Make ‘Em Laugh
He was charging toward me, head down, shoulders forward… I could see the tension in his thighs as he climbed the hill between the two of us, and I stood my ground waiting for him to get closer. I took a few deep breaths and turned so my back was facing him. I covered my face and crouched, and just as I heard him just feet behind me, I turned and yelled, “I am going to get you!” He stopped short of the cage barrier, then leaned his belly in and I responded by tickling him. Then, he made a sound that struck me deep in my gut each time I heard it… He huffed and squeaked while his mouth was open wide, lips pulled back…
Bahati, the creative, silly chimp I had known for several years, and I were playing our favorite game… “Tickle me ‘til I laugh.”
The vocalizations that occur during play are still new to formal animal behavior study. We have learned much from chimps and some other species, but still have much to learn. Several years ago I had the honor to meet the late Dr. Patricia Simonet. Dr. Simonet had done some great work around the play vocalizations in canines. She called the behavior a laugh – which, depending upon one’s definition of “laugh,” is accurate.
The sound is one that is likely familiar to most of you – it is that breathy huffing that often occurs during play. You can listen to one of her recordings here.
Dr. Simonet not only confirmed that this behavior occurs during times of play, but she also found that the recorded sound decreased arousal in a kennel situation. While playing these sounds in a shelter is not likely to have a lasting impact (as playing any sound over time with no paired stimuli is likely to be quickly habituated to), Dr. Simonet’s data clearly shows that huffing, or laughing, is an important vocalization for our canine companions. I captured a bit of the behavior in my own dogs – take a look:
This behavior is important to us for several reasons. First, and likely most importantly, it is a great educational tool to help folks understand just how much dogs are like us… Dr. Simonet’s work received tons of public attention several years back, in part because she called the behavior a laugh, not a huff… powerful stuff to help increase the bond! Next, by producing the sound ourselves, we can help dogs engage in play together – or with us. Finally, by understanding another cue that indicates play, we can better assess whether a dog is playing – the breathy huffs are clear cues that the game is on!
Unfortunately, Dr. Simonet is no longer alive – she lost her battle with cancer late in 2010. A dog park in Spokane was named in her honor – perfectly named the Laughing Dog Park.
How might you keep her research alive in your shelter?
Related links:
“What Did He Just Say?”
“Should We Say ‘Lulla-Bye-Bye’ to ‘Calming’ CDs?”
“There Is Chimp Poo Hanging On My Office Wall”
Tags: behavior, canine body language, dogs
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Jackie Bell Says:
Trisha was an amazing person and a wonderful advocate for animals. Her Laughing Dog CD (which is still available for purchase) is played daily here at SCRAPS. We were honored to have her here at our shelter. Her legacy lives on.
Dianne Timoney Says:
As Jackie said, it was truly an honor to have her at our shelter. She is sorely missed!
Nancy Hill Says:
I had the pleasure of working with Patricia Simonet for many years. She was the program manager at Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS) and was in charge of our animal behavior program. Patricia’s dedication to understanding and helping animals was amazing. She was brillant in her research and will always be remembered for discovering dog laughter. Patricia is greatly missed but her memory lives on in the The Patricia Simonet Laughing Dog Park. She also wrote some brillant “petiquette” rules for the park which can be viewed on our website.
Robert Brost Says:
The Laughing-Dog™ CD is still available from Trisha’s husband: