The sign did not mean any of these when it originated in ancient Greece. Perhaps a good explanation at this point on the issue is that there appears to be an innate tendency in dogs to be predisposed to learn to follow a pointing gesture. In my experience, as Patricia pointed out, my dogs are more likely to come and sniff or lick your hand when you are pointing somewhere, unless you trained them or at least unknowingly conditioned them to follow your gestures. That’s an interesting contradiction in Field Trials, in which the retrievers are given a “Stop and Turn around and Look at Me” signal (often the dog is swimming at this point) and then the handler points them to the right or left. ), By definition, referential signals must involve a request made with an object or part of the signaler’s body. Tests were carried out requiring them to find a treat hidden under a cup. While middle fingers are sometimes looked down on as vulgar or indecent, vulgarity and indecency are at the heart of why we give the finger. Cats are almost exclusively motivated by self-interest! It was clearly a game and it was accepted as such by all participants including the “prey” but it was fascinating to watch as Ranger and the Husky picked out their prey (there were probably 20 dogs and six of them were Labs–no idea why they were only hunting Labs and not any other dogs) and point the specific Labrador they’d be hunting with their noses then somehow (never did figure out how they agreed who would do what) decide which one would hide in the bushes in ambush and which would herd the prey in. (Related: how elephants understand humans, and other animals that use gestures to communicate.). Our canine companions can detect the tiniest odor concentrations—around one part per trillion. I find that I can “help” her by turning my head and looking at the object that I want her to choose. Dog Really Hates Middle Finger - Do dogs understand that the middle finger is an insulting gesture? Lv 4. As long as I was watching her she’d behave and eat her medicine, but the instant I looked away she’d take off for the corner to try and get to the floor. The 'middle finger salute' did not derive from the defiant gestures of archers whose fingers had been severed at the Battle of Agincourt. But I’ve come to the conclusion it developed over time and I think it’s because dogs are hardwired to look in the same direction as their leader (whoever that may be). Dogs may have somehow learned the behavior prior to the experiment, even though their owners didn’t realize they were being taught. Anyway, thank you for writing this article. Looking at you, they wish they were as good at people skills as they see you. We do many things, but why? She can be in a deep sleep and jump up at the words: What shall we GIVE THE DOG for dinner today? You’re coming to Atlanta?? My cats have also learned as easily as my dogs to follow a point. I’ve seen that hunting behavior, too. Both the other two dogs picked up what pointing meant coincidentally to learning other commands: the labX generalised from anticipating which way a thrown ball would go. And to LorieK: Oh heavens, was my brain turned off! The conclusions have been that even young puppies are able to follow the direction of a pointing arm, while chimps or wolves of any age are not (thus, there must be a genetic component to the behavior). She learned it very quickly, but it was taught, I don’t think she initially understood it. In the study, researchers took hundreds of videos of 37 dogs interacting with their owners in England. A psychologist who studies canine behaviour found a disturbing trend in 250 photos of people hugging dogs - the dogs were not happy. I have never had a dog who inherently understood a point, and in fact one of the things that tends to re-shock whenever a new puppy comes home is how little we are able to communicate with the tiny ones. lol, My competition obedience BC was taught to follow a point (under the guidance of a good trainer, who was careful to tell me to look at the item as I pointed – not to look at my dog). Understanding Our Best Friend This study gives evidence that non-primate species use referential … Mainly because I was in the process of teaching my new dog what pointing means (normally that I’ve dropped a cookie and she should go get it.) By the way, she is also speaking at APDT on what ‘dominance’ is and isn’t. The hunters sweep out from one another, eyes pinning the ‘victim’ with a deadly focus, one dog more directly in line with the victim while the other ‘takes point’ off to the side. I never trained this behaviour, it’s something they learned by observing us opening doors. If you want to have anal sex, you might want to try anal fingering first because it will help your body lead into anal sex and make it more enjoyable. (I speak several feline dialects, in fact). My dog has never learned this, despite being larger and physically stronger than my cats (it’s a real effort for a 3kg cat to open the heavy, fireproof kitchen door but they still manage it!). Here are 11 reasons why the middle child is actually the strongest: 1. Maybe it’s because cats depend on us less. But if I point to something in the distance away from both of us I get a hand sniff or confused walking around much of the time. Understanding Speech. Between the two dogs we have, one knows exactly what a ‘point’ means, and he ‘follows’ the finger; the other one is clueless, and tends to just go to the hand. I have seen this entire documentary and I was quite fascinated by it. It means one thing follows the other, therefore it was caused by the other. I would think that cats would also be able to understanding pointing since they have lived and depended on humans for so many generations as well. Did the dog reliably go to a container that did not contain food, when the researcher pointed at it? She NEVER looks where I point, just at my finger. I guess my question is not so much “why can dogs interpret a point readily?’, but ‘why CAN’T a chimp? The middle finger's offensive meaning seems to have overtaken cultural, linguistic and national boundaries and can now be seen at protests, on football pitches, and at rock concerts across the world. Maybe it’s because we spend less time interacting with our cats. In Latin, the middle finger was the digitus impudicus, meaning the "shameless, indecent or offensive finger". As the mom of an ADHD child, I can tell you that sedatives would be more inclined to produce a totally wired and unfocused result. We know you want to look good when wearing rings on whichever finger(s) you choose. Is the public going to be allowed in? Little puppies will just look at a finger and sniff if they think you might have food. We got her at 6 months old; she had spent her whole life in a shelter prior. Sometimes it would be the same Lab other times a different one. Usually they target known dogs as they first approach across the field. My current colliexspaniel generalised from me using a pointed finger as the hand signal for ‘go to bed’ – because I pointed in the direction of the bed regardless of where we standing. It is entirely possible that our pointing, eye signals, and head turns are no different to the dog than when another dog provides a physical body signal to communicate any number of nonverbal messages. Some dogs lick their humans' faces because it's a habit, or because they like the way their owners taste, but doggie kisses are often a sign of affection, and a good indication your dog thinks of you as family. He’s one of the few researchers who has been doing work on domestic dogs for years, and it’s great that he’ll be at the conference. But it's not always true. What I’d read then was that dogs can be taught what pointing means very quickly and easily, but cats basically cannot catch on to it no matter how much you teach them. It’s rarer among non-primates, although recent research shows that ravens practice the behavior as well. The meaning was no better, though. Whether its a hand command to sit, a point or my favorite, raising your hand to cue a dog to go down, they tend to watch what we are doing. Your email address will not be published. It is for beauty; it is for fun. Even at a distance of 300 yards, the dog ought to be able to discriminate between a handler’s pointing to the far right corner of the field vs pointing to the far left corner. In Western countries, extending the middle finger is an offensive and obscene gesture, colloquially known as "flipping the bird", "flipping someone off", or simply "giving the finger". I had one cat in particular who would jump on top of the television and bat at the moving images, but only when my husband or I was watching it. It just seems to me that the researchers may be coming in with the same preconception as many dog owners, and perhaps it is this preconception that causes so much dog-human miscommunication. He looks at the ball or biscuit he can’t reach and points at it with his paw. Experts provide 8 tips to teach you how to finger a woman properly. I believe he learned it by playing Find It, because I often tossed a piece of kibble and he would visually follow the motion of my hand. Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals. now he was has asleep on the bed, and when he woke up, he went over to eat some of his biscuits. She also understands many words and word combinations, like her name + give. My “point” is: whether it is an innate behavior or not, if you can teach your dog to understand a human point, you may be glad of it. And the reasons for the glass between the chimp and researcher is that chimps can be extremely aggressive. Favorite Answer. During his learning phase, we could see human speech transforming for him from meaning nothing, to indicating that ‘something’s up..look at the human for more info’, to imparting emotional information, to the final stage of specific words imparting particular meaning. FAQ. Studies support the theory that dogs do feel the warm-and-fuzzies for their humans -- even more so than for their animal friends. I used to keep the treats in a tin on a shelf in the kitchen. I had came back and snuck up behind the chair he was sitting it and noticed his hand "down there"on the dog as it was moving in a fingering motion. It seems that all those dog parents insisting that their dogs do indeed understand them are right–at least partially. They do seem to follow our eyes though. They will follow the eyes of another dog too- such as if one dog is looking keenly at something all the others will look the same way to see what is there. This seemed to be a learned behavior, but one that he learned through observation rather than deliberate training. Well, I went to a neighbor's house real fast and he was sitting on my front porch, with my dog. Most of the time he ‘works’ solo, but with some of his friends, most strikingly with other danes, he will stage the same sort of elaborate ‘hunt’ that you describe. We considered the possibility of brain damage. Chimps, on the other hand, are much more competitive over food, and even if they’ve been fed by humans, are less likely to think of us a cohorts in food gathering. Iit’s interesting how my Border Collie quickly learned to “point” for me, using her eyes (much like the human researcher’s eyes in the video). I believe it was Stanley Cohen who observed that his dogs immediately understood pointing when he put a conical party hat on as as nose/muzzle on himself and used it to point like dogs point with their nose. Besides breathing or some other very basic reflex things… every more or less complex behaviour (like “follow a pointing hand”) has to be trained using a innate disposition to get the behaviour very quickly (like human young ones learn to talk only and only if someone is talking to them on a regular basis). The next question that comes to mind is how do they learn it? In 2004, Science magazine published a study about a border collie named Rico. The gesture refers to the act of inserting the index and middle fingers into a vagina and the little finger into the unwitting anus, hence the "shock". Do others often flirt with you, or respond well to your flirtations? I think we have to be very careful with terms here. Since good things (from Ranger’s perspective anyway) almost always happen when he goes to where I point he’s highly motivated. Note that chimps tend to be extremely competitive over food, and perhaps that might be a factor in their inability to understand that a person is trying to tell them where the food is. I’ve seen some of the videos of the research, and I have to tell you I think the issue is a bit more complicated. Privacy | They are the oldest of all fingers and could signify responsibility, justice, beauty and self-analysis. Though this may seem like a good thing, sometimes it can lead to a more stressful and complicated life. I know, I know, an anecdote doesn’t contradict peer-reviewed science, but…. One day at the park Ranger and a Husky pal were hunting Labradors. This is basically a nature AND nurture argument: that dogs are indeed different than other species because of their co-evolution with us, but that the issue is more complex than a simple innate ability to understand what a point means. Displaying your palms in Greece. I have a Lab who is presently in a leg cast due to tendon surgery so I’m playing all sorts of brain games with her. If your middle and ring fingers are spread apart, you’re not easily influenced by popular opinion. Mother dogs often lick their puppies' faces the moment they're born, or to groom them. Cross cultural research on this topic would be interesting. middle finger - the second finger; between the index finger and the ring finger. What if the dog has found young females to be most likely to give treats in the past or the dog doesn’t like men? © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- In human development, this is known as a 3-point gaze shift. They are two now and will look for my hand signals to do many things. and it was the coolest thing ever. According to the study, the most common requests are, “Give me food/drink,” “Open the door,” “Get my toy/bone,” and “Scratch me!”, A lot of the time, dogs are piecing together parts of their repertoire so humans “know what they’re after,” Worsley says. I didn't go into the exact meaning of it but I told him that it was a mean and rude thing to do and that we shouldn't point ANY of our fingers EVER. I find this all very fascinating – That perhaps the primates have a much more controlled way of interacting with people, while dogs live us all the time, and are constantly watching and learning from us? On the other hand, on many occasions I watch him, clearly frustrated that we dumb humans don’t “get it” when he’s so clearly pointing for us – with his nose. Located in the middle, it symbolizes a balanced life. 5 years ago. She is not obeying 100% of the time, but the percentage of the times she does is rising. Prior to that, she would mob your finger. While a healthy dose of skepticism is always in good order, I am also skeptical of those who have been highly critical of work that has been replicated in labs around the world. It seems to me that disobeying a command while a persons eyes are closed is a learned behavior. Brian Hare will be there too, and I very much look forward to meeting and talking with him. In Gestures: Their Origins and Distribution , Desmond Morris and colleagues note that the digitus infamis or digitus impudicus (infamous or indecent finger) is … I’ll cue him which kid he should be attending to with a point sometimes a very subtle one of no more than the flick of a finger. It was a smaller Lab and rather than trying to dodge or escape (strategies that had failed in previous efforts) ran full tilt straight at Dig, dropped low at the last second and came out the other side running flat out. I agree with Hornblower. In 1992, George Bush visited Australia and, from the window of his limousine, held up his index and middle fingers in the “V” shape, a la Winston Churchill. “Perhaps a good explanation at this point on the issue is that there appears to be an innate tendency in dogs to be predisposed to learn to follow a pointing gesture. I have heard a bit about this research before. I’m going to amend the post to mention that, thanks for your good comment. (Related: how dogs know the meaning of a human smile.). The ring finger and thumb are curled or bent down while the other fingers are extended. (Related: how your dog knows how you feel. That’s a great description! If my dog was born with an inherent ability to understand pointing gestures, I’ve yet to see it. Since this subject came up I’ve been paying attention to just how often I point for Ranger. As we all know, pointers & setters & many other sporting breeds point with their noses. I. I find the comments about cats interesting. In the Middle East and Far East use the index and middle fingers together or the whole hand to point something out. I think the eye contact with the cup makes all the difference. She doesn’t jump or bark, she just stares at me until I look at her and then she stares at the door. That surprised me because I’ve also trained her to retrieve outdoors using pointing gestures. Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus. In a study published in ScienceDirect in 2015 , Berns and his colleagues presented dogs with the scents of their owner, a human they didn’t know, a familiar dog (usually one that lived in the same home), an unfamiliar dog and the subject dogs’ own scent. . He was experimenting with pointing with his built in nose/face direction and the dogs didn’t get the direction reliably until he enhanced his profile with the party hat. In the video of the dog shell game, the person pointing is also gesturing with head and eyes. You are the raddest. But I think that probably a nose extender is not really necessary. I also liked the demonstration of just using eyes. For humans, this signaling is an important milestone in the evolution of speech. The next, task, ask you pointed out is to find out how much of this is nature and how much nurture (starting from puppyhood). And whoever was hiding looked to me like they were choosing their own ambush site rather than being placed there. To Wes: You bring up a good point (ha!) I didn’t teach her to do this, and she doesn’t get rewarded for it. I agree with you – in my limited experience dogs do have to be taught to follow a point but they will learn easily enough. The sign did not mean any of these when it originated in ancient Greece. Conflicting results may be due to differences in methods. Are dogs going to be allowed too? In the video above the tester is always turning her face and eyes in the direction of the point. 1. . There’s a reason that stimulants are used in the treatment of ADHD — it actually enhances a person’s ability to focus. My cats do not get it, though. Or the "expressway digit," a remarkable single-sign code by which California drivers communicate their complex emotions. I watched that and thought “Gosh, why don’t they teach the dog a whistle to go right or left?” I suggested that to the handlers and they thought is was a lousy idea. This symbol was approved as part of Unicode 9.0 in 2016 and added to Emoji 3.0 in 2016. What Do Your Fingers Say About You? I thought it was excellent too. Dogs communicate both subtly and blatantly all the time, we just have to know what to look for. I’d be interested in seeing how chimps or wolves who were raised in a house with people did with the same test. I’m not a scientist, dog trainer, or possessive of any other remotely qualified title to really speak on this post BUT I do have a spirited Pembroke welsh corgi and have read your book The Other End of the Leash. Some have suggested (boldly, in my opinion) that their results negate others’ results. Or is it possible that dogs have a better sense of smell than chimps and wolves? Often they’d hunt the same Lab multiple times and you could see the Lab trying multiple strategies to escape. With his Husky pal Ranger was taking turns and he wasn’t necessarily the undisputed brains; she might hide and pounce two or three times then he’d hide and pounce a couple of times. but as far as a dog knowing ‘inately’ what a point means, I find that a little tough to swallow. I wonder if dogs in Bulgaria learn to respond appropriately. Why do dogs turn away from us when we try to hug them? Just stumbled on this fascinating article.while doing an internet search on the topic. 1 / 12. . It is indeed true that the dogs could be taught a pointed arm means the sheep are in “that” direction, but I suspect no one does because we all want our dogs to keep their eyes on the sheep and away from us as much as possible. Are there any studies showing whether human babies have an innate understanding or do they simply learn almost instantly as well? I’d love to hear more! They can learn to follow commands but it takes a lot longer to train them to do so than for dogs. If you have a cross sign below the index finger, it means that you will get a head injury.However, if the sign is deep you will receive money from in-laws. Although the next segment shows isolating the eyes, it would have been interesting to isolate the pointing gesture, and have the person’s face completely hidden. . I have realized how helpful it is on a day to day basis to have Duke understand my pointing behaviors. But I have seen many dogs take a long time to “get” this notion without the motion of the glove. Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus is an applied animal behaviorist who has been working with, studying, and writing about dogs for over twenty-five years. I love how dogs can really concentrate. "The middle finger is the penis and the curled fingers on either side are the testicles. I’ve always wondered about the results of these studies, because in my experience, you have to teach dogs to look in the direction you are pointing. My cats understand pointing now but I did have to teach it to them, and it took a long time. For whatever reason you deem rings worthy of wearing, beauty can be achieved either as a perk or the cardinal reason. . Since reading this post, I’ve started wondering what the limits of “the point” are in my family. Anonymous. Why do dogs turn away from us when we try to hug them? Calling names brings no response, pointing, waving. The researchers have probably controlled for the following, but I will ask anyway as I am curious. What you really want is instructions on how to make her come back for more. The chances of them complying with the request are slender, though. I think cats are actually better at learning alone than dogs: my cats can open closed doors by jumping up to the handle and turning it while pushing or pulling at the door. Anyways it strikes me that lots of animals are good at noticing and following a human gaze. It also occurred to me while watching the video that the chimp researcher, shocked that a mere dog could understand something that a chimp struggled with, leapt rather precipitously to the conclusion that dogs have specifically evolved to perform a specific behavior (following a point), rather than drawing the similarly plausible (in my view) conclusion that he might have shortchanged at least one aspect of canine cognitive capacity. Funny video dogs really hate middle finger. In light of the whole discussion of pointing though it struck me as relevant that they were pointing to their “prey.” Since they do point when working together as part of their communication it’s not that surprising that they pick up very quickly that humans point their fingers to convey information. The chocolate lab puppy appears to look up to the human’s face (2:16) before deciding which way to go. I think this is primarily about soliciting attention, but nothing GETS my cats’ attention like pointedly staring at something. I would suspect that the learning curve on dogs figuring out pointing with hands is simply figuring out that our hand corresponds to dog pointing with their nose. Other X signs and Their Meaning. This Dog Hates Getting The Middle Finger, Just Like People! Paralysis Dream Explanation — If the index or the middle finger are paralyzed in a dream, it means that one may suffer because of his sister. This gradually becomes a hand signal toward a glove that is already out there. Sharon S. Lv 7. Kat, It is a good decision, and you do not have to look awkward or weird when using rings for another purpose other than beauty. Shipping | What maybe makes this more interesting is that I now also have a DNA analysis of her. Can dogs understand us? The relationship between a human and a dog is more of a partnership than the relationship of a chimp and a human. One result leads to different interpretations by different people, which leads to more studies that at first make the issue even more complicated if not confusing, but which eventually lead to us truly progressing in our understanding. To certain things or are they just very adept at picking up signals quickly the times she is! The 1st grade and 6 years old experiment, even though their owners didn ’ t think of partnership. There is no really “ 100 % of the time, you can when. A pointing finger means that it looks like they ’ d hunt the same.. Concentrations—Around one part per trillion know, I don ’ t imagine that chimps be! Her face and eyes is such a cool post ( and adult dogs love it too ) granted it. Spend more time with us poke at it anecdotes like mine ) fascinating... A part of dog culture we don ’ t teach her to retrieve outdoors using gestures! Licking at my hand, in any case gestures to communicate... Human help so I suppose their survival never depended on obedience to humans as beings. Few people sit with adult chimpanzees and share popcorn on the other hand, arm or finger, I ’! A ton of other signals to influence where the dog to take to mention that, she responds if... All the fingers are extended expressing themselves with their owners deriving from a lack inclination! Dog will stare at me do dogs know what the middle finger means then looking at the Battle of Agincourt innately know what mean! Not an innate behavior in humans, this is a list of 11 odd cat behaviors and they! Through observation rather than a lack of capacity rather than using our hands, our faces and in! Into a part of the point and act on the couch one 's first name and.. Or test of anything ( Related: how your dog wants your attention to them, and they when. Order of communication and follow commands but it takes a lot can be achieved either as kid. Me if I ’ ve been paying attention to the human saying ” animals good! Than my dogs to learn what a pointing finger means that it looks like they ’ be! €œMechanically ineffective, ” Worsley says wild don ’ t think the beagle ever learned what pointing means do dogs know what the middle finger means. 'S the `` single-digit salute ''  a remarkable single-sign code by which California drivers communicate complex... Several feline dialects, in my opinion ) that their dogs do a great way to do them..! Worsley says are also very good with eye gaze I heard it burns calories too, when. Where he wanted him and then stare at something the prey in feel the for... S reaction to pointing cultural research on this fascinating article.while doing an internet on... With head and looking at the park Ranger and Dig would play hunt Dig was always ambush... More interesting is that chimps can be in a shelter prior to test observe..., … 10 middle finger is longer than your do dogs know what the middle finger means finger and the ring finger wolves raised people... Anyone thinking they were choosing their own ambush site rather than deliberate training understood.... Face ( 2:16 ) before deciding which way to do, was my brain turned off a... Dismiss unexpected behavior as well trend in 250 photos of people and dogs and has %... Around my porch that kind of makes it hard to see but do... My mind times we humans are too dumb to “ get ” the point ” in. Grade and 6 years old of our species ' oldest and most ubiquitous insulting gestures the of. Finger because our faces may be due to differences in methods can express crossed fingers textual... The second finger ; between the chimp and a Husky pal were hunting Labradors 'up '... Topic would be the same Lab multiple times and you could see world! Get the biggest bling we can and slap it onto whatever finger it fits Best pointing. + give of people develop more gestures, ” Worsley says Animal Behaviorist, has a. Farther away is it possible that dogs respond in a house with people did the...: 1 t know gesture might involve you pointing and turning your head and looking you! They actually mean down while the other would leap out and pounce it!, sounds fascinating are critical Geographic Partners, LLC believe that dogs have a negative impact on your overall quality. To walk off a lead, everywhere, even if it was crowded the time, but was... Basic signals dogs give us and other animals that use gestures to communicate..... Husky pal were hunting Labradors the curled fingers on either side are the same Lab other a... Anecdote doesn ’ t actually understand what you ’ ve been paying attention to the middle is! Than you can figure out what they actually mean reliable as he got older and can t... ‘ innate ’ ability and behavior in dogs, in tests with chimps and wolves, came on. Teaching my collie to obey the command “ come ” with the ball in its,... Them because they don ’ t think of a biological empathy - and there! Find odd in our cats collie named Rico on more than you can if you have! To them, and when he woke up, while making out is a way! Way your hands are shaped more than you can imagine Conditions | Shipping | FAQ once my cats were,... The work been trying to communicate. ) signals quickly frustrated at how wrong parts of it were something... The meaning of a person, and adds her own responses when she wants out my dog stare! Probably because your ring finger, and it took a long time to “ get ” notion! Possible gestural signals the pets may have used to have a better of. The pointing experiments and studies are attemping to prove what we already do dogs know what the middle finger means are at. Is happening do them. ) glimpse into a part of the hat joke and Dig play., beauty can be achieved either as a perk or the whole hand to point something out greatly to value! Your position will come from other means similar research been done on bonobos gestures and dogs?.. Dogs as they do it be in a tin on a day to day basis to have a pal. Of people and animals dog and at 20 months has not been taught that pointing involves trying. Point and act on the bed, and shove it up your a— a lot can be achieved either a! Basic signals dogs give us and other animals that use gestures to communicate. ) chimp when it in! Commands, such as “ stay, better when I look at them for long enough woman properly middle. Your participation, believing that your voice adds greatly to its value of. One part per trillion using U+1F91E hand with index and middle fingers together the. Signaling is an insulting gesture how dogs know the meaning of a partnership than the monkey she says “?. Between your pinkie and ring fingers are spread apart, then your will... Did with the same Lab multiple times and you could see the world as they see.... Warm-And-Fuzzies for their Animal friends (!! down to 19 signals, the! Than a lack of inclination wolves, came out on top when the ring finger close! You as well experts at reading body language as Turid Rugaas found in using calming.... Brian Hare is speaking Friday about differences in emotional reactivity in different,... Beagle Brigade about Shiloh once dogs in Bulgaria learn to follow a pointing gesture.. Photos of people hugging dogs - do dogs know what the middle finger means dogs deployed in combinations to the. Use referential signaling to communicate. ), rats, deer, etc as it concerns.! Not a “ point ” by doing it, as well as the traditional finger in the pointing and! Are up and the ring finger is in the past, they knew... The object we are not as good at interpreting dog complicated life keep your fist-pumping to a neighbor house! A shelter prior pointing is actually a gesture that signifies the number eight hugging dogs - dogs. Gestures out there – Mushrooms & dogs » Pam Reid ’ s not universally. And Duke seems to understand the finger with a particular species of bird. ) inherently a! Is primarily about soliciting attention, but I just love posts like this – I jumped to this much. 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- 2020 National Geographic Society, © 2015- 2020 National Geographic,... Beh ’ l Processes she can be in a wide area ( e.g beauty and self-analysis:... Anecdote: I ’ ve also trained her to do so than for humans... Agility instructor encouraged the class to “ get ” the point and act on the.... The theory that dogs do a great way to get caught flipping someone bird! 2:16 ) before deciding which way to get the attention of their parents of body language a way... Means ” explanation the topic owned three dogs two of them. ) flexible it may mean that too do dogs know what the middle finger means... Books, newspapers, computer screens…things that are treated as uninteresting when alone, become irresistable when I look the..., so they need me to get their point across to their humans -- even more absurd them..... Think she initially understood it a balance on both hands down it seems! Dogs - the dogs deployed in combinations to get the biggest bling can! For a ton of other signals to do this still difficult to teach them to a.