Dr David McGrath

Spine Physician

MB BS (Hons) FAFOM, RACP, FAFMM
Master of Pain Medicine

We humans, have a natural capacity for language. In addition, there are many of them.
But what is language and why haven't other species bothered to develop it?
There are likely to be many reasons. This series, will explore some of the logical possibilities.
When my dog is hungry he,
1.May become agitated.
2.Sit next to me and stare
3.Wiggle his tail
4.Start a slow whine

If I make a noise or gesture:
he becomes more animated ,turns in small circles and wags his tail more furiously

If I feed him, the behavior stops. Over a number of such episodes, he has refined his behaviour,and reduced the initial sequence to staring and a small bark.
This interaction is primitive language.
The purpose is clear. My dog has induced in me a cooperative behavior. The "bark" and "staring" are gestures or words which create action from me. When I reply with a movement or sound, he reinforces his original behaviour with "small circles" and "tail wagging". This is a to and fro interaction in a social setting. The sounds and gestures are "words" coordinating behaviour. Over repeat trials, redundant behavior of agitation and whining are lost in preference to the behaviour that works. My dog has developed a language, to obtain food. Already there are several interesting points.

1.Initial behavior is divergent (4 behaviors)
2.The bevavior is iterative and sequential. That is,changes with my response, to a new behavior (small circles and tail wagging) and finally eating.
3.Becomes refined to the minimum actions (staring and small bark)
4.Serves a physiological need (hunger)
5.Dependant upon my cooperation.

But there is another side to this story. What happens when I want my dog to come to me. I might,
1.Call Banjo
2.Whistle
3.Shout
4.Tug on the lead
5.Gesture with my hands

If he comes;
I give him a pat and a ear rub

Again,over a number of trials, I refine my approach to whistling and calling. My success is not as great as his, in obtaining food from me. Overall the 5 points outlined above are the same. The main difference is the mood of cooperation. I am much more cooperative.
There are some other important lessons.
1.My dog and I ,do not share the same input/output means. I whistle,he barks. I gesture with my hands, he wags his tail. I perform complicated tasks of food preparation, he just comes.
2.My language of actions (words) are completely different than his.

These limitations are not present with person to person interaction.

This sequence of events becomes vastly more complicated in humans, with actions for every emotion and need

to be continued.