The head tilt – Widely known as the ‘listening’ pose, your dog’s head tilt is a prerequisite for her to figure out who’s at the other side of the door when faint footsteps are heard.
And if your sentences aimed at her get a tad too complex (like when you say ‘car’, ‘beach’ and ‘come’ in the same breath), she’ll summon the vast powers of the 45-degree tilt to decode their meaning.
The grin – So you warned your vet that your dog is a hyperactive brat who will be tough to handle on the examination table. Cut to the scene of her wagging her tail gently as she buries her face in the doctor’s arms, as the very picture of docility. As your vet rolls his eyes at you for providing false information on your precious pooch’s temperament, you can be sure that your furry princess will give you a wicked, toothy grin, as if to say ‘Destroy owner’s credibility: mission accomplished’.
The martyred look – If you’ve ever tried to quietly put away her biscuit tin after snack time, you are likely to have been subjected to this one – your dog’s favourite manipulative look, often accompanied by a loud, melodramatic sigh. Get ready to crumble like those biscuits and toss her an extra one, just to end the guilt trip.
The hero – Has your little tyke ever run off with a raggedy old sock only to return it to you valiantly after tossing it around and chewing it up beyond recognition?
Try stifling your laughter, and praise her for bringing you her hard-won prey. She’s trying to be your four-legged hero.
The angel – The hour-long game of catch has left both you and Fifi exhausted.
Get ready for the one facial expression that you will always conjure up in your head whenever you think of her –‘the angelic look’ – for as she lies stretched out on the drawing room floor, sound asleep and halfway through a doggy dream, she may as well have a halo on her head.
(Petpals is a weekly column that appears every Tuesday. The animals featured here are free for adoption)
