Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire My dog blinks to say yes

I know it sounds kooky.

My dog tilts his head when I ask him questions and I'm still trying to figure if he really does blink to "say" yes. It sure seems like it though.

I've trained him a little bit to blink his eyes when I ask a questions like: "Want to go for a walk?" or "Want to play fetch?" He knows the words "want to" are a question and he doesn't blink every time I ask him something. I only get a yes when it's something he likes or wants to do.

Has anybody ever heard of a dog communicating yes by blinking?

Am I nuts?

Yes, and so is your dog....

This:

David Berkowitz had like experiences with a dog.

His winked at him too...

Now try training the wife to do the same thing.

Never noticed in my dawgz, course I never looked either...I shall now, thanks.

My own binary behavorial experiences with other mammals have been usually predictabile, with one exception: my wife, Inever really know when I'm going to feel her toes on my calve, or when her elbow will be squarely planted on my sternum...

Charlie

Rotsa ruck....


On a serious note:

Fish Head, my dog communicates a "positive response" by sniffing, or snorting loudly. When he understands something he does the same thing. It can mean "Yes" or that he knows what animal he is trailing through the woods by scent.

Buster? Wanna go for ride in the truck? Snort! (as he jumps down and goes outside to stand by the truck for me to let him in.)
So, if you are crazy, that's two of us...

Well, my dog hasn't commanded me to kill anyone ... yet.

I might start a list though.

And I commend your dawgz commands.

Charlie

Remember Son of Sam killer?

Call me, we'll talk....

My last dog (lab / catahoula mix) blinked one eye for "yes".

When he wanted something he would sit in front of me and bounce his front feet off the floor.

I would go down the list of questions;
do you want to go outside?
You want a drink?
You want a biscuit?

When I asked a question that did not correspond with what he wanted he just sat still and looked at me. When I asked the right question, he blinked one eye.

I didn't train him that trick, he trained me.

I keep testing Scout on this and he keeps passing.

Earlier tonight I was standing in kitchen and Scout walked up to the back door and wimpered to go out. I looked at him and said "Do you want to get the squirrel?" No response. Then I said "Do you want to go outside?" and he blinked.

Usually when I say "squirrel" he goes nuts. Squirrel means find the squirrel and he likes that. He's very good at understanding animal names ... bird, duck, dog, horse, mouse, and squirrel and he reacts differently and appropriately for each animal. He also knows the names of people and animals.

The way I've trained Scout to blink is to elicit a response meaning good when I ask him a question that has a positive answer. I ask the question and point to my eyes and blink. He knows the word good as opposed to bad. I've trained him to elicit a positive response by blinking where the appropriate answer is a positive.

Good = positive. Positive = yes. Blink = a positive/good acknowledgement.

Dogs have the ability to respond correctly to questions.

Want to go to the store?

Want to go for a walk?

Want a treat?

Are you hungry?

Want a spanking?

The thing that leads me to believe he is responding appropriately is how he blinks. It's not a typical rapid unconscious blink but more of a measured open and close your eyes blink.

You just described my Heeler's behavior.

GTC

Maybe I'm not nuts.

It still kinda freaks me out that a dog can acknowledge questions by blinking.

I've never experienced this before.

When ya poke him in the eye 'course he's gonna blink!

I believe your onto something there only you haven't trained him, he's trained you.

My dog sneezes when I hit it right, she also knows that when I'm feeling lazy I'll call he twice to come before correction, she has me trained well.

Yeah, how'd you teach I'm to blink an eye for "yes".

OTOH, I'm calling BS. You must be smarter than the dog to teach it tricks.

It's not that he's only trained me ... it goes both way. Somehow or other he's caught on to eliciting a response to what I and Scout wants.

???

Had a pointer one time which was great on squirrels, too.

When you got to the tree and he had his tail curled and pointed in his ass, it meant you screwed around so long the squirrel ran in a hole.