Dogs as Best Models of Communication
They are not only man’s best friend.
Moreover, they are man’s best models of communication too. Their proximity and relevance to the lives of mankind have made an impact to how we deal with relationships. Though most of the times, people do not see how a dog can teach us something about communication.
We are always fixated that communication can only be learned from people and things that talk the language we speak. Not knowing that we need not to look far to learn how we can be better communicators and people. We humans just need to look across the room where our dog is sound asleep on the floor.
It’s time to listen to them. Here are the lessons our dogs are trying to whisper to us:
Have time for everything
If let loose, dogs always have time for everything. There is time for eating, pooping, playing, sleeping, and smelling the plants. Their version of a good time (and perhaps productivity) is the amount of activities that they have done, not the amount of what they have done for a single activity.
Making time for the various aspects of our lives makes us better communicators. A balanced week between going out, working, and meeting people provides color to the otherwise mundane, boring lives that we usually have. Different experiences not limited to the work that we have makes us better story-tellers, and being able to reach out to friends and meet them without thinking of any responsibilities and hassle from work will help us delivering the messages to different audiences.
Now, this is not saying that our lives should be like our dogs and that we should drop our work. But looking closer to how we spend our days and how they spend theirs can give us a little insight on the fact that we need to loosen up, too. We spend so many hours on work that we forget that being a human being compromises of many daily activities. Progress should be seen as being able to work towards our goal while maintaining a healthy body and social life.
Not all barks are bad
To put simply, dogs teach us how to listen attentively. And I believe that dog-owners already know this fact — not all barks mean that dogs are mad, sometimes they just feel elated.
We human beings need to take time in listening the people around us too. Some messages really need a second take for the true meaning to be revealed. Sudden reactions will only produce bad situations. Failure of humans to react correctly have created decades of war and dispute. Dogs are simple and direct — when they talk to each other, they know what each other meant. And it is not just about the way they bark.
On some messages, we even need to account the action done before, during, and after the words were uttered. Dogs bark when they wag their tail, and dogs bark when their tail is between their legs. Both instances seem to sound the same, but their body language says two different things.
Humans use body language too, and it has always been the key in understanding what the other person feels. In an age where human interactions can be done in screens, it is important not to lose sight on what the other person does to know what he/she truly feels.
So essential is listening that we can solve half of the world’s problems (or even all of it) just by listening and truly understanding the opposite side, even if they hold contrasting opinions to ours. And it is a tough act to be good at, but listening to our pets may be one step closer to taking time and listening to understand what is said beyond all the noise.
Value trust
But dogs teach us more. They teach us not just to trust on words, especially in this uncertain, changing world. Since they do not understand every word we say, and because we’re not all dog whisperers, our actions say more than the words we utter. Dogs teach us to have more trust through actions.
And this is the same with us humans. We have proof of it in every corner of our collective and personal history — from the valiant and charismatic leaders of different nations, to our family and friends who have done many things for us.
This lesson also pervades how humans should work. Modern society has put premium on outsmarting each other to gain. Maybe learning how to deal with dogs can teach us a thing or two on how humans value actions in a time where there seems to be too much message and noise.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
We know so much more about dogs and communications. Let Lyve Communications help you with your brand. Send us an email at jake.go@wearelyve.com or erika.almaden@wearelyve.com
