QT: The Translation of Significance

I was just letting my dogs out and I was amused at how the “go outside” ritual has evolved.

Back when boydog was a puppy we decided that plushy toys stay inside.  Every time he trotted to the door with one, when he got there we would tell him “out” and he would spit out the toy before we would let him go outside.

Boydog decided that the important thing was not “don’t bring plushy toys outside” but rather “toys must be brought to the door as a token to get out”.  Whenever he wants to go outside he will bring the token.  We tell him “out” and he drops the toy and heads out.  If we take the toy too early he will go and find a new toy because the rule is, you must have a toy close to the door to be allowed out.

Girldog joined our family a couple of years ago, and she had no such ritual. The boydog ritual was nice because he would bring toys to us to let us know he wanted to go outside, girldog eventually learned that poking my arm will usually work in place of that.   However, she has been watching boydog’s ritual since she got here, and we’ve tried to encourage her to do the toy thing – it is convenient way to know the dog wants out and not just attention.  She has finally started to adopt the ritual but just as the “significant part” changed between the humans and boydog, she had her own twist on it.  For her, dropping the toy at the door is the important part. 

So boy dog will bring a toy to let us know he wants out.  We all head to the door.  As we get to the door, if she really wants to go out (rather than just being willing to go out)  girldog will pick a toy up, throw it on the ground, pick another toy up and throw it on the ground until I successfully wade through the dogs and get to the door, and then she knows the “go outside” ritual – as she has interpreted it – was successful.

Three different intents, all evolved from the initial “plushy toys don’t go outside.”  It makes me wonder about other communications and how often what we thing is the significant part of an action gets re-read by the person observing.