A Dog’s Diary: Freedom of Speech… or Bark
Dear Diary,
I know a lot of humans get annoyed when dogs bark; I’m not sure why they don’t care about our freedom of speech? But we actually have a reason for it, and it’s not because we like the sound of our own voice. Well, maybe we do a little.
Really, there are lots of reasons why we bark. We might do it because there’s a threat (you don’t know that the UPS man is just a UPS man and not a Russian spy). We might do it because we’re scared (not me, specifically, but other dogs, I mean). We might do it because we’re bored or hungry.
But here’s another reason dogs bark: Because we want to get our way. You wouldn’t think it, right? After all, we’re a self-less species, completely capable of loving you more than we love ourselves. But, yes, it’s true! Sometimes we bark because we want a piece of that juicy steak you’re eating or because we’re tired and we want to go to bed (but not without you, of course). Sometimes we also bark because we’re confused.
In fact, we have different types of barks and, if you listen closely, you can sometimes tell what we’re trying to say in our own leash language.
All of this is interesting, even though I don’t have to only rely on my bark to communicate…if my owner wants to know what I think, they can just read my diary.
Talk to you soon,
Charlie
JJ Keeler lives in Colorado with a house full of pets. She owns three dogs, two cats, and a hamster she bought as a bribe to get her daughter to ride the school bus. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado and has worked as a professional writer for fifteen years. Her clothes are perpetually covered in pet hair.
