Mattie & Non-verbal Behavior

I wrote this for the class I am taking on Non-verbal Communication. This is one article of 15-20 entries I am working on for my final.

My dog loves attention from people. She is timid around other dogs, but she loves people to the point of being too lovable at times. Her exuberance knows no limits. When someone rings the front doorbell, she bounds to the door in anticipation of a visitor, her tail wagging and her tongue hanging out. I command her to sit (to no avail) as she wags her tail and jumps and turns in circles.
On Halloween night, over 25 sets of children in the neighborhood rang our doorbell. Mattie May had to greet each and every child. She tried to run outside, but I barred the door with my body and put myself between her and the trick-or-treaters. All the little kids wanted to pet her. Many of them recognized her as they see us walking in the neighborhood and they know she is a dog that loves people.
When we are tired and just want to watch television, my husband sits in the recliner side of the sofa and I stretch out on the long side. Mattie will tug on my blanket, play-bite me, chew on my sleeve, and generally give me no rest. Her need for attention causes a major ruckus in the household. Although she is a 95-pound Golden Retriever, she does not realize it and wants to sit in my lap. When I finally relent and sit up and allow her to climb on me, she is so rough and gangly that her paws dig into my legs. Needless to say, it is not a comfortable position to be in when such a big gawky dog wants to sit in my lap.
Mattie knows when it is time for her walk. She loves to take her walks and she displays her excitement so that everyone in the house knows how much walking means to her. We have a routine in our household. After dinner, I do dishes while my husband takes her for a 40-minute jaunt around the neighborhood. My husband will put on his shoes and jacket and she knows it is her walk time. It is nearly impossible to put on her leash as she jumps and turns in circles, panting and exuberantly running back and forth to the door. We have a special spot that we order her to go to commanding, “Place!” and she will go there for a grand total of five seconds.
When I take her for walks, she holds her fluffy tail high and wags it to display her enthusiasm for being out and about. Being timid of other dogs, the tail immediately falls downward and she tucks it between her legs. She will run behind me as though I am her defender from other dogs no matter what size they are. But if she sees a person, she runs and practically pulls me along to visit with another new friend.
Dogs do not speak but do think in terms of images according to "Better Behavior in Dogs," 1999, A Guide to solving all your dog problems. Although Mattie does not speak, she does understand several words and phrases. We have to spell the word “walk” because if we say it out loud, she goes crazy in anticipation of her walk. She understands “go bye-bye in the car” which is something else she loves to do. She also understands “Daddy’s home” and I know it has nothing to do with the sound of his vehicle. If I know that he has not arrived home yet, I will say that phrase and she runs to the front door anticipating his arrival. “Bring me your ball” is one of our favorite games to play. She is a good retriever until she gets tired. Then she ignores that phrase and plops down on the floor to rest.
Mattie is a happy dog and it shows even in the picture above. Her happy grin, tongue hanging out, and smiling eyes all illustrate her joi de vive! And she never says a word!