I just read my copy of What is My Dog Thinking? I found the book very enjoyable, with lots of great photos and plenty of good advice for learning to pay attention to how my dog is trying to communicate with me.

What I find interesting is that, indeed, my dog talks to me a lot. And he listens when I talk. The biggest problem seems to be humans not really paying attention when they communicate. I thought that was a good point.

Wow. The thing that i absolutely love about animals is that they can communicate with you! Though, I find it hard to communicate with THEM. Fishes are easy, you just put your hand in the bowl and they're like decoding the message : foody time! Some people say that parakeets are intelligent but have small perspective, i dont think thats true, because when you go near an untamed parakeet they can be thinking all kinds and sorts of things! Thats why i wanna be either of these jobs:
Avian vet, zoologist, biologist, zookeeper, or vet

How about an animal trainer Toony? I think you'd be excellent. I love training so much that once the horse, dog, cat, keet is done, I have a hard time just relaxing and enjoying the fruits of my labor. It's an exciting challenge.

there isnt a animal going that will not try to communicate with us thru their sounds and mostly body language if we would only take the time to sit and observe...

a lot of times we can mimick what they do sometimes we have to adjust how we do that but observing is key...and a lot of times doing that before ever attempting to speak back...you will find that in the animal kingdom the language is precise and decisive ..the corrections to young are swift and short but always understood by the young...

we must remember we all share the same space but what we do with that is important ...and mutual respect without ever crossing the lines of acceptance is the fastest way to trust...

This newest issue of Bird Talk (I think it is May 2011) has a humorous article by Patricia Sund on if she knew what her African Greys were thinking all the time

Illusive, i agree and appreciate the point about animal communication being precise and decisive. Too bad ours (humans') isn't like that.

Cetan, that must have been pretty funny. Everyone should do a voice-over for their birds and post them on youtube. heh :P

Communication is different with each kind of animal but every animal communicates even if its only to breed. I agree with Illusive.

Many, many moons ago, (ikes 50 years ago, lol) my grandfather taught me how to train dogs and horses through their communication methods. Grandpa was truly a man ahead of his time, he was the original horse whisperer I think.

The most valuable thing he taught me was that unlike humans animals do not pick, pick, pick all day long. They express themselves quickly and with intent and then resume a normal state of mind quickly.

Horses will kick, bite to get their intentions known and if you watch them 10 minutes later they are eating together or resting along side each other, they do not hold grudges and when its over it is over.

When I get called to help someone with a so called "bad horse" I find they are not bad they are totally confused by their human who nags and picks at them constantly, and is not consistent. Usually, it takes a few minutes to let the horse know that I am not "mom" or "dad" but the person who is going to train mom and dad. In all my years of training, I have never met a problem horse, only problem people.

I am an equine sports massage therapist and have worked on race horse stallions all over the country that I was told would never let me go in their stalls without getting kicked. They are young and not disciplined and are usually rough handled out of fear for human safety. It has never failed that in 15 minutes or less after I enter the stall the stallion is relaxed and enjoying a massage while grooms and trainers are shocked.

How you may ask, I am not afraid and I carry myself confident and in charge. In the wild, herds of horses the stallions are not in charge....a dominant mare is in charge. She decides when they move on and what they eat and where they drink and so on. Stallions stay in the back and move the herd and protect what he has.

Just know all animals look to leaders for direction, if you are not the leader they become the leader! That is fine as long as you like their leadership, most times not! And lets face it even in the animal world not all things great and small should be leaders.

Which brings me to my final point. If you take the leadership role remember to respect the role and earn trust, don't demand it. Unfortunately, if you lose an horses respect and violate its trust in you, most times you cannot get it back.

I love everything you are saying, Tessboss. How do you let the horses know you are going to train their parents?

I think the Dog guys, Cesar Milan, trains with the same view - it's about training the people. Then the dogs just continue to be dogs, but everyone then gets along.

Bruno communicates through telepathic messages....seriously. But not. I don't know...he really is trying to communicate with me and I don't always get it. But being a bulldog, he never "lets it go". he will push push push his point...whatever it is I might never know.
I try.
I have so many books on dog behavior I can't even begin to list them. I saw a show recently...Dogs Inc. Didn't really learn much new, but still found it good. Prouduced by PBS.
I am too new with my birds to know much of what they are trying to tell me, if anything. I know they are probably better at reading me than me them.

oh your so right ...they do communicate with us every animal does and its nice to see someone realizes that...its a matter of each learning the others way of trying to do that and what they are telling us through body language and chirps with birds...just like a baby has different cry sounds and moms know what those are and dogs have different barks to let us know things...

its a learning experience for all for sure...cappy lets me know for sure when he wants to eat WITH ME and take a shower in the sink...and also when he wants to go to bed if he is extra tired or wants to come out ...things like that ive come to recognize with him...also when he wants me to joini on his play time an get involved there also...