Hannah Talks

Hannah never ceases to amaze me. Border Collies are active, intelligent dogs who need a job. Hannah came from the local shelter with a torn cruciate ligament. A year after that was fixed she broke her pelvis. No herding, agility, or other active sports for this BC!

Border Collies need jobs. So Hannah invents jobs for herself. She is my Door Dog, letting me know whenever another dog is thinking of wanting in or wanting out. It is her job to predict what I will do next, where I will go, and to precede me.

Hannah is a very vocal dog, something she learned from Jesse the Samoyed. Samoyeds woo-woo and talk prettily, which is encouraged because their barks tend to be sharp and penetrating. So Hannah does what Jesse gets praised for. Her voice is nowhere near as pleasant, and I have to admit to spending much time trying to get her to be quiet.

Lately I noticed she has a special bark for going outside. Completely different from her other barks and vocalizations. This morning I realize what it is. She is saying "Out". Her bark has been shaped into the English word. Today she got it clear enough that even I could tell exactly what she was saying. Out. She only uses it at the back door, when she wants Out. 

At a time when I am learning to communicate telepathically with animals, my BC is learning to speak English. We all have our jobs to do.