One of the oft-forgotten qualities to my dog's primal traits is his hearing ability. His floppy ears are quite good at selectively picking up the things that he deems worth of a reaction. I say "selective" because there are several categories of sounds in which he cares enough to be bothered with.
First you have the sounds that incite alertness and the more primal canine traits of being territorial. Door knocks and any jingling sounds that mimic that of a dog collar/leash are almost guaranteed to get him riled-up and barking (regardless of what he is doing). It makes me proud to hear him be protective and alert of a possible intrusion - it's what dogs are supposed to do.
Then there are the sounds that he's become conditioned to and associates with pleasant things to follow. The refrigerator door opening/closing or the sounds of food containers will warrant at least a visual confirmation (i.e. poking his head out from under the blankets) to check and see if there is in fact, food present. Noises that sounds like chewing or eating will likewise draw his gaze and a quick glance of, "Hey... whatcha got there?" It amazes me how I continue to fail at attempting to sneak in a quick snack without him finding out about it - especially when he's two rooms away and sleeping under the covers.
Finally there are spoken words that he recognize. Apollo has come to understand quite a decent vocabulary - usually commands - that he will react to. There are also ones that he comprehends and seems to be amused by (these tend to be names of other people or animals)... though he's not always sure how to react. He usually just tilts his head sideways like he's listening intently, trying to figure out what I'm saying.
First you have the sounds that incite alertness and the more primal canine traits of being territorial. Door knocks and any jingling sounds that mimic that of a dog collar/leash are almost guaranteed to get him riled-up and barking (regardless of what he is doing). It makes me proud to hear him be protective and alert of a possible intrusion - it's what dogs are supposed to do.
Then there are the sounds that he's become conditioned to and associates with pleasant things to follow. The refrigerator door opening/closing or the sounds of food containers will warrant at least a visual confirmation (i.e. poking his head out from under the blankets) to check and see if there is in fact, food present. Noises that sounds like chewing or eating will likewise draw his gaze and a quick glance of, "Hey... whatcha got there?" It amazes me how I continue to fail at attempting to sneak in a quick snack without him finding out about it - especially when he's two rooms away and sleeping under the covers.
Finally there are spoken words that he recognize. Apollo has come to understand quite a decent vocabulary - usually commands - that he will react to. There are also ones that he comprehends and seems to be amused by (these tend to be names of other people or animals)... though he's not always sure how to react. He usually just tilts his head sideways like he's listening intently, trying to figure out what I'm saying.
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