My Robot Gets Me

 

4

Object Expression

Communicating Behavior

“OMG!” I can hear Pecorino, my three-year-old Chihuahua mix, exclaim. “There’s someone on the other side of the door! Come here! Quick!” My dog, of course, neither speaks English words nor gives me specific directives. But he does communicate these messages very clearly through the pitch and volume of his bark, his dancing gestures, and his overall posture. I can read the pivot of his ears precisely and know where activity is happening—outside the front door or in the backyard. I can tell the difference between someone who’s just passing by or someone who is lingering by observing his jumps—he’ll pace around by the doorway a few times for a temporary passerby but escalate to a jumping frenzy if ...