wags not words

One of my favorite things about dogs is their transparency. I wrote a personal essay on this subject for a writing class in college. At any given time, I can look around the room and tell you pretty much exactly what each dog is thinking.

Maddi's little mind stays on food and massages most of the time.
For Lilly, it's squirrels and cuddling.
Honey: the other dogs and patrolling the counter for scraps.
Sallie: shoes and sleep.

And I think they know what I'm feeling, too. My energy, as Ceasar calls it. I think just about every dog owner would tell you they communicate with their pups nonverbally...and verbally too, of course.

So when I got an email from a Pup-Peroni rep about a new survey they had conducted, Wags Not Words, I was sucked in. It's all about the strong bonds people feel with their dogs and how they communicate without words.

As part of the survey, a body language expert also analyzed pictures of celebrities and their dogs.

This one of Queen Elizabeth and one of her (ten!) Corgis is my favorite.

source

Apparently most of her Corgis are descendants of Susan, who was a gift to Elizabeth on her 18th birthday! Wonder how many generations there have been now?


Here's what the expert said:

“I love the Queen’s warm smile. Her cheeks are up and her mouth is open, which is unusual considering her lips are typically purse together. I watched a three hour documentary of the Queen with her family and she didn’t smile once. Look how she is leaning forward and reaching out with her open thumbs up hand to him. She is truly happy to spend time with her dog. You can bet the Queen is among the 67 percent of pet parents that said they feel guiltier leaving their dogs behind when they are out town, than their own family.”

So interesting. How could she not smile looking at that chubby little furball? Thanks Pup-Peroni for sharing your survey!


Also, if you have a minute, you should watch the Today show's top dog finalists. They're amazing.