signs, but do they have language?" We got a linguist in and after determining the neither he nor anyone else could define language in a suitably scientific way we all had to agree that what a fellow RA said was about as close to truth as we'd ever get. He said "They need it to get along during the day". And indeed they did. They asked to go out and play with the dog and if we signed "peekaboo" they'd stick their head behind a chair or tree and sneak about from hiding place to hiding place. A chimp signing "ice cream" after an hour of swinging in the hay barn in the Reno heat seemed about as appropriate a suggestion as I've ever heard. These kinds of interactions were everyday occurrences.
Don't matter to me whether they mimicked, cribbed from Cliff's Notes or danced around in a grass chanting spells -if the behavior is appropriate to the communication then we're communicating -no matter what you call it.
has there be similar reserch done on whether cats talk... i've had one that gave it a good go...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogs, and all plants and animals communicate. It is chauvinist bigotry, the same instinct for righteous domination that instills the belief in man that he is the last branch on the evolutionary tree.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRosie, our black Lab, could say more to a human with a rolling eye and head tilt than all the human linguists who ever barked commands at other species. She grabbed at your empathy and made you believe what she 'said'. Name one politician , lawyer or religious leader who can do that.
Dogs can speak. It's not the level of complexity a human of sufficient age and education speaks with, but they do. My hound dog can look at me and say "out" ("ouwW"), "hungry" ("un. ree.") and "bone" ("rone"). These aren't prompted responses; these are clear communications that she wants something that simple panting and pawing won't easily convey, and she knows it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI didn't mean to teach her these words. I'll ask if she's hungry while I pour her kibble, and ask if she wants out when she pants at the door. Now, she can start the conversation when I'm not paying attention by saying one of the words she knows how to (kind of) say. She just picked them up, like a child does (maybe I shouldn't swear around her -- that c0uld be embarrassing when I have company...).
What is human speech besides mimicry? We don't inherently know words, we learn them initially by repeating what we hear, and associating them with the appropriate context. We just happen to be really good and articulate with speech.
I am retired and 70 years old. Darby, my little eight year old Shi-tzu, has been with me practically 24/7 since he was eight weeks old. He doesn't speak English and I don't speak Dog, however, we do communicate very well. We both use tonal inflections and body language. I use my hands to show him things and he looks at what he wants me to see. He verbalizes with sounds like "uh", quiet growls, etc. They are repeated and the "grrs" are to get my attention and they get stronger if he is ignored. He also lets me know he is questioning something by a long "Uhhhh?" with a raise in his voice like a question. He even goes to his bed and pouts of the answer is no.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlthough, I have given him obedience training, I have never attempted to teach him words to communicate with people. And I have never attempted to communicate with him or any other dogs doggy style. (If you know what I mean.) He doesn't have the skills or anatomy to communicate in human language and I don't have the skills or desire to reciprocate.
Animals learn from other animals by watching and copying, just as we do and that is what Darby is doing. He has never been rewarded with food or praise for communicating. We both know that communication is a given if we are to live peacefully together. If Darby is simply using mimicry - I guess I am also as I am behaving outside my norm in order to get my thoughts to him.
Genes to produce speech?miming babies,yes but you have to have the equipment to to perform.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogs bark. Cats use telepathy.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTalk? probably not... communicate... I think, yes. Their power of understanding seems to transcends speech. I have more a telepathic communication with my dog. I never taught her to communicate, but I regularly explain things to her and she watches and understands. My parents have never had less than 4 dogs and the communication (not speech) that goes on between my parents and dogs is so very obvious and complex that I could never agree to anyone saying that dogs have no communication skills.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI had a dog named Floco who was very bright and understood many words such us: go out, chocolate, ice cream, bed, a kiss, come here, etc. I never taught him these words: only normally spoke to him. I also had a dog named Lobo who cared for me as my baby sitter, when I was a todler in the farm, and who told me not to follow certain paths where cobras might be and so on. I have now a dog named Amora who disagrees with me, like a teen, and who mumbles her disagreements in body language. All of them were great communicators. People are arrogant to think that just humans can "talk".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI had a dog named Floco who was very bright and understood many words or phrases such us: go out, chocolate, ice cream,go to bed, come here for a kiss, let's go for a walk, etc. I never taught him these things: only normally spoke to him, as you do with a kid. He walked around me with his lead in the mouth when he wanted to go out and followed me anywhere with an intense look till I took him outside. I also had a dog named Lobo, who cared for me as my baby sitter, when I was a todler in the farm, and who told me not to follow certain paths where cobras might be and so on. I have now a dog named Amora who disagrees with me, like a teen, and who mumbles her disagreements in body language. All of them were/are good communicators. People are arrogant to think that just humans can "talk".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy husband and I have lived with dogs all our lives, and the first cat joined our family a couple years back. It's nonsense to think that dogs can "talk" -- but they communicate quite effectively! They do come to recognize many human words, and are masters of picking up speech and body language patterns. They seem to realize that they're better communicators than we are, and work hard at mimicking our tonal patterns and body language to express themselves. We were particularly shocked when the cat started using different tones and sounds, mimicking both ours AND the dogs. (I swear, she's barked!) Domestic pets can teach us a lot about how to communicate with each other because they've got us all figured out. All we need to do is be as receptive as we humans possibly can be, and they'll take it from there.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogs have been near Humans, for millenniums, facts is that eventually; they will reform their capability of the physical status, to be able to form sounds as we humans do.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTherefore, the understanding of our language is with them, when they straggle to speak.
Has any research be conucted on feline vocalization to convey appropriate meaning to humans? I had a Siamese, Blue-Point, who demonstrated a level of understanding relative to that of an average 3 year old human through metacommunication. One day, however, he went beyond this to articulate [as best he could with his feline vocal anatomy], "I wan owwh!" then strode past me into the dining-room. Astonished, I followed him and repeated what he'd said, "You want out?!!" He stopped, turned to me and saidm "Yaah!" then proceeded to the door and waited for me to obediently open it for him and out he went.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe have always talked to our cat with simple talk i.e. Hello. How are you today? Are you hungry?... but had never made a concerted effort to train him to speak. It was his choice to use the personal pronoun "I" to refer to himself wanting out verses the "Do YOU want out?" that we would ask him. Interesting.
Dogs can't speak English, or any other known human language for that matter. They can obviously speak to each other, although each breed appears to have a slightly different dialect, and they clearly display a myriad of emotions for anyone to see, however I have asked my now elderly dog on numerous occasions to speak English when communication has become muddled, but she is unable and/or unwilling to do so. A lick in the ear, or a pat on the head as the ears pin back, usually solves any difficulty in translation
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTalking dogs are pretty common here in Tennessee.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI remember one traveling salesman who saw a sign on a farmer's yard: "Talking dog for sale, $15."
The salesman knocked and the farmer told him he could find the dog out back.
It was an old hound dog. "Can you talk?," the salesman asked. "Why yes, I can." "Then what are you doing here on this farm?"
"Well it's an interesting story. Got a few minutes?
"As a pup, I served in the first Gulf War. Bomb sniffer. Received decorations of the highest order.
"Then, I retired and joined the Border Patrol. Found more drugs than any dog agent in history. Received a presidential citation.
"But, you know, dogs don't live forever, so I decided to retire here, sire some pups, chase a possum or rabbit once in awhile, lie about in the sun. It's been sweet."
"Stay right here," the salesman said. He went back to the farmer and said, "I'll take him. But I have to ask: why so cheap?"
"Ah, that dog is a damned liar. He never done any of that stuff."
I've never had a dog that actually spoke in words but I understand that they do learn how to communicate with us by imitation and paying close attention. My dogs let me know when they want or need something. I am rarely at a loss about what it is that they want.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI used to have a boxer who learned to recognize so many words we had to start spelling them, then she learned the spellings, too! She also used to nag incessantly until everything was as she thought it should be. Put this away, it doesn't belong here. Turn the damned ceiling fan off, you know it bothers my ears! I don't think the nephew is safe on that slide; get him down.
There are always those who want to lecture us on the limitations of animal intelligence. Maybe they should consider the possibility that some of the limitations are ours. If we would just listen smarter, we could do a better job of communicationg with out pets, at least.
Of course dogs talk. I was feeding our border collie, Jada, some new dog food and she suddenly said, "This stuff is crap!" I said, "My God, Jada! How come you never spoke before?" She said, "Well, until now, the food's been all right."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisB. Hill
Isle of Wight
"Scientists of a certain class" are fond of saying that animals mimic human activity but there's no evidence of cognition. Unfortunately, you can make the same argument about a "scientist of a certain class" reading his paper at a meeting. Well, it sure looks like reading, but it could only be complex mimicry. The answers to questions also look like cognition, but those could merely be learned mimicry as well.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf dogs can't talk, how is it that we always know when they need to go outside? Talk doesn't always mean "speaks English," does it?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI heartily agree with UncleGeo and Thagler.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe article says: "a pug says, 'I love you' and it's very cute, but the pug has no idea what it means," Coren says. "If dogs could talk, they would tell you, 'I'm just in it for the cookies.'"
This may be funny but it's unfair. Each time that phrase is said to the dog, it's accompanied by demonstrations of love such as a cookie for playing a fun game well.
The dog will return the sounds in the same spirit. It can't give out cookies but it can do it's best to give you what you want, a closer to human sound.
Even if a new combination to express a new idea is a long way off, it's a start.
I have a cat who can say "no" and "out", had a Golden Retriever who said several words, clear enough other people understood. These words uttered not as mimic, or for a treat, but spontaneous message to a human (not necessarily me).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogs can not speak but they sure understand more than we think. I feel very stupid when my dog understands what I want from him and I do not understand what he wants. Human arrogance?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisif dogs can't talk using the proper Queen's Language, is because they aren't designed to do so, their vocal chords, tongue and mouth have a completely different anatomy, one used to make loud howling sounds to convey data (as this is my territory, we are of number of howls strength, etcetera) for longer distance calls, and short distance transmissions (growling, barking etc).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogs can understand more than it would seem at first glance, one of my dogs can tell you about everything just by looking at you, the same kind of body language that they'd use, just use your eyes to listen!
as an add in to my comment, I have had several cats that could use words in their context, such as asking for "man't'kia" (close enough to butter in spanish, mantequilla), "mas" more, and "mama" mother, the fact that he didn't called butter when he wanted out meant that he knew if he used that word, he would be given butter, or if he used "mas" he would get more of something, isn't that the basis of learning a language?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOn the other hand, a non talking cat that I had, could make sounds that conveyed (backward trained me?) concrete ideas, if she wanted food of a kind would make a sound, if she wanted out another, and also gave accent to those, as one day I took too much time to give her what she wanted, she made the same sound in a stronger commanding fashion.
I'm fascinated by the topic. As an animal communicator I regularly talk to dogs in plain English, using telepathic skills which all animals have. It doesn't require the mechanical use of lips and tongue. You just think what you want to say and send it to the animal who thinks back the answer.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn this manner I can 'speak' with sick animals who tell me their symptoms and what they want for care.
Leslie
I'm fascinated by the discussion. An an animal communicator I talk to animals all the time. I just do it telepathically. I think what I want to say and send it to the animal. The animal thinks what they want to say and thinks their statement back to me. It doesn't require any use of lips, tongue or teeth.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBy putting my skills as a medical social worker to use on behalf of animals, I can find out directly how they're feeling when they're sick and what they want in the way of care.
Some animals really do want to be coddled, others just want to be left alone in peace and quiet.
Animal Talker
if a dog could talk the first thing it would say is "why are you doing such a undog-like thing? Dogs function very well in a dog world and function less well in a human world. none the less, when you raise a dog in your family all this is unconsciously accepted and transparent to the dog. Their illusion is that they are a family member. And they are very embarrassed when you show them their image in a mirror. It would be interesting to develop a pidgin or creole that dogs could pronounce. The result would be less than a wolf in a wolf environment and more than a dog in a human environment. They would still have to be treated for fleas. they are demonstrably very smart in many situations and great hunting companions. And their smell-o-vision is embarrassingly revealing in sexual and dominance hiararchy situations in human groups. They instantly know who is who in wolf pack rules.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy dog sort of sounds like Tom Brokaw.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRuh-roh!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogs, like other animals (including human kind) communicate via body language.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhile I know dogs don't "speak" our language, I do believe they understand a multitude of words and their meanings when we ask them to do specific tasks.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI agree with this article that they are merely imitating our sounds. I have a dog who when asked "what do whippets do" she responds with "runrunrun". If I ask her what a terrier says she barks a sharp bark. If I ask her what a Ford says she responds with "aroorooroo" (it sounds like a car trying to start). Whether they can "talk" or not, they enrich our lives, that's for sure!
<a href="http://whippetwatch.com/1stchoice">Mary, 1st Choice Collars</a>
Here, in Brazil my friend has a dog that sings a song everytime it's played. The song is just vocal improvisation, but the dog try to do the same! it's on youtube. " o c�o cantor"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHere in Brazil, my friend has a dog that can sing a song everytime it's played. The song in just vocal improvisation but the dog try to do the same. the video is on youtube " veludo o cão cantor"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor a little over 10 years I had a Brittany (spaniel). She was very smart and communicative. When I came home from work each day, as I changed and bathed, Tina would begin discussing how her day went. With out prompting, she would vocalize for minutes, varying her tones and decibals. Sometimes I would say, "And then what?" and she would continue with her story. I have no doubt she felt she was telling me her story. I always meant to record it, but did not. So now it is just a sweet memory.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogs don't talk. They just don't need to. Dog's brain are like baby's brain: not able to talk but do use other means to communicate. Anyone living and interacting with dogs can notice this. Science just need to make more research on this subject and help us to better understand the Homo sapiens babies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy dog speaks in a variety of sounds using sighs, grunts, woofs, and something that sounds like rarowrah. He thinks he's saying something to me and that's enough for me. But more than that is how many of my words he understands when I'm speaking to my husband, not even directly to the dog. If the word out or car or anything else he's familiar with comes up, he'll go dancing to the door or kitchen or refrigerator or wherever. We had to start spelling words, but guess what? Yep, he knows most of them now too. And don't even ask him if he wants a bath, or he'll make you think he's about to bite you with the disagreeable growl that he shares. Dogs will never be able to communicate with us using the same words because they don't use their lips and tongues the same, but my dog can tell me everything he wants, doesn't want, likes and doesn't like, and where he wants to go and when, so communicate he does!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI know my cat is frustrated with her human's lack of intelligence...all her meowing and leading has only taught me one trick so far, filling her food dish on demand. She's clear and I react. It's communication.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy cats and I communicate with ease. They seem to attempt inflection but it mimicks me. However, the point of communication is simply that. Talking is not all it's cracked up to be by us.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisyou have to believe....
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOne cat, big rounded head, a tomboy cat, he managed to ask for water verbally saying *agua* distinctly but without losing the initial mmm sound: mmm_agua, magua. He learned it alone after the usual rethoric question whether he wanted water or not, before serving him water. He spoke more than once with full meaning and got rewarded. Probably would have learned other words if adequately prepared for its cat vocal abilities and properly taught by association. Though I suspect many speaking dogs are rather their owner *hearing voices* on them...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOne cat, big rounded head, a tomboy cat, he managed to ask for water verbally saying *agua* distinctly but without losing the initial mmm sound: mmm_agua, magua. He learned it alone after the usual rethoric question whether he wanted water or not, before serving him water. He spoke more than once with full meaning and got rewarded. Probably would have learned other words if adequately prepared for its cat vocal abilities and properly taught by association. Though I suspect many speaking dogs are rather their owners *hearing* the voice of people thinking about their dog...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishow do you know your dog's feeling if it gets the ability to talk?Maybe it will say you are my dear lord.Maybe it will tell you something you don't know but harm to you,which will help you get out of danger.Who knows?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisdustin is always bitchin
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisdustin is always bitchin
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisdustin got a girl pregnant
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnimals communicate, this is one opinion that stands to be challanged. What I am reading is Michael Vick is right dog's mean nothing in the world. If it see's, hears, feels, lives, breathes, it communicates. Because of an opinion from an insensitive individual isn't grounded enough to understand does not concrete animals can't communicate with humans. You might as well say "I don't understand spanish so this fool isn't relevent"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou have to hear language to understand? Ever been in a foreign country? Does a deaf mute speak at birth? What degree do did you pay for? Better still do you have degree? If so, see if there is a refund policy for not getting your moneys worth! It's a life, has feelings, it understands, interacts, show's acceptance, joy, smiles, tells you when it thirsty. What do you need a, e, i, o, and U. Its a proven fact animals don't have the same vocal cords as human making them incapable speaking english. This is a total insult to humanity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYeah! Im with you totally agree!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have to say, you have the answer, and prefectly written. It is about projecting the thought and getting a reply. Telepathy plays a major roll with communicating with animals. What does the "dog whisper" say, "energy" the energy translates down the leash to the animal the thoughts of the human are then responded to.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOur dog also "talks". No one believes it. She used to just say owww to go pee. Now she says it if we leave her in a room and she wants out, or if she wants to go out back to play. She says YumYum plain as day, when she wants food, if she is past due for dinner, or if you happen to be eating a food she'd like to taste. She says (This one shocked us) OH NOOOOOO when she is frightened, or when she sees a bird, cat or squirrel out the window. She says something that sounds like I want, but can only say IWAHH, so it's like, "I WAHH yum yum." She uses language. If you are brushing her and say, "This paw or that one?", she will touch the brush, or your hand, with the paw she wants you to brush. I realize how ridiculous this sounds to most people. We tried to get some of it on youtube. The way we know she is talking is that now SHE initiates new sounds, and SHE asks for what she wants. We raised her with only positive reinforcement. She arrived, potty trained at eight weeks, and has never had an accident in the house. She is a delightful, unbelievable dog, and though we think the world should know about dogs like her, we prefer to keep her to ourselves, and let her live out her life in the peace, and comfort of our home. You don't have to believe it, but it's true.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWesterners love to project human traits and revel in anthropomorphism, but the simple fact is animals are animals.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHumans originated what a dog or, much better than both, a parrot might regurgitate for reward or as a function of their own instincts. Its also funny how no great ape can make any vocalisation nearly as complex as a parrot or Mina bird, yet we are expected to believe they are extremely genetically similar and that we evolved from them.
If seven percent difference takes me from typing this comment to drinking my own urine and not being able to say anything beyond whimpering then I would like to know what percentage genetic difference was filled in between Australopithecus Afarensis and Homo Sapiens, and at what rate?
Obviously not. Animals are not Humans and they dont have language even if they do noises and can communicate they have one "understanding" for instance a dolphin that asks for help has one sound and that means just that, we Humans are capable of understanding many meanings with the same words.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLanguage implies signs, symbols, and ideas in no way I consider an animal to have ideas, to think -they do feel but they dont know what they feel-, they dont have faith, hope or understanding -even if many group of people want them to be like humans-.
Language implies a memory and a subconscios level, what we write we can understand because is implicit in our knowledge and memory but they cant read or understand what they see. We are not sure if they can dream.
There was an experiment of a Japanese scientist that I forgot his name from the Univ of Japan he took the research on water he said that water could "feel" feelings, so he made ice and if the words were nice it was a nice crystal if the word directed at the ice was bad it wasnt a nice crystal, this may sound interesting and I tried to replicate it with rice with some students and im still waiting for the rice to read the words.
I dont know why so many people love their animals more than their neighbors and it would be interesting to ask why they want animals to talk why they want animals to have our same attribiutes when they become to a different specie, people need to respect ecology and animals sure but not to think they are us and we are them.
Ants can communicate with smell and vibrations but I dont think they have language, language is one of the distinctions that makes animals from humans, because it comes from a creative source, animals are not creative either even if they build primitive cages or "homes" like in the case of ants.
But the first time I'm talking about. We tend to think. Faithful dog. I use it for identity theft protection, so the time to choose a pet dog would go to see the looks on the big hitters, it's a label home. "Beware of fierce dog!" Make the world go by with nervous apprehension. But as time passed, the people living in the city for a while more. Smaller housing. A limitation of space. For this reason many people choose to breed dogs large dog breeds, small size big. Especially now that I'm very much smaller species. The party was so popular. I do not need the space in the parking lot. The dog owner can easily go wrong with.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut ... how do we know it's not right. I'm thinking we'll treat it as a really small dog breeds. I do not buy the ads that trashed a small breed it.
http://petfoodcatdogfood.blogspot.com/