Zuzi's Tail - No 4 - Zuzi's First Christmas
Zuzi was so excited about her first Christmas that she gets up on her back paws and dances with me. When I start to sing: O Holy Night, and hit the high notes, she puts her nose in the air and sings along with a sweet howl. Then she likes to sing a couple of low notes as an encore. She looks at me for guidance the way I watch a conductor.
This canine vocalization is quite humorous and entertaining. But it is also Zuzi's way of connecting with the family. Dogs are pack animals and love to play together, and howling is a primal reaction.
I consider it a compliment when she howls along in her sweet off-key rendition because if I hit a high C, she stops as it is not within her vocal range, but when I sing the low notes, she continues on then decides the song should stop, and looks at me as if to say, enough of that!
In comparison to human ears, dogs can detect sounds from 3,000 - 12,000 HZ, and a range from 5 decibels to 15 - sounds we can't pick up. What is so comical is that she is really serious about imitating my notes.
She also had fun ripping apart her Christmas present, refusing to wait until the 25th. Why wait when she can smell it and wants instant gratification.
Now I have to buy her another present! (Smart dog.) But I can't put it under the tree because with her temperament she will outsmart me again. It will be up high on the kitchen counter.
The amazing thing about Zuzi, is that she only needs to see something done twice then she's got it. This means she will be waiting all year long for the next Christmas for her treats.
Zuzi wishes all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Alinka